Let's keep this one short and sweet, ladies and gentlemen. Perhaps you are reading this having missed the Beta and want quick hits as to how it feels or maybe you want to compare notes with me before the Beta closes.
With that said, here's five things that four hours of hands on time with the Beta taught me:
1. Battlefront is going to be a quick moving game. You feel light, and very quick on the battlefield. Movement is crisp and aiming is snappy.
Laser shots tear around you in the open plains of Hoth, but it feels very right.
This is not a sluggish, cumbersome shooter. It's quick and has an almost arcadey feel, which I mean in the most satisfying way.
2. Flying vehicles feels like it could use some work.
I only had a couple chances to fly on Hoth, but both times, I felt like I was controlling an Oldsmobile on a solid sheet of ice.
Maybe it's because I'm trash at flying, but I didn't feel very confident in my ability to do much of anything aside from slam into the snowy ground.
Again, it could be that I'm rubbish at flying and need more time with it, but first impressions feel a little bit strange.
3. Hero power-ups feel powerful, but I wonder about the balance.
My first time as Darth Vader was met with a quick end. I was less than an hour into the game, so when given control of the infamous Vader, I proceeded to flounder about like an idiot in Hoth's open snowscapes, throwing my lightsaber around like a moron and taking down one rebel before I was gunned down.
The second time, I brought havoc. Charging into a group of seven rebels, I forced choked one and proceeded to slice him with my lightsaber, and repeated that process on two more rebels before throwing my lightsaber to cut down two more and cut one down with a basic lightsaber slash.
It all felt really good, but I saw a couple of Luke Skywalker's get gunned down pretty easily. It seems like the heroes might move too slowly- or at least, that's what I feel like.
Granted, Vader moves pretty slowly, sure. But I couldn't help but feel like he should have more health to compensate. It will be very interesting to see not only which heroes we get in this game, but also, how, if at all, their abilities are altered to allow for discernible differences in how they play.
4. This will be a different breed of online shooter. And I love that.
This game feels nothing like COD, Halo or even Battlefield.
It feels uniquely Battlefront. Sure, as a Dice product, there is some vague deja vu if you've played a Battlefield game lately, but even still, the game is its own. It has its own set of rules and techniques that you likely haven't used in any other online shooter.
I'm still working on grasping all of these nuances, but this game could have easily felt like COD on Star Wars planets, and I can gleefully tell you this is not the case.
5. It's a Star Wars fan's dream.
Isn't it, though? Haven't all of us Star Wars fans dreamed of one day fighting as the desperate Rebel Alliance on Hoth, fighting with all of their might to stop the mighty and horrifying AT-AT's from destroying the shield generator at the end of the slow, churning march forward?
We get only two planets and modes in the Beta, and only a little taste of the options but you have to believe the full game will be full of fan service.
Hoth feels authentic. The graphics are gorgeous in this game and the snow on Hoth feels as if it could give off a cold all its own.
Even things down to how the storm troopers and rebels fall over like sacks of potatoes when shot feel truly authentic.
This is how things would go in the movies, you will continue telling yourself.
As I marched forward with a group of nine fellow stormtroopers on Hoth clad in our winter outfits, we were startled as a TIE Fighter slammed into the ground yards away, creating a huge explosion among the desolate, peaceful snow.
An announcement is made that the Rebels have brought down our AT-AT shields, and we watch droves of them run into the open beside the giant, hulking walkers and open fire on them.
I pull out a thermal detonator and toss it into the mix, killing some rebels and wounding others. As I spray the area with blaster rifle fire and cut them down as they focus on the walkers, I realize this is the Star Wars game I've always wanted.
As a fan of the series, this is what we have longed for.
This game has through the roof potential. If you miss the Beta, don't worry. We don't have much longer to wait and man, it's going to be worth it.
Friday, October 9, 2015
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Why micro-transactions piss us off
Micro-transactions are the scourge of the gaming industry.
They are, in my eyes, what separate console games from uninspired, smart phone fodder like Candy Crush (sorry, Facebook family).
That is to say there's nothing wrong with smart phone games. Admittedly, this is a different topic for a future blog post.
