End of week ranting and babbling

It's Friday, and it's a chance for Jared to put up his feet and get some sort of gaming issue off his chest. YAYSORS!

So it's my first english extension class, and my teacher first tells us that this is a class where we 'must think for ourselves'. Which is actually pretty good for all the free thinkers, and bad for all those who like maths (damn straight thinkers). Anyway, he said something along the lines of 'shedding too much light can something something' and basically it meant that it's ultimately more rewarding to develop our own ideas rather than find a fixed meaning. Or something like that.

Now I may be babbling, but I'd like to take that half quote and find a new meaning that can relate to gaming. Shedding too much light can be unrewarding. Yeah, like 'hand holding'. Shed too much light on a game and it can be unrewarding

'Hand holding' is known to us gamers as the act of providing copious amounts of help that it eventually feels like the developers would've been better off cramming a walkthrough into the game. It feels patronising and ultimately unrewarding.

We as gamers like to feel a sense of accomplishment. Whether it be finding a method to defeat the boss, reading through cryptic clues that the Silent Hill games are notorious for, or just finding the right piece of evidence to present in Phoenix Wright, there's this feeling of mightiness when we eventually figure it out. And it's a damn good feeling.

But alas, some games are more than happy to grab your hand and pull you the whole way through without giving you a chance to object. Now a game like Super Mario Bros Wii. which was heavily advertised as a family experience, is excused for having a function which allows the computer to take over and show it's 1337 skills, but a game like A Boy and His Blob, which was well known for it's extreme difficulty has no excuse to give you a clear cut sign on what to transform your blob into.

I know there's a cliff that the boy can't jump to, I know that I must feed my blob a bean to transform into a trampoline. Don't doubt my intelligence and assume that I don't know what to do. It's patronising, and the sense of accomplishment is lost.

And yeah, you might say that A Boy and His Blob is a kiddish kinda looking game, but even some more adult (or hardcore, meh) titles are quite content with dragging you throughout the whole game without a say. Batman Arkham Asylum, for all it's awesomeness and super cool Scarecrow, automatically assumes that once you're dead, you're in dire need of help. Like I didn't know that I had to keep quiet while killer croc is lurking beneath.

A tutorial or two is fine, but developers oughta know that we can think for ourselves too. Maybe a little more subtle, such as the excellent Uncharted 2, which ended up telling you what to do when you were stuck in a certain section for a looong time, or like how Nate leans towards where he needs to jump to. It's still help, but not as blatant, and there's still that sense of reward.

So the equation should be less handholding = more rewarding. Developers, take note, we have a brain too!

School

School's started. That means my gaming habits take a backseat towards more important stuff like...homework and assignments and crap like that. URK. So there won't be much updates coming, although I'll try my absolute hardest to post my views about everything games as much as I can. Why school, WHY?!!!!

First Impressions: A Boy and His Blob

Whenever I get a new game, I'll post up my initial thoughts of it, and will reflect on it by the time I finish the game. Will my opinion of the game change? Who knows.

A Boy and his Blob
There's a 'hug' button in A Boy and His Blob, that serves no purpose other than to show some affection to your blob companion. I thought I'd start out this first impressions blog with this opening, because from that, you could easily figure out this game for yourself. But I'm not so mean, so I'll expand further on my initial thoughts of the game.

First up, the graphics are gorgeous. I'd even go as far to say it's the best on the wii. And it isn't because the Wii is pushed to it's overheating limits, it's because of the art design that the developers took. It's perfect, from the lush green fields to the night stages were the sky is illuminated by stars, A Boy and His Blob is real easy on the eyes. Really easy.

What to make of the game play though? It has the potential to attain that status of 'simple to understand, hard to master', with beans being used to transform the blob into objects to achieve objectives. Right now, beans are automatically chosen for each stage, and there are signs that direct the player towards what bean to use. So it helps the player ease into the game which is always good. Hopefully later there won't be any hand holding and the game just really tests the player's mind capabilities.

A Boy and his Blog

I've been deprived of games for the past 2 days...ok that's not true at all. I was playing Street Fighter Turbo II and that was fun, plus a bit of Phoenix Wright on the side. When I get home, Bayonetta's gonna meet my PS3 and I plan some long night gaming sessions. OH! And A Boy and His Blob gives my wii a thorough workout! Not such good timing, since school is nearing each and every day..AAH!

Cya later alligators.

I'll count it off. One-one-two-three-GO!

