Status: Adventure Mode cleared once, enjoying multiplayer
Achievements: 7 of 12
Gamerscore: 100/200
DLC Purchased: None
Hi, my name is Annette and I am an addict. My addiction: Plants vs Zombies. (more…)
October 5, 2010
Plants vs Zombies
July 27, 2010
Naughty Bear
Optional Goal: Destroy 1 video game, preferably this one
The concept was alluring – an M rated game starring an evil and malicious stuffed animal hell-bent on revenge and destruction. Everything seen in previews and trailers looked promising. It was one of the few summer releases that actually was on my “To Buy” list. Unfortunately, once Naughty Bear made its way into my Xbox 360 nothing but disappointment followed.
Poor Naughty. He didn't deserve this.
The repetitive nature of the game coupled with a map that never seems to change is just the first of many complaints I have with Naughty Bear. While the game offers seven chapters with additional challenges, the map is exactly the same each time with very minimal changes to the goals for each challenge. They always have one particular Bear that you need to reach and punish and the optional destruction of X amount of item (insert gift, bird, rosette, etc here). Some challenges require stealth, or simply to not be injured, and that’s all fine and good. Games should be both fun and challenging. However, when you are on your twelfth attempt to clear a challenge asking you to not be seen and out of nowhere five enemies all seem to see you trying to cross the bridge to the next section of the map, you just want to throw your hands up in the air and walk away.
Clearing these challenges is imperative to your advancement in the game. The trophies gained from completing a level helps to unlock additional challenges and main story levels, as well as costumes to increase various stats for Naughty. It’s too bad that playing through them begins to feel like a chore. I would much rather scrub a toilet in a public bathroom than attempt one more run-through on an Indestructible mode challenge.
Ahh! The refreshing feel of water swirling around your head.
Earning points isn’t all that difficult. You can really add to the multiplier meter by sabotaging items and laying a trap right in front of it, then hiding in the forest until some poor sucker gets caught and scaring the stuffing out of him. Then let him limp around the disco for a while before slamming his head into the fire-pit and watching him burn to a smoldering pile of nothingness. But when you get to the challenges that require you to stay out of sight, you have to rely on sabotage and traps to buffer up some points, which is extremely boring and seems to take forever. Over time the de-fluffication moves become stale and you would rather just stab the opposition to death than set up the more elaborate kills and scares.
Naughty Bear also has a multiplayer game mode, but I was not able to experience it. All of my attempts to join matches failed. More often than not I would find myself all alone in the lobby, waiting patiently for someone to arrive. And when someone did show up, they disappeared almost as fast as the arrived. If there had been people available to play with, the multiplayer may have been entertaining, especially with friends.
My other major issue with Naughty Bear was with the sheer amount of glitches that I encountered. The very first level I played my game froze right as I was walking through the gate back to Naughty’s house to end the episode. Frustrating, but I can forgive it the first time. Second glitch I run into, literally, was getting stuck in a tree in the forest surrounding the Disco. Another disappointment as I was just about to progress to the last area of the map. There was also poor collision detection with the doors of the buildings. Often times bears would be standing in the doorway and the doors would close on them, but the bear would be fused with the door. Several times, especially during Stealth and Untouchable modes, I would be attacking an enemy who was coming through the door. And somehow, bears would be able to see or attack me even if the door was closed.
Overall Opinion
Naughty Bear could have been a lot of fun, but it underwhelms and under delivers. A major disappointment as it was one of the few summer titles that had originally caught my interest. Perhaps if the game had released with fewer glitches and more variety in the levels it would have seen a longer stay in my 360.
Buy Naughty Bear
July 1, 2010
The Age of Motion
Why is it that game companies want to force me into moving around like an idiot in front of my TV to play my games? When I want to move around I tend to do something constructive, like baking, exercising or running away from spiders.
Going completely controller-free is not in my future, no matter how hard some companies might be trying to steer us in that direction. Part of being a gamer is memorizing button combos and having something in your hands you could almost throw at your TV. The controller is a natural extension of who and what we are.
At first I thought that we were set with the ridiculousness of the Wii. A controller shaped like a remote, waving our arms around, starving for real games and then watching as the great games sold horribly while the shovelware flew off store shelves. The Wii quickly became a hot item for the casual and new gamer demographics, with slews of four player sporting games leading the way. Nintendo also brought out some games for their core gamers, however the wait time in between those games turned a lot of those original purchases into dust collecting machines.
At E3 2010, Microsoft and Sony showcased their new motion control line up for the coming Holiday season. I was not at E3, so my opinions below do not contain any hands-on experience, but I believe there are other gamers who share in my hesitance to have another console turn into another fitness program.