However, the reason I don't recognize smart phone games as a viable, respectable medium within the industry, largely lies in the fact that their content is generally locked behind a pay wall. And why shouldn't it be? If a game is free, sure, the developer has to make their money somehow. But paying real, green money for fake, game currency rubs me the wrong way and you simply won't convince me otherwise.
This is exactly the type of thing that feeds into the intended audience and believe me when I say, it shows a genius, absolute mastery of marketing and target audience analysis.
Take a moment and ask: who plays Candy Crush? Who plays Farmville or Angry Birds?
Likely not the same people that play Destiny or Fallout, but rather, people who look to pass time on the go and aren't in the gaming "know" enough to be aware of the 3DS or Vita.
A picture comes to your mind when you think of that target audience- likely a parent, playing Candy Crush after hopping on Facebook to check on how Aunt Gertrude in Michigan is doing. Or, a kid who doesn't own a console, playing the only game he/she has ever known on their iPhone.
To these folks, this is the picture of gaming. It's what they've known. They download a free app, and then unlock features as they see fit by paying their way through micro-transactions.
And for them, that's fine.
But please, for the love of all things games, leave them out of my console games.
We've seen micro-transactions in our console games before and the community has generally expressed backlash. It's not uncommon to see things like this cropping up in sports games and the public certainly let 2K know what they thought of the character and weapon skins available for purchase on release day of the four-player monster hunting fest, Evolve earlier this year.
I was troubled to hear that such transactions are actually working their way into a game that has dominated much of my time since its release last year- Destiny.
Emotes, I read, will begin to be sold by a merchant in the social space in Destiny. Check out this bit from Gamespot on it if you haven't seen the news: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/destiny-gets-microtransactions/1100-6431167/
What always gets me with these type of announcements is the immediate cowering, whimpering response we get from the developers when such transactions are introduced and backlash ensues: "It won't impact the core game," they cry. "It's simply aesthetic and totally optional."
Optional or part of the core game or not, what you fail to see is that you're missing the point.
The point is, you are knowingly hiding content and locking it behind a pay wall, which is unacceptable on consoles. I don't care if the content is an extra character skin, a bonus level or a special sound that plays when I start the game up- I want it as a part of my $64 investment in your product.
And, actually, in the case of Destiny, it's a bit more for players like myself who have been around since launch. For players like me, we paid $64 for vanilla Destiny in September 2014, $40 for the two year one expansions and recently, $40 for The Taken King.
If my math is correct, I've put nearly $145 dollars and more than 200 hours into Destiny- have I really not earned the option for my guardian to point at another player in social space in a different way?
Listen, the problem I have isn't that I have to spend money on a game. I'm willing to. Clearly, as evident by my DLC purchases in Destiny. But that's just it- I want to purchase DLC. And locking aesthetic items behind in game currency that is only purchasable through real currency, just leaves a bad taste in our mouths as devout gamers.
If a developer comes out with meaningful DLC, I'll pony up $10, $15 even $20 to get more out of my game, but what I refuse to do, is feed the greed that is micro-transactions and trust me, developers, we are smart enough to realize the difference.
A prime example is Rocket League,which took PSN by storm after becoming a free PS Plus game. The crew over there is releasing a free Halloween "expansion".
Shovel Knight, which charmed players like myself with its retro charm, released a free re-skinning of the main character to allow players to go through the game as Plague Knight.
Do we now see how that works? Take care of your players. They will come back and likely sing your praises in the process. No one wants to boot up a game that they spend hard earned money and their free time on to see options locked behind pay walls.
We paid our paywall when we bought your game and we will gladly do so if your package is meaningful and fleshed out.
I have a free emoticon I'd like to extend to companies that want to nickel and dime their player base to the game over screen, but I'll let you fill in the proverbial blanks.
They are, in my eyes, what separate console games from uninspired, smart phone fodder like Candy Crush (sorry, Facebook family).
That is to say there's nothing wrong with smart phone games. Admittedly, this is a different topic for a future blog post.
However, the reason I don't recognize smart phone games as a viable, respectable medium within the industry, largely lies in the fact that their content is generally locked behind a pay wall. And why shouldn't it be? If a game is free, sure, the developer has to make their money somehow. But paying real, green money for fake, game currency rubs me the wrong way and you simply won't convince me otherwise.