Can the Scarecrow trip out scene in Batman Arkham Asylum go down as one of the best scenes in video gaming of all time? I remember the first time I played through that scene, my sister and I were just like DAMN WHY'D IT HAVE TO STUFF UP?!!!! Then it reverted back to the beginning cinematic and I was sure my progress was lost. Then I saw Joker in the front seat of the batmobile and I'm like: awwwww genius!!!

Yeah well that's my post for the day. In short: Batman Arkham Asylum ruules!!!3

P.S. Use the middle stick to dodge gunfire

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney review

There’s a certain amount of cynicism that lingers in the air when a new Ace Attorney is announced. Sure that there’ll be four (five if you’re lucky) new cases and a few new over the top characters, but the core mechanics of the game remains the same. Investigate, point and click, present random evidence and hope for the best. It’ll probably still suffer from TMTS (Too much text syndrome), and that trial and error aspect still forms a large part of the game. *sigh

So the very fact that Apollo Justice is exclusive to the Nintendo DS, brings a certain amount of hope to those who have stuck by the series. Revamped gameplay maybe? Possibly FMVs. Remember, the first 3 games were merely ports of the original GBA games, so the allure of just sticking the same game on a newer portable with a few added features (although shouting Objection on a crowded bus never gets old), was too tempting for Capcom and co. New characters, new scenarios and possibly new game play? Is it all too much to ask?

Apparently yes. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is, essentially the same game. Sure you’ve got your new characters (and there’s plenty of them, plus a few old faces here and there), and new scenarios, and the compulsory new mechanic to play with, but you’ll still be hopping around from scenery to scenery, questioning ridiculous characters and presenting random pieces of evidence in the hope that you’ll make some sort of progress, any progress! Then you’ll arrive at the trial, where the shi* goes down, and you’ll be forced to cross examine witnesses in order to determine whodunit. Never mind the fresh coat of paint; it’s still the same old wagon.

I might be sounding cynical, but it’s hard not to lament the missed opportunity Capcom had. Instead of utilising the strength of the DS, they merely stuck with what they knew best, and hoped that fans would rush out and stomp over store clerks in order to secure their copy. Same old investigation techniques, same old trial and error, same old...well trial! The only noticeable change in gameplay is the ‘perceive’ function, in which Apollo Justice has the mysterious ability to sense when someone’s lying or nervous through minute body details. While new, it isn’t anything game changing, and soon enough it becomes old searching and searching for the smallest amount of detail that changes within a witness. Six months it took me before I decided to look under the guy’s armpit and notice a small amount of sweat. C’mon capcom.

And yet, I tried, for six months to look for it. If this game wasn’t worth playing I’d put it down long before that. But six months I tried, because of one thing. The story. As with every other Ace Attorney game, the one thing that pushes the player through the tirade of trial and error, is to experience the plot that goes into each case. Sure the plot is over the top, and likewise with the characters, but they’re all so interesting and endearing in their own way. Apollo Justice may be clueless and rash at times, but by the same measure, it’s also what makes him so lovable. When he makes an error you’ll forgive him, when he succeeds, you cheer for him. New Prosecutor Klavier Gavin, is nothing like your typical, cold, steely eyed prosecutor. He’s calm, relaxed and plays air guitar in the middle of a trial, a refreshing break from the harsh, mysterious prosecutors of past ace attorney games. Along with a few old favourites, it’s a trend that Capcom hasn’t disappointed on.

Likewise with each plot as all four manage to be fresh and unique. Each is filled with enough humour, mystery and deep theme to make it exciting to play. There are the usual twists that occur somewhere in the middle, and each character always feels like they’re given enough game time to feel like they’re important to the plot. There might be a Berlin wall full of text, but if you can tear it down and be bothered to read it, it’s really quite rewarding. The last case in particular, is one of the best of the series, due to the ONE risk Capcom took in mixing up the usual structure of the game play. Adding this to the already absorbing story which ties up all the loose ends of the game, and it results in one of the best cases of the series.

So in the end, Apollo Justice really comes down to patience. Patience to weather the same old game play, and become engrossed in the aspect that Capcom has thankfully not disappointed on: the story. Some might call the game a lazy effort, and that’s correct certain to do a degree. But in the end, Capcom has retained what makes the Ace Attorney series so appealing, the engaging plot and over the top but lovable characters. Be thankful that Capcom has done justice to that.

Winston Payne, geddit?!

