Sep 09
2008
2008
Shedding Some Light On “Alone In The Dark”
By: Elof Coulsen Category: Alone In The Dark, Games, Wii
A little over fifteen years ago (in 1992 to be precise) an as then mostly unknown video-game company by the name of Infogrames invented what we would later come to know as the Survival-Horror games genre. Yes, that;s right, contrary to popular belief, Capcom were not the first to keep us on the edge of our seats and fighting for our lives against the worst that the realm on the supernatural has to offer us. To be honest, neither was Inforgrames. Games like Nightmare Circus had been around a lot longer. But in so far as the modern form of Survival-Horror is concerned, Infogrames are undeniably the largest influence.
According to even Capcom themselves, a lot of their inspirations for the Resident Evil series even came from those early Alone in the dark installments. Nine years later, when Alone in the dark resurfaced across the most current generation of games consoles (at the time) the favour was returned with Infogrames taking some inspiration back. Most notably in the form of the way we would control our erstwhile protagonist, Mister Edward Carnby.
Unfortunately, Alone in the dark : The new nightmare was far from the resounding success that was hoped for. Though, it obviously did well enough for the most recent offering, this time under the license of the parent company, Atari. And it could not have come at a better time. Atari have had a troubled history. Disappearing from the video-game world almost completely for a number of years, only finally returning with the, again disappointing, Enter the Matrix.
Common consensus seems to be that Atari are, once again, on the verge of collapse. At least, until Alone in the dark (2008) was released across all of the major platforms and the PC in the early stages of the year. I can’t speak for the “next gen” or PC release of the game as the Wii version has some differences in gameplay to reflect both the unique control system and simple logistics of the console. Much like most of the cross platform games in recent times. However, the Wii version of the game is in now way diminished by this.
It’s a solidly built, and thoroughly enjoyable game. Graphically it wouldn’t be put up as the poster child for Nintendo, it’s far from being a game that pushes the Wii’s capabilities to their limit, but it’s still a very pretty game in a lot of ways. The animation of some of the characters, most notably Carnby himself, are a little clumsy, but the overall impression is nothing to be scoffed at. The breadth of expression on the various people you come across along the way is truly a marvel to behold. You can almost forget that they’re animations, even given the waxy look of their skin. Their faces move like you would really expect of a real person.
The control system is simple and responsive, allowing you both a first and third person perspective to play through in most areas apart from some narrow sections of the game (limited to first person) and the climbing sections (limited to third). Even whilst in the driving sections of the game you have the choice between the two. Which is most decidedly a good thing as this is the one area where the game falls decidedly short. Some of the physics involved in the car sections would cause even Rockstar to have a few giggles, and we all know how silly some of their collision physics can be.
Fortunately, the strength of the rest of the game is enough that we can put up with the aggravation and persevere. Well, that and the fact that, with the game being split split into a series of ten, each split into three or four specific sections, chapters that are available to select right from the beginning, you can skip forward past any sections that you may be struggling with. Quite an interesting idea, though not one I chose to make use of myself. At least, not during the first play through. But it certainly has it’s uses for when you want to nip back to a certain stage of the game that you liked, or to show your friends or suchlike.
I feel I should warn you however, the game is a little short. Not likely to keep you entertained for much longer than four or five days on the first play through. But it’s entertaining enough that it wouldn’t take much convincing to go back and play through again. Though, unfortunately, there are no trailers or alternate costumes and suchlike to unlock so replay value comes solely in the strength of the game itself. But the game is not a significantly difficult one to play, with the primary challenge being reserved for the puzzle sections rather than a focus on intense action.
An all around good game. Suitable for both casual and hard core gamers alike, Alone in the dark is a good game to keep you happy for a while, and since it finishes on perhaps the most dramatic cliffhanger I’ve yet seen, you will certainly be waiting with baited breath for the next chapter. Also, from what I understand, you could check out the “next gen” version for a more intense gaming experience. Or purely for the pleasure of comparing the differences between the two.
Graphics : 8
Gameplay : 8
Audio/music : 8
Plot/scripting : 9
Overall : 8.5
Aug 27
2008
2008
Guild Helper’s MMORPG Guild Creation Guide - Review
By: lorecore Category: Games
There are many guides flying around these days targeting MMOs and their mechanics. With so many Gold and Leveling guides out there, it was bound to happen that someone would try to create something to help the struggling Guild Master. Enter the Guild Creation Guide by Doom Enterprises!
What surprised me most at this guide was that it was actually helpful. Perhaps I read a guide too many over my years of playing MMOs, but I find that the greater majority of guides either fail to convey their information well enough or are simply lacking in content. A few are downright scams.
This however, is a quite real guide and has a place in today’s ever evolving market. With so many guilds becoming close to household names in particular MMOs, the dream of creating a game-spanning, internationally recognized guild capable of surviving through rough patches and upheavals is shared by many players. The hows and whys are a problem, and here this guide can help.
Content: Coming in at 90+ pages of content, it explains guild creation and management in detail, with an emphasis on Guild Events and Guild Content (website, forums, artwork etc).
The guide starts with a detailed Chapter List and pays plenty of details to all the minor things that can go wrong when starting a guild from scratch. While it does deal with common sense knowledge, it is well presented and comprehensive. A new Guild Leader will find many useful tips in here, from Guild Types, Officer Information (promotion, roles) to Member Recruitment and Guild Rules.
As said before, a large focus is dedicated to Guild Content, in an effort to promote the idea of a lasting brand. Website, forums, artwork, guild colors, tabards and events are all covered and explained in detail. Even a few samples of guild created events are being given at the end, all of great use to a budding Guild Master.