This is exactly the type of thing that feeds into the intended audience and believe me when I say, it shows a genius, absolute mastery of marketing and target audience analysis.
Take a moment and ask: who plays Candy Crush? Who plays Farmville or Angry Birds?
Likely not the same people that play Destiny or Fallout, but rather, people who look to pass time on the go and aren't in the gaming "know" enough to be aware of the 3DS or Vita.
A picture comes to your mind when you think of that target audience- likely a parent, playing Candy Crush after hopping on Facebook to check on how Aunt Gertrude in Michigan is doing. Or, a kid who doesn't own a console, playing the only game he/she has ever known on their iPhone.
To these folks, this is the picture of gaming. It's what they've known. They download a free app, and then unlock features as they see fit by paying their way through micro-transactions.
And for them, that's fine.
But please, for the love of all things games, leave them out of my console games.
We've seen micro-transactions in our console games before and the community has generally expressed backlash. It's not uncommon to see things like this cropping up in sports games and the public certainly let 2K know what they thought of the character and weapon skins available for purchase on release day of the four-player monster hunting fest, Evolve earlier this year.
I was troubled to hear that such transactions are actually working their way into a game that has dominated much of my time since its release last year- Destiny.
Emotes, I read, will begin to be sold by a merchant in the social space in Destiny. Check out this bit from Gamespot on it if you haven't seen the news: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/destiny-gets-microtransactions/1100-6431167/
What always gets me with these type of announcements is the immediate cowering, whimpering response we get from the developers when such transactions are introduced and backlash ensues: "It won't impact the core game," they cry. "It's simply aesthetic and totally optional."
Optional or part of the core game or not, what you fail to see is that you're missing the point.
The point is, you are knowingly hiding content and locking it behind a pay wall, which is unacceptable on consoles. I don't care if the content is an extra character skin, a bonus level or a special sound that plays when I start the game up- I want it as a part of my $64 investment in your product.
And, actually, in the case of Destiny, it's a bit more for players like myself who have been around since launch. For players like me, we paid $64 for vanilla Destiny in September 2014, $40 for the two year one expansions and recently, $40 for The Taken King.
If my math is correct, I've put nearly $145 dollars and more than 200 hours into Destiny- have I really not earned the option for my guardian to point at another player in social space in a different way?
Listen, the problem I have isn't that I have to spend money on a game. I'm willing to. Clearly, as evident by my DLC purchases in Destiny. But that's just it- I want to purchase DLC. And locking aesthetic items behind in game currency that is only purchasable through real currency, just leaves a bad taste in our mouths as devout gamers.
If a developer comes out with meaningful DLC, I'll pony up $10, $15 even $20 to get more out of my game, but what I refuse to do, is feed the greed that is micro-transactions and trust me, developers, we are smart enough to realize the difference.
A prime example is Rocket League,which took PSN by storm after becoming a free PS Plus game. The crew over there is releasing a free Halloween "expansion".
Shovel Knight, which charmed players like myself with its retro charm, released a free re-skinning of the main character to allow players to go through the game as Plague Knight.
Do we now see how that works? Take care of your players. They will come back and likely sing your praises in the process. No one wants to boot up a game that they spend hard earned money and their free time on to see options locked behind pay walls.
We paid our paywall when we bought your game and we will gladly do so if your package is meaningful and fleshed out.
I have a free emoticon I'd like to extend to companies that want to nickel and dime their player base to the game over screen, but I'll let you fill in the proverbial blanks.
Monday, September 28, 2015
What Phantom Pain teaches us about player choice
Let's make one thing clear right off the bat- I'm not going to review the Phantom Pain.
By now, the internet is full of reviews that echo the same sentiments of which I completely agree with: PP is a masterpiece, its mother base system is incredibly addictive and it was directed and written by Hideo Kojima.
Instead, I want to put words to some thoughts I had recently in regards to PP.
Just last weekend, I finished "A quiet exit" (an infuriating exercise if you haven't reached it yet) and "The man who sold the world."
What this means is, I finished every mission sans the extreme, subsistence and total stealth variants.
In terms of side ops, I completed a little less than half of them. I built most of my mother base platforms up to the low 30s.
Just under 55 hours into PP, it finally dawned on me what makes the game such a special outing- player choice.