I've been feeling a bit of Phoenix Wright lately! After staying up till 5 to finish Apollo Justice (which took me 6 months to start playing again), I fell in love again with the hilarious characters, over the top story and Phoenix/Apollo shouting OBJECTION! Me and Justice for All are schedueled for a late night session Woohoo!

On a side note: I have been published in Kotaku for the second time! Woohoo! (links aplenty)
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/01/reader-review-fifa-10/


Toodles!

A game within itself

Having tried and failed one mission numerous times within Assassin’s Creed II, the idea soon struck me. The idea of the ‘Animus’ machine that main character Desmond is plugged into, is a parallel of the simple concepts that form a video game and it’s player. The simple concepts being:

• A goal, and the objective of failing to achieve that goal, and starting over from a set point until the goal is achieved, and possibly a reward for the player’s efforts.

• The advice found in video game manuals to take breaks frequently to avoid damage to the health and

• The improvement to various components of the human body, namely dexterity and though process skills amongst other factors

These three factors, which all come into consideration while playing video games, is represented within Assassin’s Creed II and its use of Desmond, the Animus Machine and his ancestor within his memories. Although seemingly unconnected at first, it eventually becomes evident that several game play elements of Assassin’s Creed II, parallel the connections between a video game and its player.

Goals and objectives: If at first you don’t succeed
The very basis of all video games is simple: a goal the player has to achieve in order to progress until the game is completed. This idea or rule of video game design has never changed, and probably never will, or else, there will be no purpose to play, and ultimately to succeed. When this goal is achieved, there is more often than not, a reward for the trial that the player went through. Whether it’s been playing on ‘expert’ in Guitar Hero or progressing through Tidus’ sphere grid in Final Fantasy 10, the idea of ‘goal’ and ‘achievement’ have been threads woven throughout video game design from ‘tennis for two’ till the latest incarnation of Call of Duty. It’s like saying that the grass is green and the sky is blue, there’s always a goal in video games.

Taking this into consideration, the main plot of Assassin’s Creed II, is to train Desmond as a real life assassin for a battle against The Templars. The Animus machine that Desmond is plugged into a virtual reality which utilises memories of his ancestors who happen to be Assassins themselves. As he plays out Ezio’s (an avatar to put it into gaming terms) assassin life, he is given various objectives he must fulfil in order to progress. Along with this, there are also side missions that Desmond/Ezio can complete in order to gain money and subsequently purchase better equipment, and upgrade his villa. However, the most important concept within the Animus machine, is that Desmond can’t die. Unlike other virtual realities such as The Matrix, the death of your avatar doesn’t result in the death of a player. Die and restart at the last checkpoint. The same idea goes for failing a mission, the animus resets and places Desmond/Ezio at the last checkpoint.

These two concepts of the Animus machine parallel the concepts within a video game. As mentioned a few paragraphs above, the main idea of a video game is to achieve a goal, and ultimately succeed. This notion that has continually been seen within the design of a video game, is the equivalent of Desmond and his assassin ancestor Ezio. As Desmond lives the life of Ezio, he continually fulfils objectives and missions, he progresses and ultimately learns how to become an assassin, akin to a player and completing objectives in a video game, and progressing further. The idea of Ezio receiving money for completing his objective is also like the idea of a player being rewarded for his/her toil to complete a mission within a game.

But perhaps what pushes the idea of the Animus being a parallel of a video game, is the fact that the host of the machine, Desmond, can’t die, even if Ezio dies, but rather, the animus machine resets and Desmond is placed at the most recent ‘checkpoint’. The idea of a ‘checkpoint’ within the Animus is even more evidence of the machine paralleling a universal game play element within Video games.

Ezio is the 'avatar' of Desmond, who in turn is the avatar of the player!



Prolonged Exposure: Take a 15 minute break every hour
While the regular gaming manual recommends we take a short break every hour or so, we ‘hardened’ gamers have pulled off all nighters, gaming sessions with friends on Final Fantasy VII without a memory card and rock band sessions that have resulted in smashed drum kits.