Perhaps too much attention is given to Roleplaying Guilds and Events, whereas the greater majority of newly formed guilds will usually choose a more instantly gratifying path of either straight up PvE or PvP. Since many MMOs focus their attention on PvE and/or PvP, more information about managing and organizing this type of events would have been invaluable to many new guilds. A few common issues encountered by PvE and PvP guilds include loot distribution systems, priorities, organizing raids and group setups or handling specific issues that often arise in such events.
The biggest fault of the guide is that it is only addressed to guild leaders and officers, thus limiting its exposure. It is certain that many more would benefit from it would it include a lot more specific examples rather than so much general information.
Appearance: Except for the customary cover, the guide is bare of any pictures or images. This is not a bad thing, as the subject matter does not call for any specific visual aids and the guide is presented in a clean, brisk way that makes it very easy to read and follow.
In some chapters though, the lack of images does hurt the way information is transmitted. It is especially true when talking about Guild Colors and their significance, where a selection of specific examples of outfits and tabards would’ve helped much more than dry text. The same can be said of the Artwork chapter, sorely missing specific examples.
Overall the guide provides a good service to those that are trying to get a good guild started. It is a difficult process, as this reviewer can attest, and this little “instruction manual” can help the unwary avoid the many pitfalls of guild leadership.
Aside from some reasonably minor issues, the guide is a well designed, well written piece of MMO merchandise, and can save would-be guild masters from a lot of stress, anguish and disappointment. <!–[endif]–>
This reviewer’s score: 9/10.
This review was written by the editors at www.lorecore.com, a website dedicated to Age of Conan and World of Warcraft players, including guides, articles, news and reviews.
Aug 20
2008
2008
Metal Gear Solid 4 - Guns of the Patriots - I Hope You Like Cut Scenes!
By: Charlie Jones Category: Games, Metal Gear Solid 4
Guns of the Patriots is a visual gem - but after playing, I’m still not sure - is it a game or a movie? I have played the entire MGS series, and I thoroughly enjoyed them all up this this point. Which is not to say I didn’t like this game, but there wasn’t a lot of “game” to it. It was more like a movie with some interactive segments.
A heavy load of critics and gamers alike are calling this “the best game of all time”. My reaction is, “Huh?” It’s certainly not a bad game by any means, and I would even go so far as to call it really-good, but the best game of all time? No sir, not for me. While I enjoyed the storyline, and the cut scenes truly are visual gold, they are simply way, way too long and frequent. We’re talking approximately an hour of cut scenes! So, if you’re looking to buy this latest metal gear solid installment, and want to avoid disappointment, do yourself a favor and go in with the knowledge that you are going to be as much as a spectator as a player. Oh, and if you don’t watch the cut scenes, you might find yourself a little confused towards the endgame.
Now, onto the premise: Guns of Patriots takes part six years from where we last left off - and the world is in blazing shambles. War and chaos are rampant, and no one is safe. Violence can break out at any time, as the world’s economy is now war-based, with mercenary companies competing for a share of the pie.
Snake, who was no doubt happily chain smoking himself to a short-lived retirement, is called back into the front lines by Col. Campbell for one last mission, to save the world once again. Now, Snake is no longer the young stud we once new, and is, in-fact, referred to frequently as “Old Snake”, as he is aging rapidly due to some genetic mismanagement. He’ll need to rely on advanced technology more than ever to get this one done - and there’s plenty of it for us to feast on, as always.
The gameplay itself is straightfoward, pure and classic MGS. You know there’s nothing quite like sneaking up on an enemy to cut his throat. But you’ll have to endure the cutscenes to experience it.
Aug 12
2008
2008
Wii Fit (pant, pant) Review
By: Charlie Jones Category: Games, Wii, Wii Fit
I live in a small apartment with little room for exercise equipment, but would much rather work out at home rather than drive to a gym. So I had high hopes for the Wii Fit right out of the box — and for the most part, it hasn’t disappointed.
Pros:
1. Watching others play is almost as entertaining as playing yourself, especially if they have poor coordination.
2. The game’s balance board is intelligently designed, and sensitive to precise movement. It integrates well with the gameplay, resulting in a smooth fitness-gaming experience. While I did hear some complaints from the big footed persons in my life, regarding the size of the board, it was fine for my size six (female) feet.
3. Wii fit can really make you fit - The exercise instructions are clear, and easy to follow. If you put the effort in, your heart will be pumping and you’ll get a pretty good work out.
4. I’m having a good time while getting a bit of a better bod. Wii Fit is definitely more fun than the treadmill. Honestly, we need more games like this for America’s gigantic youth. Enjoyable gameplay (personal favorites include slalom-skiing, and tightrope-walking) make you forget that you’re engaged in physical fitness.
Cons:
1. Uses BMI to determine your physical health. BMI is a flawed system, but I suppose is a decent enough health indicator for these purposes. However, someone with a lot of weight from muscle will be considered fat by the Wii Fit, which is humorous to me, but probably not to those individuals.
2. Locked content. It’s not terribly hard to unlock, and the purpose for it is clear - as you progress with your fitness, you unlock more levels. But the levels are unlocked based on time spent playing, and with some of the exercises and mini games being quite short (as in only a few minutes,) it can leave you repeating the same thing over and over again before unlocking new levels. And that’s not cool.
3. It’s a little on the expensive side. At $125+ US Wii Fit isn’t cheap.
4. Too much time fiddling with the remote gets annoying. There’s no way to program the system to play multipe fitness routines in a row, resluting in many pauses to navigate the game menus.
Overall, I recommend the Wii Fit for anyone who wants to get a little fitness out of their gaming experience. While not perfect, it has managed to mesh together excercise and fun, leaving the Wii Fit with a thumbs up from this reviewer.
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