My good buddy and "podcast" colleague, Malik Rahili and I talk about it all the time, but player choice can mean a lot of things. It can mean static dialogue options, decisions on which outfit to have your character don or which car to drive through the streets of a fictitious city.
The player choice in PP, however, is what is in my opinion, the greatest version- choice in how to complete your objectives.
I bought the special edition PP strategy guide while I was at the midnight release nearly a month ago.
I referred to it a few times, obtaining advice on which drop point to use and which buddy might be the most logical choice.
What I quickly found out is that there are a myriad of ways to complete missions in PP- which we heard all about going in, but once you see it in action, it's something spectacular.
After my 54th hour with PP, I load up one of the game's early missions. My goal? Assassinate a high-value military target in a base and leave the hot zone.
That's it.
There's no stealth requirement. No weapon limitations. Assassinate the target and get the hell out of dodge.
Remembering back to my first hours with the game, I remember stumbling through this mission- sneaking in while prone, alerting some guards and after a few failed attempts, finally subduing my target and making my escape with him on my back while the entire base opened fire, narrowly missing us as we bolted for extraction.
I had no decent sniper rifle, no fultons and most importantly, no D-dog.
Going back to see what my new toys could do for this mission, I drop in, approach the base and immediately, D-dog excitedly barks, marking 15 or so enemies within the outpost- a number I thought was heinous in the early game but soon learned was essentially training wheels level.
With D-dog's markers placed, I open my binoculars and quickly scan the center of the base. In a red beret is the target. As he surveys the front of the base, I see my chance.
I whip out my WWII sniper rifle with an 8X scope, lethal rounds and a suppressor and quickly take aim, popping the headshot and heading the other way before anyone realizes the commander is down.
It takes a minion 20 or so seconds to stumble upon the incapacitated corpse of his commander. I know this because his terrified radio call to the rest of the base rings over the sound of Pequod telling me he will soon be on station at the extraction LZ.
I climb aboard, obtain an S rank and realize that I did the mission in just under two minutes.
At this point, I realize that this was just one of countless ways to complete this mission. The great thing is every mission in PP is like this.
Did you blast the boss with a rocket launcher? Did you tranquilize and fulton the targets or kill them in cold blood?
PP is full of player choice. And not just the choice of whether to tell an NPC to piss off or accept a mission- player choice that actually paints a personal experience with the game.
At 55 hours of play time, I'm not sure how much more PP I have left in me. One thing I do know, though, is that the memories I have from it will stick with me for a lifetime because they are just that- my memories.
By now, the internet is full of reviews that echo the same sentiments of which I completely agree with: PP is a masterpiece, its mother base system is incredibly addictive and it was directed and written by Hideo Kojima.
Instead, I want to put words to some thoughts I had recently in regards to PP.
Just last weekend, I finished "A quiet exit" (an infuriating exercise if you haven't reached it yet) and "The man who sold the world."
What this means is, I finished every mission sans the extreme, subsistence and total stealth variants.
In terms of side ops, I completed a little less than half of them. I built most of my mother base platforms up to the low 30s.
Just under 55 hours into PP, it finally dawned on me what makes the game such a special outing- player choice.
My good buddy and "podcast" colleague, Malik Rahili and I talk about it all the time, but player choice can mean a lot of things. It can mean static dialogue options, decisions on which outfit to have your character don or which car to drive through the streets of a fictitious city.
The player choice in PP, however, is what is in my opinion, the greatest version- choice in how to complete your objectives.
I bought the special edition PP strategy guide while I was at the midnight release nearly a month ago.
I referred to it a few times, obtaining advice on which drop point to use and which buddy might be the most logical choice.
What I quickly found out is that there are a myriad of ways to complete missions in PP- which we heard all about going in, but once you see it in action, it's something spectacular.
After my 54th hour with PP, I load up one of the game's early missions. My goal? Assassinate a high-value military target in a base and leave the hot zone.
That's it.
There's no stealth requirement. No weapon limitations. Assassinate the target and get the hell out of dodge.
Remembering back to my first hours with the game, I remember stumbling through this mission- sneaking in while prone, alerting some guards and after a few failed attempts, finally subduing my target and making my escape with him on my back while the entire base opened fire, narrowly missing us as we bolted for extraction.
