Hammerfall? Hammerfell? Hammertime? Hammerwatch! Okay, I'm just going to level with you here. I don't feel like I played this game to really make a good judgement. It's a multiplayer Diablo-style game except that all gear and leveling has been reduced down to coin gathering and spending. I was enjoying it for the most part, and then I realized that it was time to end the show after what felt like five minutes. One of THOSE kinds of games.
It's definitely worth checking out. And it's super cheap. Win-win!
Orcs Must Die! 2 appears to be one-third to one-quarter as fun as it looks on paper. It's a tower defense game. You play as a War Mage guy or a Sorceress lady (and more that unlock over time) that runs around summoning towers and shooting orcs in the face when you get the chance. The music is pretty catchy and the traps are very diverse. A good time, right? Eh, not really.
It's hard to explain, but I was just bored for most of the game. All progression comes in the form of unlocking levels and collecting gold during those levels. That's fine enough for towers, but I'm playing a character! Why doesn't he level up? Why can't he get collect gear? Why aren't there character-specific traps and abilities? Sure, the little soundbites and the victory dances at the end of the level are great (especially the dances, that was an awesome surprise), but that doesn't actually motivate me to keep playing. This game came out after Dungeon Defenders which has all of those things and more, why isn't there any innovation?
Everything else is fine enough, but I wouldn't recommend that someone go out and grab this game. I'm sure the game is a bit more exciting once multiplayer kicks in, but what, really, is the point? They'll be just like you! Just more of the same. I'll have to check out the original Orcs Must Die sometime, but that may be a while.
Finally. Finally, finally, finally getting to write a blog post for this game.
Jamestown is a historical fiction bullet hell flight sim that combines the legendary adventure of the American frontier in the 1600's with steam-punk flying ships, trains, and cyborgs. Unfortunately the Spanish have allied with the malevolent Martians, causing only more problems for the English settlers. I know what you're asking yourself: How could this NOT be amazing?
The answer is that it IS amazing! Fast paced. Scary bosses. Awesome music. There's just so much to love. There aren't very many levels, but there are many difficulties, ships, as well as challenges to keep you busy. Also there's a DLC that I do no own, so I guess I can't vouch for it. But I do know that this was one of the games that really sold the indie game movement for me. The premise is just so weird. It's short. It's inexpensive. It would never have been made by a major company. Yet here it is, and I love it.
Turns out there's a thing I do not enjoy. It's creating logos and branding media. Seriously. Totally not into it. However, as a result of my labors my stream looks way better. And I made this awesome logo! It looks like that Photoshop class I took in 9th grade is still paying off! The production value on the stream is going to look much, much better. Additionally, I started up a Facebook page for the site/stream/stuff. So I'll be posting everything that I'm doing on there instead of bothering the crap out of all of my relatives and Facebook friends.
Also the offer is still out: If anyone would like to take over the logos and art design crap for the site and stream, you are 100% welcome to it. I wouldn't really be able to pay you, but I'm sure we could figure something out. Ads? Free game(s)? A nice poem? Something.
Also, I just read that Google is acquiring Twitch for over a billion dollars! Holy crap! I hope this is a good thing.
Bit.Trip Presents: Runner 2: Legend of Future Rhythm Alien might be the game with the longest title that I've played for Humble Bundle Acquisitions. I wish I could say that it could win more awards than that, but overall I thought it was fairly boring.
You play as Commander Video, or one of his compatriots, as you run, dash, jump, kick, cannon, and bounce across long stretches of platforms for the purpose of...gold bricks? Is that it? I'm not sure if that's the real reason or not. The only thing that I got out of the story is that we had been teleported to another dimension!!! Therefore we must run. A lot. Whatever.
It's a fun enough game. The visuals are very pretty but not distracting (except for a giant purple dome thing that looks a little pervy). The running and jumping were...fine. Maybe if endless runners are YOUR thing this is a great catch, but overall I was just kind of bored after the first 15 minutes. I enjoyed games like Ski Safari and the classic Jetpack Joyride much more. Granted, this game is not an "endless" runner, but a runner of stages. Which didn't really do it for me. Maybe it was seeing Meat Boy in the intro video, but I just felt like nothing about this game was very exciting. I never felt like it drew me in at any time. I think that more meaningful short-term goals would have helped (like in endless runners) to give the player more of a sense of why we run so constantly.