Xbox Kinect (aka-Project Natal)
After everything I have seen and read post-E3, Kinect looks to be a large disappointment for its core gamers. Microsoft’s desire to convert more casual gamers to the system is all fine and good, but it’s a major slap in the face to the long term supporters. Not adding optional support for console selling franchises such as Halo and Gears of War doesn’t entice those hardcore FPS and action adventure gamers to run out and drop the $150 on a fancy motorized camera.
Being completely upfront with my readers, I strongly favour my Xbox 360 over my PS3 or the household Wii. I have spent thousands of dollars on retail and DLC games, I pay for a Gold subscription so that I can play online with my friends. I am not against purchasing accessories and games for a console if I believe that I am going to have a great gaming experience. Kinect’s high price tag and a launch line up of completely casual games that remind me of all the shovelware titles that we’ve previously seen on the Wii make me want to keep that $150 in my pocket. And not including any games (as of now) in that package leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
The only impressive game that I saw for Kinect was Dance Central, which I’m sure will be a hit with people who want to dance. Me, not so much. From everything I’ve read about it and impressions of people I know who were able to try it out, Dance Central is fun and challenging and worked well with the Kinect camera.
If Kinect remains a tool used only for casual and family games, it will inevitably fail. As much as they believe their hardcore gamers will be buying this on day one, I think that they will be shocked when that does not happen. I don’t know too many people who want to wave their hands around or use voice commands to play movies. Voice commands are fine if you’re the only person in the room, but what happens when you are having a party and everyone is talking? Who’s voice will the system respond to? How will it be able to differentiate amongst everyone in the room and pick out only your voice? And if someone walks behind you while you are playing, how can the Xbox be certain that person is just walking by and not mistake their actions as someone else trying to sign in? These are just a few questions I have not found the answers to, and we probably won’t until much closer to the November launch.
They talk a big game on how Kinect will be something their core gamers will embrace, yet I fail to see anything that makes me feel the need to run out and pre-order this today. We’ll see how things change as we come closer to the Holiday 2010 launch of Kinect and what Microsoft does to counteract a potential loss of sales to the Playstation Move.
Playstation Move
Instead of going completely controller free, Sony’s Move is a lot like the Wii – two unique controller pieces working together with the Eye (camera) to bring the player a new sense of involvement with their Playstation gaming. So while you can choose to play games swinging your arms around, you’ll at least look as though you’re actually doing something.
The key difference between Kinect and Move is that Sony is ensuring it’s motion controllers will resonate with the potential new and casual gamer markets as well as their core gamers. They are bringing a solid mix of family, casual and hardcore games to the PS3 that will make use, if you so choose, of the Move controllers. Killzone 3 and the newest SOCOM title will both offer DualShock 3 and Move support, giving their core gamers a perfect reason to invest in Move. It’s nice to be able to play with your family every once in a while, but there are times when you want to play online with your buddies, and pretending to look down the scope of a sniper rifle is more fun with a controller than it is just pointing your finger at a screen.
Another bonus with Move is that Sony has announced that their Move line-up will be retailing for $39.99 per title (this does not include other titles that support Move controls such as Killzone 3, etc). Smarter still is their introduction Move bundle for people who would like to be up and running with a game. Granted, it is the standard sports collection, but it is better than getting a peripheral without any software.
While games like Invizimals and the sports collection are not titles I would spend my money on, Sony will be bringing out some action adventure titles such as Heroes on the Move and the Sly Cooper Collection which has a lot of the core gamers talking. These are the kinds of games that Microsoft is missing from it’s launch line up – games that do more than have you swat flies from the screen or run on the spot. Sony already made those types of games for the PS2 when they released the EyeToy.
My only concern with Move is that I might experience the same stiffness/soreness in my wrist that I get when playing a Wii game for more than 20 minutes. Holding a traditional style controller is much more natural position. While I may not play a Move title for an extended period of time, they are bringing some excellent titles to the system that I am sure will have me using my PS3 more often than I do now.
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I’d love to hear any thoughts or concerns that any readers of this post might have. Objective thoughts only, please!
May 27, 2010
Alan Wake
Status: 1 Normal playthrough complete, now playing on Nightmare
Achievements: 31 of 50
Gamerscore: 490/1000
DLC Purchased: None
As I sit here channeling Alan Wake, writing in the light to keep away any Dark Presence that may have seeped from my Xbox 360 over the past week, I take a brief moment to reflect on just how many years it has taken for this game to finally see the light of day. I recall the hoopla surrounding the announcement at E3. Alan Wake would be one of the feature titles for the upcoming Xbox 360. It would revolutionize the survival horror genre. That was back in 2005.