I had no decent sniper rifle, no fultons and most importantly, no D-dog.
Going back to see what my new toys could do for this mission, I drop in, approach the base and immediately, D-dog excitedly barks, marking 15 or so enemies within the outpost- a number I thought was heinous in the early game but soon learned was essentially training wheels level.
With D-dog's markers placed, I open my binoculars and quickly scan the center of the base. In a red beret is the target. As he surveys the front of the base, I see my chance.
I whip out my WWII sniper rifle with an 8X scope, lethal rounds and a suppressor and quickly take aim, popping the headshot and heading the other way before anyone realizes the commander is down.
It takes a minion 20 or so seconds to stumble upon the incapacitated corpse of his commander. I know this because his terrified radio call to the rest of the base rings over the sound of Pequod telling me he will soon be on station at the extraction LZ.
I climb aboard, obtain an S rank and realize that I did the mission in just under two minutes.
At this point, I realize that this was just one of countless ways to complete this mission. The great thing is every mission in PP is like this.
Did you blast the boss with a rocket launcher? Did you tranquilize and fulton the targets or kill them in cold blood?
PP is full of player choice. And not just the choice of whether to tell an NPC to piss off or accept a mission- player choice that actually paints a personal experience with the game.
At 55 hours of play time, I'm not sure how much more PP I have left in me. One thing I do know, though, is that the memories I have from it will stick with me for a lifetime because they are just that- my memories.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Tip-toeing the line: why elitism is the bane of gaming
Whether you are into video games because you use them as an escape from a mundane reality, a fun diversion to use at social outings or you view them as one of the finest art forms in modern culture, there is one thing that unites us all- we are gamers.
As corny and cliche as it does sound, too often, I feel like we let rifts divide us into sub categories.
You play WiiU? You play kid games. You beat Demon Souls? You're truly elite. You only play Call of Duty online? You must be a teenager.
But why do we feel the need to attach labels to everyone who enjoys the SAME hobby? I minored in sociology in college, and the way that people within subcultures interact never ceases to fascinate me.
When it comes down to it, we should be accepting of anyone who has ever bought a video game. Why? Because they are all part of the wheels that keep the gaming ecosystem moving. Sure, we might not enjoy playing Nintendogs, but the people who do put money in Nintendo's pockets, and Nintendo delivers things like Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword.
It truly does make me angry to hear any form of elitism in our hobby. Is someone who beats Bloodborne any "more" of a gamer than someone who plays, say, Goat Simulator? Not really. Not in the purest sense, anyway. Sure, you could argue one has more dexterity than the other, perhaps more patience. But correct me if I'm wrong, they are both playing VIDEO GAMES, right?
The great thing about gaming is that we are free, as consumers, to play whatever we want. See a game you think you would enjoy? Pick it up and put as much time into as you wish. It isn't vastly different than appreciating music. Are One Direction fans to be put into question because of what resonates to THEM? Are they inferior to those who strictly listen to Bach? Certainly, there are likely those who would laugh and answer yes to the previous question, but I would argue that answer is close minded and incorrect.
What does a gamer stand to gain out of putting another person down for what they choose to play? We all have our strengths, our weaknesses, our limits and our aspirations. Why, then, would anyone's choice of games ever be called into question?
Is it simply a case of validating one's achievements? "I logged five million kills in Advanced Warfare and you didn't, so I'm a better gamer." Is that true, though? One of my favorite personal gaming achievements was my completion of The Last of Us on grounded mode on the PS4. It was punishing. It sucked ass. I hated it and loved it at the same time.
Have many people done the same thing? Not really. But I don't consider myself elite because of it. Patient? Maybe. Elite? Not quite.
Not quite because I didn't have the patience for Dark Souls. Not quite because I'm not a 1337 Call of Duty online player.
Those games just aren't for me, but The Last of Us was. For those who enjoyed the last of us as a casual story telling experience, I don't brag about it. I don't rub it in their faces. They enjoyed the game and the hobby at their own pace and got what they wanted out of it.
Elitism has the inherent power of making people feel really shitty about themselves. It creates rifts within subcultures that lead to a sense of self worthlessness and an ultimate loss of passion for the hobby. As gamers, we can't afford to let that happen.