Maybe running should be its own reward, but in this case running felt like how it always feels now that I've gotten fat: Work.
If you're not already super burnt out on WoW, or maybe just looking for a little free MMO time, Lord of the Rings Online, or "Lotro", is a solid game that is worth your attention.
Trying to play some catchup with a new schedule. Monaco wasn't very fun at all for me. It looks like it's best played with a group of 4 that are either in the same room or on Skype. That would have been way more fun. Also, the game doesn't even bother teaching you how to play. Boo.
I screwed up a show. I knew it would happen eventually, but it sill hurt my little heart very much. I'm sorry about the audio issues.
Beatbuddy, unfortunately, is pretty much the same game as Aquaria but instead of having to learn songs, everyone is obsessed with music and rhythm. This leads to some really cool design--lots of movement in game and even lights on my computer box bouncing with the beat--but the puzzles themselves were just kind of boring.
I may have enjoyed the game more if I hadn't just barely done Aquaria, which seemed more complex and interesting, but there is a certain humor and excitement in the game that is very enjoyable. I'm not going to play it again, but you may still like it.
I went into this game expecting one thing and getting something a lot weirder.
Firstly, there was a lot less blood than I expected. Actually, for the most part, this game is more or less bloodless which is especially surprising when you consider that "Blood Loss" is a key losing mechanic in this game. Sure, you get little blood spots on your hands and arms during a procedure, but as far as drops, puddles, pools, squirts, or sprays of blood, I was surprised by their complete absence. It was a good surprise.
The surprise that I didn't like was just how obscene the entire game felt at all times. Ripping out a person's lungs with my bare hands does not feel good, even when I know it's fake. It just felt very wrong, like I was desecrating something sacred. I've been a gamer all my life, so I've done some terrible things in the name of high scores and victory screens, but this was one of the actions I have felt least comfortable with. The somewhat cartoony visuals made it feel even more bizarre, and I can't decide if more realism would have been an improvement or not.
And the controls! My heavens the controls!!! They were simply terrible, and more or less seemed to be so intentionally. For me, that does not add a layer of complexity or mystery or anything else; it's just irritating. It made the game feel like you were playing Operation (which I imagine was point), except there's someone sitting behind and purposely constricting your movement the entire time. Eventually, you would want to punch that person in the face. While playing Surgeon Simulator 2013, there is no face you can punch, it's your own face, constantly slamming into a wall of terrible controls until you either win or lose, occasionally at random.
All in all, I'd put this game at a solid "Try it." I have no intention of ever playing it again, but it was a pretty fun time for a little while. Even better, I'd say to play it with a couple of friends, so there's someone to enjoy the antics with (just like the original Operation! :O).
Antichamber. It's minimalist, confusing, and fantastic. The easiest way to describe it is to imagine that the labyrinth in the movie Labyrinth swallowed the Portal games but left all the muppets and David Bowie behind. The design is sharp and physical laws of matter are completely disregarded for the player's benefit. I would definitely recommend it as both a puzzler and an exploration game.
This weekend my wife and I were talking about The Future. Long story short, I'm going to start a regularly scheduled show on my stream! This show will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 8pm to 10pm (Mountain time. That's 7pm to 9pm Pacific). The format of the show will be as follows.
Tuesday: I will pick a game that I received through a Humble Bundle and start playing it on my stream. I will have made an effort to go into it as blind as I can without any prior knowledge or opinions about the game. I'll provide as much charming commentary and observation as possible. Audience participation is greatly encouraged.
Wednesday: I'll do my homework about the game. Who made it? How was it received critically? Did it win any awards? Were there any scandals in production or afterward?
Thursday: We'll dive into the game for another two hours, this time armed with all kinds of context. I will again provide as much charming commentary and observation as possible. Audience participation will again be greatly encouraged.
Friday/Saturday: I'll write up an analysis/review of the game and put it here on the site.
Fun, right!? I'm very excited to get started, and Humble Indie Bundle 11 was released this morning. We're going live with Antichamber tonight! See you then! :D
The gameplay video of Jamestown is complete! However, it's going to require a second take which I probably won't be able to do until Monday, as today is my wife's birthday and we have plans for tonight. I'd do it now, but I'm currently at work.