Five years after the game was officially announced, Alan Wake finally found his way into my home. Like a good book or TV series that you can’t bring yourself to put down when you know it’s time for bed, Alan’s experience in Bright Falls is a wonderfully written tale delving deep into the darkness and taking all sorts of prisoners. Expectations were high seeing as I am both an avid survival horror junkie and bookworm. And like any good book, setting up the plot and creating atmosphere will set the entire tone of the story. It is here where you will either bring to life something amazing which will keep your audience glued to their seats or run the risk of losing them due to lack of uniqueness.
Waterfront view of Bright Falls
The Manuscript
For me, if the story on which a video game has been built blows me away, I can forgive almost any other flaws I might find. Alan Wake’s journey into the deep and twisted realm of the true nature of Bright Falls and Cauldron Lake kept me on the edge of my seat (literally and figuratively) as I played through each of the six episodes.
Suffering from a long two years of writers block, Alan and his wife leave the hustle and bustle of city life to relax in a small town called Bright Falls. A nice quiet town where the biggest festival of the year revolves around deer hunting, Bright Falls has its fair share of odd. On the surface, its just a mountain town where everyone knows each other. But the residents know something lurks in the darkness and they keep whatever they know about it to themselves. Reminiscent of Twin Peaks, minus the over the top crazy.
Alan and Alice are just about to settle into the cottage they’ll be staying in when they get into a small fight. Upset, Alan storms outside, knowing that Alice won’t dare follow him as she is deathly afraid of the dark. Only moments later, Alan hears the frightened screams of his wife tearing into the calm and rushes back inside to find his wife missing. There are signs of a struggle. He spots a break in the wooden railing outside hanging over the lake and dives in to rescue his wife. When he comes to, he is a long way from the lake and Alice is nowhere to be found. Now Alan must search Bright Falls for any clues as to Alice’s whereabouts with or without help from the police and with some mysterious presence always two steps ahead of him.
Alan’s story is made of up six episodes which play out just as if you were watching a TV show. From the first nightmare before his arrival in Bright Falls to the final scene, you will guide Alan through both his waking and nightmare worlds, usually with nothing more than a flashlight. In addition to Alan’s narrative, mysterious manuscript pages are hidden along the paths leading him closer to the truth. By combining the main story narrative and the pages strewn throughout Bright Falls, Remedy pulls us into a world that makes us question what lies beyond every bend. Nothing is exactly what it seems, and even the ending of the game will leave you scratching your head, full of questions.
You can also absorb extra story tidbits from listening to the radios and checking out what’s on TV in Bright Falls. Some televisions bring you clips from a show called Night Springs, an homage to The Twilight Zone. Shining your flashlight on others will bring forth images more pertinent to the task at hand. Every single element is woven together to bring you further down the proverbial rabbit hole that is at the heart of Bright Falls.
Barry brings the comic relief to the party
The Cast
Like any popular TV program or best selling novel, the success of a story weighs heavily on how much the viewer can identify and relate with the selected cast. The proper balance of maintaining the mood is a delicate thing to achieve; you don’t want your story to be too intense or you might push the audience too far, but you also want it to be some-what credible and eerie. Engaging all of your viewer’s senses includes making sure you have developed characters who, love them or abhor them, interact with the world in ways your audience can understand.
For the most part, everyone seems to have been cast well. Alan and Alice are a successful couple trying to mend a frazzled relationship. Alan’s extremely hands-on literary agent Barry brings some comic relief to the table, even in situations where one needs to keep their heads about them. The coloured townsfolk of Bright Falls bring that small town friendliness to the table and round out the supporting cast: Rose, diner waitress and zealous Alan Wake fan; retired rock star brothers, the Andersons; Sheriff Sarah Breaker, a level headed woman who knows a little more than she is letting on. The list goes on.
There is one character that feels extremely out of place in this tale: FBI Special Agent Nightingale. Portrayed as the stereotypical muscle-headed FBI agent, Nightingale disregards protocol and abuses the names of great literary minds, slinging them as intended insults at Wake. He shows up out of nowhere, presumably to investigate Alice’s disappearance, and just doesn’t feel like he belongs in the story. It’s as though he was an afterthought, someone thrown in to antagonize Wake and get under the skin of the local authorities as filler so they could set up the next scenario for Alan to live through.
Birds of a feather fry in the light together
The Light
You never know what is waiting for you in the dark. For me, I worry about spiders, silverfish and other creepy bugs that seem to find their way into my apartment. But in Bright Falls a mysterious matter referred to as the Dark Presence lingers around every corner just waiting to possess its next victim. These Taken vessels cannot bear illumination, thus making a flashlight and nearby light fixtures your best defense. Directing the light at Taken will banish it from them, however they still pose serious threat and need to be disposed of with a good shot to the head.
