Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, Get it Now Free!

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with FilePlanet.com. I can't recall how many times I've lost my place in a long download queue just because the site didn't refresh the screen properly. On the other hand, from time to time they decide to do something suspiciously gracious like giving out Psi-Ops for free. That's right, FilePlanet has Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy available for free download, no strings attached, and if you haven't gotten a chance to play it, you have absolutely no excuse to not click on THIS LINK and play a game that is fantastic and underrated, yet not without it's flaws.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Review Gripes: the IGN US Metal Gear: Solid 4 review

I've only played about five hours of Metal Gear Solid 4 and as of the moment, I can't say that I agree with the IGN US score of 10/10 for Metal Gear Solid 4. Of course since I haven't completed the game I may yet find that the rest of the game is so fantastic it makes up for it, who knows. Nonetheless I often don't agree with review scores but that isn't a big deal to me, everyone has different opinions and I don't take issue with it.

My issue is that IGN, (yes I just referred to a website as an conscious entity), was dumb enough to put Jeff Haynes in charge of the review. My reasons for this have largely been covered already by other bloggers (who do not endorse or have anything to do with this blog), not to mention the guys at the 1Up yours podcast, (download the relevent episode here. Lets just say that Haynes has had his head way up MGS 4's imaginary ass since far before the review process ever began, not to mention that he was actually directly involved with the game before the development of it was completed. I don't care if his involvement with the game was simply that of an unpaid game tester, I would not put a company's game tester on a review of a game they had input into. Once someone feels that they may have contributed to a game, and feel connected to that game, they should not be put in charge of a review for that game. Haynes even brags about being the "first American in the world to have beaten MGS 4." Don't you think that someone with a claim like that might want said game to get great ratings and make his claim as first to complete it that much more impressive? He should not have been put on the review, end of story.

Maybe you think I'm overreacting? Maybe you think Haynes really didn't have much of a role? Haynes himself states, (brags): "
The second task was much more important, because at the end of every gameplay session, we were asked to provide detailed feedback, which would be given to the development team to make adjustments to the final build of the title. We weren't alone in experiencing the game in this way; Kojima himself was replaying the title at the same time we were, going through the same gameplay sections and feedback tasks as we were. In effect, we became part of the design team."

Funny thing is, at the end of the article they try to give readers someone else's point of view aside from just Haynes and they throw Greg Miller's two cents in. Now I don't have a lot against Miller, (aside from the same sort of irritation I get from a small extraordinarily hyper yapping dog), so don't take this as a condemnation of him. The problem is that he admittedly went into playing MGS 4 already madly in love with the escapades of Solid Snake, (and had basically made up his mind about the game a year ago anyway). I know that for a review of the fourth game in a series it would be stupid to put a writer on it who is unfamiliar with the series, but we already have someone who knows the series in the form of Haynes. The "Another Take" section should be done by someone either unfamiliar with the series or perhaps someone who played them but wasn't really won over by the previous games. Having both the review and the "Another Take" written by people who would lick the sweat of Snake's balls and enjoy it if they were given the opportunity just isn't objective journalism in any sense of the word.

At least in his GTA IV review, IGN editor Hilary Goldstein was willing to point out that there were flaws in the game, but explain that it was still of a quality and value that it warranted a rating of 10. Haynes just ignores all of the flaws in MGS 4 like a mother watching her daughter tripping through a dance recital and then claims that it shouldn't even be a 10 but rather an eleven. That's bullshit with a capital B and a capital ULLSHIT. Even if a game deserves a full 10, a responsible journalist/critic would actually mention the issues with the game or at least explain that there are some aspects that aren't actually flaws, yet may annoy some gamers.

For the record: I'm not saying MGS 4 is a bad game. Based on my gameplay so far I would say it is a good game, a great game even, but far from perfect.

Also for the record: Castle Wolfenstein did stealth years before Metal Gear.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

New Saint's Row 2 trailer: Pompous Stupidity or Sheer Genius?

Within the past week, THQ and Volition released a new trailer for their upcoming game: Saint's Row 2. If you haven't seen it, take a look.



Reactions to this trailer have run the gamut, with many being pleased or amused by it, and just as many finding it in bad taste and saying things like "how f***ing dare they," "too over the top," and "unusually pompous."