In the mean time, check out this video of people playing cabbage basketball in Skyrim. If you don't want to watch it, at least skip the 3-minute mark and watch from there.
A big thanks to my friend Evan for bringing it to my attention!
If you were ever a fan of platform games (i.e. Mario, Sonic, and/or Donkey Kong Country), you absolutely want to give Trine (and, I assume, its new sequel) a shot. I'll skip over the story and just say that in Trine, you control either a Thief, a Knight, or a Mage that all have different abilities/specialties. Using these three (and switching them out as often as you like), you make your way through very detailed and gorgeous levels filled with platforms, monsters, pits, and all the good stuff. It's very puzzle-oriented as well, so there's a lot more to it than just getting from the left side of the screen to the right as fast as you can.
The soundtrack has a great fantasy vibe that is simply enchanting (I'll post a track/game play video at the at the bottom). There's really not that much more to say, if you want a great game with lots of interesting game play and virtually no learning curve, this is your game! Pick it up on Steam or try the demo (download required for the demo!).
I'm currently out of town, so this and Monday's post were written well in advance and may be kind of short.
I'd be crying too.
Today I'm showing The Binding of Isaac, a simple yet engaging adaptation of the story of Isaac and Abraham from the book of Genesis. I said the game was engaging. Two other pretty effective terms would be gruesome and sacrilegious, however, despite that (or if you prefer, because of that) it makes for a fun premise for a game. In this version, Isaac's fanatical mother hears the voice of God telling her that she must kill Isaac as a test of faith. Isaac, in turn, runs and jumps into the basement to hide. Unfortunately for Isaac, the basement is full of legitimately terrifying monsters. You aid Issac in going deeper and deeper into the basement to escape.
You see, there's this dungeon, with monsters in it...
Gameplay wise, the easiest way to describe it is a mix between the dungeons from the original The Legend of Zelda for the NES and with dual sticks for controls (one for movement, one for the direction that you're firing). Dungeons with about 10 rooms and 2 bosses are randomly generated and include a huge assortment of possible upgrades and power-ups that help to keep the game fresh. Binding of Isaac was made by Team Meat, the same guys behind Super Meat Boy, and they decided to keep the art direction the same: simple, cartoony, and effective...with a bit more cartoon blood than is necessary.
Soundtrack cover art.
And I know I've said it about every Humble Bundle game I've written about, but there's a musical consideration here as well. The soundtrack is very effective overall (i.e. it's really creepy), but one song, called Sacrificial, stands out as one catchy tune.
You can pick up Binding of Issac on Steam for only $5 (the soundtrack is only $1 more: worth it). You can also check out a demo here. It just occurred to me that I should be rating these games that I talk about/review. As I've yet to decide on a static rubric, I'm going to give The Binding of Isaac 3.5 teardrops out of five. To end, here's the aforementioned creepy but catchy song from the soundtrack.
Last time in Humble Bundle Acquisitions, We talked about VVVVVV. Today we'll be discussing Machinarium.
Machinarium is a sweet, point and click, puzzle game about a little robot who apparently gets bullied a lot. Your job is to help him put himself back together, cross bridges, break out of the jails, and save his friend. It's a lot like the Monkey Island series but with a lot less pirates and much better art.
Speaking of the art, this game is gorgeous. The entire game is hand-drawn in pen and ink. And the soundtrack is spectacular. One of the songs is on my top 25 most played on my iPod. There's so many charming and well-done things about this game, you should stop reading and just play the demo here. Then you should pick it up for PC, Mac, or even on your iPad! The computer version is $10 and comes with the soundtrack, which is worth it for the soundtrack alone. It's $4.99 on iTunes.
Here are two of my favorites from the soundtrack. Enjoy!
Hammerfall? Hammerfell? Hammertime? Hammerwatch! Okay, I'm just going to level with you here. I don't feel like I played this game to really make a good judgement. It's a multiplayer Diablo-style game except that all gear and leveling has been reduced down to coin gathering and spending. I was enjoying it for the most part, and then I realized that it was time to end the show after what felt like five minutes. One of THOSE kinds of games.