Other tools to help you make it through the evenings in Bright Falls include flares, great for providing a quick burst of light to keep them at bay while you destroy your attackers. And when you are low on ammo and about to die, running like hell for the nearest beacon of light you can spot. Not only does seeking shelter in the light cause the Taken to vanish for a short period of time, but it also quickly regenerates your health.
Using light as the main weapon with a secondary focus on the firearms was a refreshing change of pace. Granted, there are plenty of times when I find myself low on batteries and cursing that there were none to be found, especially in Nightmare mode. Incapacitating the enemies and taking down possessed items with a flashlight just gives you a satisfying feeling.
Hidden messages will guide you to Safe Havens
The Verdict
Exploring Bright Falls was definitely a positive gaming experience, and was a very welcome change from the last couple survival horror games I’ve played. While I did feel that the ending was a bit predictable, I think the majority of the story was intriguing. It did keep my attention, making me want to complete each episode as best as I could. Treating each episode like you would a serial TV program was a wonderful touch. It really gives the player a sense of accomplishment when the outro song plays. The “Previously on Alan Wake” recaps are a great reminder of what has played out if you stepped away from the game for a while and need a quick refresher as to where you are in the story.
Some people like to point out that the characters do not look as realistic as those we have seen during this generation of gaming. While its nice to push the limits and see just how real and detailed we can make everything in a video game, it is not the main focus of this form of entertainment. Gamers want a lot of things, but when you get to the heart of the matter, combining all the elements (story, battle mechanics, graphics, controls, etc) it is the overall experience that is the most important outcome. So while the characters in Alan Wake might not look like CGI masterpieces, they are still better than some others I have seen and match the overall visual design of the game.
However, I did feel that the game is just a bit too short. My first play through took me about 12 hours of game time. They had already announced downloadable content before the game was released, and after completing the story, I am afraid that this DLC should have originally been in-game content that was not ready for the retail launch. It is as though they had a firm date with Microsoft to release the product and they packaged together everything that was playable to be shipped off, keeping the last little bit to be developed instead of pushing back the release and shipping the entire story at once. For a game that had been in development for over five years, if this is truly the case, it is nearly unforgivable. I guess we shall see once both announced DLC packages have been released.
Purchase Alan Wake
May 3, 2010
Final Fantasy 13
Status: Doing all the post-story stuff
Achievements: 27 of 35
Gamerscore: 625/1000
DLC Purchased: None
Purchase Final Fantasy XIII
Definitely not as good as Final Fantasy 9 or 8 (my personal opinion), but it is still a decent game. I rather like the changes to the battle system, but I found the story lacked its usual FF franchise charm.
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
Status: This is the game that never ends
Achievements: 0 of 46
Gamerscore: 0/1000
DLC Purchased: None
Purchase Dead Or Alive Xtreme 2
I bought this based on the fact that it is a fun, casual and silly game. The achievements are insanely hard to collect so I don’t really mind that I haven’t unlocked any yet.
Dead Space
Status: A little ways past that stupid asteroid shooting that took me forever
Achievements: 7 of 48
Gamerscore: 110/1000
DLC Purchased: Elite Pack, Elite Suit
Purchase Dead Space
I was really into the game until I got stuck on the asteroids. Months later my cousin in law helped me get through them and when I picked up the controls again I forgot everything. One of these days I will bother to finish it. It really is a good game.
Castle Crashers
Status: Trying to grab the last 3 achievements I need
Achievements: 9 of 12
Gamerscore: 160/200
DLC Purchased: King Pack, Necromantic Pack
Purchase a Castle Crashers
Castle Crashers is just a blast to play. I have a few characters left to unlock and 3 achievements, but even once that is done, I don’t see myself retiring from the game.
Carcassonne
Status: Playing occasionally
Achievements: 6 of 12
Gamerscore: 65/200
DLC Purchased: King & Baron Expansion Pack, Rivers II Expansion Pack
Purchase a Carcassonne [Online Game Code]
This was something I picked up to play with my husband before we were married and I was living back home in Canada. I still don’t quite get all the rules, but it’s fun and relaxing.
Band of Bugs
Status: 1 playthrough complete
Achievements: 7 of 15
Gamerscore: 125/250
DLC Purchased: Tales of Kaloki
Purchase a Carcassonne
A fun Arcade title that allows you to use your Avatar. I do enjoy it and I really should get back to finishing up the DLC that I have purchased. I might look at buying more once I get a larger hard drive.