We have, as a subculture, come under fire in the past for violence and sexual themes in video games. The way that clueless bystanders rallied AGAINST us was frighteningly rapid and swift. If we are fighting with the public to protect our medium as an art form, we can't afford to wage internal conflict that effectively works to turn us against each other.
Kids who play Mario Maker may one day grow up to be level designers for a badass 2.5D throwback platformer that you love. Guys who enjoy Call of Duty and Madden may one day decided to try out JRPGs, or pick up a Witcher game.
You never know how taste will evolve. Thankfully, our hobby is full of variety. That is, after all, the spice of life.
I cringe when I hear or see people online being judgmental of others for their skill levels, or even more insidious, their taste in games.
Would you slap a 3DS out of the hands of a 12-year-old playing Animal Crossing because you think it's too casual? Does it threaten the enjoyment of your games? If you wouldn't treat that kid like that, why would you go out of your way to put down another gamer for their choice in games.
Play what you want, enjoy what you play and get the most of your experience. But I implore you to think before you drag another gamer through the mud because you don't see eye to eye with their choices.
-C
As corny and cliche as it does sound, too often, I feel like we let rifts divide us into sub categories.
You play WiiU? You play kid games. You beat Demon Souls? You're truly elite. You only play Call of Duty online? You must be a teenager.
But why do we feel the need to attach labels to everyone who enjoys the SAME hobby? I minored in sociology in college, and the way that people within subcultures interact never ceases to fascinate me.
When it comes down to it, we should be accepting of anyone who has ever bought a video game. Why? Because they are all part of the wheels that keep the gaming ecosystem moving. Sure, we might not enjoy playing Nintendogs, but the people who do put money in Nintendo's pockets, and Nintendo delivers things like Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword.
It truly does make me angry to hear any form of elitism in our hobby. Is someone who beats Bloodborne any "more" of a gamer than someone who plays, say, Goat Simulator? Not really. Not in the purest sense, anyway. Sure, you could argue one has more dexterity than the other, perhaps more patience. But correct me if I'm wrong, they are both playing VIDEO GAMES, right?
The great thing about gaming is that we are free, as consumers, to play whatever we want. See a game you think you would enjoy? Pick it up and put as much time into as you wish. It isn't vastly different than appreciating music. Are One Direction fans to be put into question because of what resonates to THEM? Are they inferior to those who strictly listen to Bach? Certainly, there are likely those who would laugh and answer yes to the previous question, but I would argue that answer is close minded and incorrect.
What does a gamer stand to gain out of putting another person down for what they choose to play? We all have our strengths, our weaknesses, our limits and our aspirations. Why, then, would anyone's choice of games ever be called into question?
Is it simply a case of validating one's achievements? "I logged five million kills in Advanced Warfare and you didn't, so I'm a better gamer." Is that true, though? One of my favorite personal gaming achievements was my completion of The Last of Us on grounded mode on the PS4. It was punishing. It sucked ass. I hated it and loved it at the same time.
Have many people done the same thing? Not really. But I don't consider myself elite because of it. Patient? Maybe. Elite? Not quite.
Not quite because I didn't have the patience for Dark Souls. Not quite because I'm not a 1337 Call of Duty online player.
Those games just aren't for me, but The Last of Us was. For those who enjoyed the last of us as a casual story telling experience, I don't brag about it. I don't rub it in their faces. They enjoyed the game and the hobby at their own pace and got what they wanted out of it.
Elitism has the inherent power of making people feel really shitty about themselves. It creates rifts within subcultures that lead to a sense of self worthlessness and an ultimate loss of passion for the hobby. As gamers, we can't afford to let that happen.
We have, as a subculture, come under fire in the past for violence and sexual themes in video games. The way that clueless bystanders rallied AGAINST us was frighteningly rapid and swift. If we are fighting with the public to protect our medium as an art form, we can't afford to wage internal conflict that effectively works to turn us against each other.
Kids who play Mario Maker may one day grow up to be level designers for a badass 2.5D throwback platformer that you love. Guys who enjoy Call of Duty and Madden may one day decided to try out JRPGs, or pick up a Witcher game.
You never know how taste will evolve. Thankfully, our hobby is full of variety. That is, after all, the spice of life.