However, it goes without saying that playing video games for too long can result in damage to the health, such as eye damage, and failure to attend to the more important health related activities, such as maintaining personal hygiene, eating regularly and going to the toilet when nature calls. Playing video games for an extended amount of time can also result in failure to attend to other, more important needs (homework, work related activities). So it’s fair to say that playing video games for a long amount of time can be detrimental to one’s health

Conversely, the use of the Animus machine for an extended amount of time can also lead to disastrous effects on the host. This was demonstrated by the previous inhabitant of the animus, ‘subject 16’, who ended up going mad and, aside from leaving cryptic messages within the animus, also began to suffer hallucinations of what he had seen during his time in the animus, during his real life. This effect is known as the ‘bleed out’ effect in the game. The ending of Assassin’s Creed 1 shows this, with Desmond having attained the ‘eagle vision’ ability and is able to see cryptic messages left on his wall. Throughout Assassin’s Creed 2, Desmond also sees hallucinations of horses and soldiers that should only exist within the Animus and believes that he is beginning to show symptoms of overexposure to the animus machine. However Lucy Stillman (associate of Desmond) dismisses any worries of him suffering any long term effects of the animus that Subject 16 had suffered.

Taking the two paragraphs into account, it’s clear that there is a parallel drawn between the effects of playing video games and the prolonged exposure of the animus, namely that it is ultimately detrimental to the participant’s health. Playing too much video games (and as much as I wouldn’t like to believe this) can lead to damage to the health, as well as can effect work and your social life. While these aren’t as nearly as dire as the effects that exposure to the animus can have on an individual, it’s clear that there’s a connection between the two. Over exposure from both results in damage to the health, and is another connection between Gaming and the Animus Machine.


Acquired Skills: Monkey see Monkey Do
The main purpose for Desmond’s first trip into the Animus Machine was for Abstergo to find the location of the pieces of Eden through Altair’s journey. In Assassin’s Creed II, the reasons for Desmond having to enter the Animus Machine again are far more personal, to become an Assassin himself and participate in the war against Abstergo. Reliving Ezio’s memories of an assassin, he himself learns the ways of an Assassin.

This method of using a memory of learning an ability, while not so clear cut at first, has some comparisons towards a video game. Playing a game, requires the player to work their way around the controller, and at times, learn and remember complex button sequences. An example of this is the game Bust A Groove. As the player continues to input the commands, the button sequences become more complex, until his/her chosen avatar pulls off the ultimate freeze dance move. But as the player continues to play, the commands become easier to pull off, due to the ability of the player to remember the commands and input the commands faster and with less thought. Effectively, he/she has increased their memory and dexterity, and consequently, gained increased abilities from playing the game. This tendency for games to increase the ability certain functions within a player has also been seen in Guitar Hero, where the player is required to move their fingers around the plastic guitar in an attempt to match the coloured frets on screen. As the memory of the fret pattern grows, the player’s memory effectively increases as well as dexterity.

And this is no different with Assassin’s Creed 2. Half way throughout the game, Desmond is taken out of the Animus machine and given a test run of the abilities he’s achieved through his time as Ezio. He passes with flying colours, as Lucy puts him through a course to test his climbing ability. Through his time in the animus and living out the memory of Ezio, Desmond has gained several abilities in a short amount of time that would normally take a life time to learn and gain.

And through this, it’s somewhat clearer that both the video game and animus machine have some sort of connection in terms of gaining skills. While I’ll never learn how to scale walls as fast as Drake, or smash people on the heads by jumping on them like Mario, games like Bust A Groove, Guitar hero and even Trauma centre have all increased my dexterity and thought process somewhat. Likewise with the Animus machine and Desmond, having spent his time in the machine, he’s acquired several skills which will help him to be an assassin.

Desmond’s experiences with the Animus machine in Assassin’s Creed II parallels a player’s connection with a video game. Over exposure, goals and restart points, and the increased abilities one acquires with time and practice, are all common links between two seemingly unrelated things. Through this, the player connects with Desmond on a deeper level, as he/she is in an Animus himself, they just have to take a look at the console under their television.

I have finished!

YAY I've finished Assassin's Creed II! I also feel a little light headed, but I attribute that to the fact that I only ate a sausage and egg mcmuffin meal for the entire day...mmm oily goodness!

An essay on the animus vs gaming coming soon, and maybe a review of the game. The wait for those two entries will almost be as painful as the wait for Assassin's Creed 3!!*


*Not really, the wait for Assassin's Creed 3 is going to test the limits of my pain threshold, OUCHIE!!

Oh yeah, it's January and that means it's tennis galore! Medibank International, Hopman Cup, Kooyong Classic and then Australian Open! WOO!!

What does this have to with games? Well to get in the tennis spirit, I'm gonna start playing Top Spin 3 again! WOO! There's not really any quality tennis video games out there, but Top Spin 3 is probably the best offering. I'm not a fan of the whole stamina thing though, it feels tacked on...

Anyway, that's my random post for the day!