Honestly, I'm in the group of folks who are pleased. I can't say that I don't enjoy Grand Theft Auto IV, it's an extremely solid game with boatloads of replay value. Unfortunately it just takes itself too damn seriously and that seriousness not only raises the standards to a level it can't quite hold on to, but it also causes the game to lose the over-the-top, gritty yet lighthearted sense of humor that we've come to expect from Rockstar's big moneymaking franchise. The sense of go anywhere and do anything that was the hallmark of the three dimensional GTA games is also gone and GTA IV often left me feeling like options had been taken away rather than added.

With Saint's Row 2, it seems that Volition has made the true spiritual successor to GTA: San Andreas. Based on this new trailer it looks like I will be bombarded with options, and not just gimmick mini-games. I really could care less about going to a cabaret, bowling or playing darts, Shenmue already did mini-games like that and it wasn't fun then either, (though Shenmue on the whole was fantastic). I would rather car surf, or rob a liquor store as a cop, or hell, even just fly a fucking plane. I flew one in the last GTA, in fact I had a variety of planes to choose from. What the hell happened?

No matter how many arguments I hear about Saint's Row ripping off Grand Theft Auto or how this advertisement just appeals to the lowest common denominator, I will have to disagree. It illustrates how Saint's Row 2 will actually give you options, it will give you choice. That's something that even critically acclaimed artistic masterpieces like Bioshock and Mass Effect are trying to figure out. Saint's Row 2 already has it figured out; don't give me a simple black and white decision to make, give me a whole city where I can do what I want and achieve my goals how I want, when I want. That is choice. If I want to spray sewage on civilians with a stolen septic truck, that is choice, and that advertisement is sheer genius.

Jumper sequel in the works?

I've got news everyone! Everyone's favorite actor, Hayden Christensen, claims that last year's film, Jumper (average review score around 35/100), was originally set to be the first in a trilogy if the film did well and there are currently talks of a sequel. Maybe even two sequels! Christensen says "We're talking about it. I know that they're having those conversations, I hear about them." Funny how fast "we" changed to "they" in reference to who is involved in these discussions.



What does this have to do with video games, you ask? Perhaps you're familiar with film-video game tie ins. They're those terrible games that get released simultaneously with the movies they are based on, and Jumper had one. While the movie may have set the bar for quality uncomfortably low, Jumper: Griffin's Story managed to limbo beneath it with inches to spare. With an average review score of 29/100, the only bonus to playing it was the fact that it only took about an hour to rack up most of the achievements in the game, (if that's your thing).

Just think, if another Jumper movie is made then who's to stop another game from being released? How many trees will be felled to produce the instruction manuals and cover inserts? How many plastic-beasts will be slaughtered to make the game discs and keep cases. How many children will stumble across the game in bargain bins, only to play it and have their lives ruined?

If nothing else, I think we're at a point where we can just assume that every new movie is intended to be the first of a trilogy.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Prince of Persia cast gets a bit more confusing

There was much scratching of heads when it was announced a couple of weeks ago that Jake Gyllenhaal is to be the titular prince in the upcoming film adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Gyllenhaal certainly isn't Persian, and for that matter, he's not a prince either. The situation kind of reminds me of something I saw once in some article on some website.

But that's all old news, so on to the new news: according to Variety, Alfred Molina and Ben Kingsley have also been attached to the film. Alfred Molina will be playing the role of Sheik Amar, a mentor to the young Prince Dastan, and Kingsley has been rumored to be filling the role of the villainous vizier.
(News ends there).

If you haven't been keeping count, between Kingsley, Molina, Gyllenhaal and Gemma Aterton, who will be playing "Princess Tamina," the cast so far consists of an American, two Brits and Alfred Molina, who is of Spanish and Italian heritage, but was born in England. It seems to me that Prince of Persia might wind up suffering from 300 Syndrome, where all the actors are not only of the wrong ethnicity, but also have offensively inappropriate accents.

Let's just hope that, like 300, so much attention is paid to action, style and art direction that acting becomes inconsequential. With Jerry Bruckheimer producing, that isn't such a long shot.