I cringe when I hear or see people online being judgmental of others for their skill levels, or even more insidious, their taste in games.
Would you slap a 3DS out of the hands of a 12-year-old playing Animal Crossing because you think it's too casual? Does it threaten the enjoyment of your games? If you wouldn't treat that kid like that, why would you go out of your way to put down another gamer for their choice in games.
Play what you want, enjoy what you play and get the most of your experience. But I implore you to think before you drag another gamer through the mud because you don't see eye to eye with their choices.
-C
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Why I won't 100 percent Arkham Knight
I loved Batman: Arkham Knight. I truly did.
I loved feeling like a complete bad ass by performing fear multistrikes. I loved gliding around the rain soaked streets of Gotham. Hell, I even (for the most part) loved speeding around the city in the fan polarizing batmobile.
However, I will not be completing everything.
Currently, after finishing all of the main story missions and a handful of side quests, I sit at 74 percent completion.
I don't plan on raising that.
In fact, I don't plan on playing Arkham Knight until the next DLC releases.
That doesn't change the fact that I think the game is great, however.
It's kind of like taking a trip to your favorite amusement park with a group of friends on a hot July day. Sure, for the first six hours, you're having a blast. Soaking up laughs with your friends, riding your favorite coasters and even stuffing your mouth like a fat kid.
However, after multiple rides on several of the park's best coasters, you're feeling tired. Your trio of friends, though, insists on staying until the very last minute the park is open.
Arkham Knight's slew of Riddler puzzles, multiple secure checkpoints and extra tank missions are that group of friends. Poking and proding you to stay for just a few more hours. But you simply can't bear to walk another step or ride another ride. It doesn't diminish the fantastic time you've had, but staying any later just might do so.
So you leave.
I'm leaving. But I'm leaving satisfied. I feel as if I've gotten all that I needed from the streets of Gotham. In my opinion, 200+ Riddler trophies are a bit too much to ask of players.
Obviously, there will be those who wish to complete every single challenge that Rocksteady has to offer and to them I say, more power to you.
Certainly, there are games that I have played to death to unlock every nook and cranny (I'm looking at you, Fable 2 and Fallout 3). But, that completionist mindset is likely not on the minds of most players. The same principle is at work here- I loved Arkham Knight for the 10-15 hours I spent with it, but I simply don't want to go any further.
I rate Arkham Knight an 8.75 on a 10 point scale and it is definitely worth putting some time into, particularly if you are a fan of the previous Arkham games or Batman in general.
Few games nail the feeling of being Batman quite like Arkham Knight does. Just don't let yourself grow to despise all that there is to do after the dust settles in the dark of Gotham.
If you've stopped Scarecrow, unmasked the Arkham Knight and put away all the criminals that you WANT to, you are done and should wait for the next crop of DLC to spin the disc again.
After all, a good hero knows when to bow and walk away.
I loved feeling like a complete bad ass by performing fear multistrikes. I loved gliding around the rain soaked streets of Gotham. Hell, I even (for the most part) loved speeding around the city in the fan polarizing batmobile.
However, I will not be completing everything.
Currently, after finishing all of the main story missions and a handful of side quests, I sit at 74 percent completion.
I don't plan on raising that.
In fact, I don't plan on playing Arkham Knight until the next DLC releases.
That doesn't change the fact that I think the game is great, however.
It's kind of like taking a trip to your favorite amusement park with a group of friends on a hot July day. Sure, for the first six hours, you're having a blast. Soaking up laughs with your friends, riding your favorite coasters and even stuffing your mouth like a fat kid.
However, after multiple rides on several of the park's best coasters, you're feeling tired. Your trio of friends, though, insists on staying until the very last minute the park is open.
Arkham Knight's slew of Riddler puzzles, multiple secure checkpoints and extra tank missions are that group of friends. Poking and proding you to stay for just a few more hours. But you simply can't bear to walk another step or ride another ride. It doesn't diminish the fantastic time you've had, but staying any later just might do so.
So you leave.
I'm leaving. But I'm leaving satisfied. I feel as if I've gotten all that I needed from the streets of Gotham. In my opinion, 200+ Riddler trophies are a bit too much to ask of players.
Obviously, there will be those who wish to complete every single challenge that Rocksteady has to offer and to them I say, more power to you.
Certainly, there are games that I have played to death to unlock every nook and cranny (I'm looking at you, Fable 2 and Fallout 3). But, that completionist mindset is likely not on the minds of most players. The same principle is at work here- I loved Arkham Knight for the 10-15 hours I spent with it, but I simply don't want to go any further.
I rate Arkham Knight an 8.75 on a 10 point scale and it is definitely worth putting some time into, particularly if you are a fan of the previous Arkham games or Batman in general.
Few games nail the feeling of being Batman quite like Arkham Knight does. Just don't let yourself grow to despise all that there is to do after the dust settles in the dark of Gotham.
If you've stopped Scarecrow, unmasked the Arkham Knight and put away all the criminals that you WANT to, you are done and should wait for the next crop of DLC to spin the disc again.
After all, a good hero knows when to bow and walk away.
How I fell back in love with Helldivers
It had been several months since I last started up the excellent, hard core multiplayer twin stick shooter, Helldivers.
As I entered back into the game world on a night where I simply wasn't sure what to play, I felt genuine regret for missing the game's first full scale war- one that apparently the humans won handily.
A gold PSN trophy popped for me for winning a war, but I had done nothing. At least, not yet.
Indeed, months ago at just over 13 hours of play, I put Helldivers down with no intention to return.
However, after plowing through a couple of missions with other online defenders of freedom, I see why I put 13 hours into this game.
There is something humbling about Helldivers. Something sobering. Something that reminds us why playing video games with others is so much fun.
Sure, friendly fire can drop your squad in a matter of seconds and yes, if all four divers are not on the same page, things can go sour quickly. But therein lies the beauty of Helldivers.
For as simplistic as the concept is, Helldivers consistently nails the minutia and delivers an experience that is simply unlike anything else out right now.
My fears that the community may have waned in numbers were put to rest after seeing as many games available as I did several months ago.
New weapons, objectives and enemy types helped make me feel like this game was fresh again.
Fresh, yes. Familiar, only a little.
It took me a couple of games to remember which button reloaded my weapon. Much to the chagrin of my online teammates, I got crushed by a couple of incoming ammo drops. But once I got the feel of the game once again, I was back to surviving, thriving and most importantly, having fun.
If you played Helldivers before, there hasn't been a better time to hop back in.
The great thing about Helldivers is, as hardcore and difficult as it truly is, it's very easy to jump in, and very difficult to master.
And if you have never played, there has never been a better time to deploy.
In the name of liberty, I implore you to deploy to this combat zone, as soon as you can. My hiatus is over, and I couldn't be happier.
As I entered back into the game world on a night where I simply wasn't sure what to play, I felt genuine regret for missing the game's first full scale war- one that apparently the humans won handily.
A gold PSN trophy popped for me for winning a war, but I had done nothing. At least, not yet.
Indeed, months ago at just over 13 hours of play, I put Helldivers down with no intention to return.
However, after plowing through a couple of missions with other online defenders of freedom, I see why I put 13 hours into this game.
There is something humbling about Helldivers. Something sobering. Something that reminds us why playing video games with others is so much fun.
Sure, friendly fire can drop your squad in a matter of seconds and yes, if all four divers are not on the same page, things can go sour quickly. But therein lies the beauty of Helldivers.
For as simplistic as the concept is, Helldivers consistently nails the minutia and delivers an experience that is simply unlike anything else out right now.
My fears that the community may have waned in numbers were put to rest after seeing as many games available as I did several months ago.
New weapons, objectives and enemy types helped make me feel like this game was fresh again.
Fresh, yes. Familiar, only a little.
It took me a couple of games to remember which button reloaded my weapon. Much to the chagrin of my online teammates, I got crushed by a couple of incoming ammo drops. But once I got the feel of the game once again, I was back to surviving, thriving and most importantly, having fun.
If you played Helldivers before, there hasn't been a better time to hop back in.
The great thing about Helldivers is, as hardcore and difficult as it truly is, it's very easy to jump in, and very difficult to master.
And if you have never played, there has never been a better time to deploy.
In the name of liberty, I implore you to deploy to this combat zone, as soon as you can. My hiatus is over, and I couldn't be happier.
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