Not Just for Kids: Games You Might Have Avoided but Shouldn't- Part Two

In last week's blog I talked about the fact that many gamers will simply avoid games if they look too childish or feminine. I mentioned Super Princess Peach and Viva Pinata specifically, but there are certainly a large number of other quality games that have been underappreciated for the same reason. Here's a list of eleven of such games, some you may have heard of or even played, others you may never have heard of, and still others that you may have simply avoided. After browsing through, tell me if there are any other games that you've played that largely went under the radar due to their perceived childish or feminine nature.


Re-Volt: The bright, colorful, kid-friendly box art on this RC Car racing game belies a solid arcade racer with unexpected depth, loads of unlockable cars, highly varied courses and one of the most entertaining course editors ever included in a racing game.

Super Princess Peach: The tables have been turned and this time it's Princess Peach rescuing Mario. Controlling the umbrella-toting princess's moods to get through each level may not sound like the most macho fare, but if there is one thing that Nintendo has figured out how to do properly, it's make a great platforming game and this is no exception.

Beyond Good and Evil: For some reason I always thought this was a children's game when I saw it on store shelves. Maybe it was the idea of playing as journalist armed with a camera which reminded me of Pokemon Snap. Turns out it is a gem of an action/adventure/stealth game with a good plot, great storytelling, and a sequel in pre-production.

Viva Pinata: One of Microsoft's attempts to establish the Xbox 360 as a family-friendly system, this Rare developed game has you tending a garden full of colorful animals called "Pinatas" with names even more absurdly cute than the animals themselves. The surprising combination of deep, rewarding gameplay with a high factor of accessibility makes this game perfect for anyone of any age, just be ready for a possible cute overload.

Barbie: Secret Agent: I'm sure you're thinking that this one must be a joke, but think again! Considering the multitudes of Barbie games that have been made, one of them has to be worthwhile, right? Well this is that one. I like to think of it as Metal Gear: Barbie. Or perhaps this makes more sense; get rid of the vast quantities of pink, swap out Barbie for a weathered Englishman and you've got yourself a good 007 game. Just don't ever let anyone see you playing it.

Zak and Wiki: From the big "E for everyone" esrb rating to the stupidly cute golden monkey with the satellite ears and obnoxiously big adorable eyes to the bright and simple primary color scheme, the game packaging screams "kids only." Don't let it fool you! Despite some of the puzzles being too obvious on the one hand or controller-chuckingly arbitrary on the other, Z&W was largely a fun, refreshing and entertaining adventure game worth the $40 (US) price of entry. It is also one of an exclusive group of games that makes the Wii-mote an integral and intuitive part of the game rather than an afterthought.

Fur Fighters: To its detriment, Fur Fighters has the look of a kid-friendly bargain-bin game at first glance. If, on a wild impulse, you were to purchase the game and play it, you would find a well-polished third person shooter with a maturity level and sense of humor located halfway between Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur day.

Cookie and Cream: It's hard to defend a game about a two bunnies with a flowerpot and an umbrella on their heads as anything other than unapologetic kid fodder, but I have yet to play a more enjoyable co-op platformer. Imagine a game like Lego Star Wars with less emphasis on button mashing and battles and more emphasis on problem solving and platforming... and pastel colors... and umbrellas.

Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village: If you hadn't heard anything about this game you might believe, based on the cover art, that it's nothing more than a loose collection of puzzles suitable for children around age ten. In actuality it is a collection of about 150 puzzles of varying difficulty strung together by genuinely interesting story complimented by beautiful hand-drawn FMV cutscenes.

Backyard Baseball 2005: If I had to rate games based on box art alone, this would have been lucky to get a 4/10. 2005 was a bit late to be bragging "Now in 3D" and the developers don't try to hide that the game was made with kids in mind. Why, then, would you want to play this game? Because it was critically acclaimed as one of the best and most addicting baseball games, and for good reason. If the movie "The Sandlot" were a game, this would be it, except without the shame of being picked last for teams.

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus: I foolishly passed on this game for a long time thinking that it was just another cookie-cutter juvenile platformer. The title sounded like a bad Saturday morning cartoon and the faux-cell shaded look seemed ripped off. It wasn't until last year that a friend of mine let me borrow it and I was pleasantly surprised to find an engaging platformer with likeable characters and fluid controls. The humor was at times self-referential and at other times parodied other games and movies. While it was a bit short, there are two equally worthwhile sequels.