GiveMeTheBaby's Xanga

E3 Coverage, In A Broad Swath

Thu, 18 May 2006 05:07:49 GMT

Instead of trying to summarize the entire Electronic Entertainment Expo of last week, I thought I'd take a page out of one of my own books and post my "Top 11 Games of E3" list (one snuck on at the last second, so we had to boost it from just 10 games ;) ). Here we go:

Number 11:

Assassin's Creed, PS3, XB360

Even though all I saw was a concept vid (the real engine running was kept behind closed doors) this game shows promise. Developed by the Prince of Persia people and set in medieval Europe (or is it...). Can't wait!

Number 10:

Crackdown, XB360

GTA clone, sure...but we don't yet have a good GTA clone for next-gen systems, do we? Also, the super powers on display make this look like the Incredible Hulk game from '05. Would've been higher on the list but framerate issues in the released vid have me worried.

Number 9:

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, PS3

Ok, well, probably the only thing I need to answer here is why the game isn't higher on the list. Well, no released gameplay video will do that. So there. But co-op right out of the box? Yeah, that'll get you higher than the other sandbox games on here.

Number 8:

Spore, PC

The demo video released astounded me just as much as when we saw it unpolished several months ago. This baby looks gold to me, and hopefully will be out by the end of the year. Non Sim-ers need not apply, methinks.

Number 7:

Crysis, PC

Just download and watch "Official Trailer 1". Don't worry, I'll wait.

.....

Ok, well: DID YOU JUST F***ING SEE THAT!!?!?! SWEET JESUS JEBESUS!!!

The only reason this isn't number one or two on the list is because that footage came out a few weeks ago. I still watched it over again just now, though

Number 6:

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, PC

Looks a lot like Oblivion, which ain't a bad thing. Few more bells and whistles, and it uses the Source engine. Oh, and sorry bout the pic. Just thought it was funny :)

Number 5:

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, XB360

Cool gameplay concept, great looking game. Reminds me a little of Armed and Dangerous for the original 'box, minus all the fart jokes. Even though it looks really polished, developers still say '07.

Number 4:

Resistance: The Fall of Man, PS3

Well that's certainly an uplifting name for a game, especially from the guys that brought you Ratchet and Clank. Originally called "I-8", this shooter looks nearly like all those concept videos you have to sit through before they show you the real games on PS3. The physics looked a little off in the vid I saw and the AI looked "Shoot Me" dumb mostly, but there's still 6 mos. to work all that out.

Number 3:

Bioshock, PS3, XB360, PC

Ok, I'll admit it: The hype got to me on this one. No real vid's released, all closed door stuff...but everyone that saw this game in motion couldn't stop talking about it. Realistic AI, extreme open-endedness, and an entrancing world all add up to a pretty amazing sounding experience. If any of you played System Shock 2 (which I didn't) then it may interest you that this game comes from the same people and is a bit of a sequel...somehow.

Number 2:

Splinter Cell: Double Agent, PS3, XB360

Supposedly coming out this fall in time for PS3 launch, SC:DA could make a believer out of almost anyone. Well, except for those people that enjoyed all that wussy sneaking in the last few games. This one looks to emphasize action over stealth (though I'm sure there'll be some "touch no one" option like in the last games). The videos released speak for themselves, with Sam looking unbelievable and intense. If the Tom Clancy people can resurrect the travesty that was the Ghost Recon franchise using next-gen tech, just imagine what they can do to a good franchise!

Number 1:

Gears of War, XB360

Yeah, sorry, had to. This is going to be the true successor to Halo on the 360, at least until the next Halo comes out. The 'stop and pop' gameplay looks very similar to Ghost Recon, while the action looks like Halo. As long as they don't confuse us with the controls too badly (I'm looking at you, Mr. Warfighter), they'll have a multimillion seller on their hands, no problem.

Special Awards!

The "You bastards, you didn't show us anything" Award:

Halo 3 / Halo: Forerunner / Halo: Whatever, XB360

The "Oh great, now I'm winded playing video games" Award:

Wii Sports, Wii

The Award for Successfully Ripping Off Everyone:

PS3 Controller

Thanks to anyone that actually read all this!

-Patrick

This Could Be Love...Love For Fire

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:33:09 GMT

A special Valentine's post for everyone.

Call me a hopeless romantic, but I'm absolutely in love with the new, near-gold game footage from Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter for Xbox 360. I agree, the last game was a pretty serious misstep (not just in the franchise, but in the genre itself), but they seem to have fixed a lot of their mistakes. The AI looks good, graphics are clear and crisp, and the game world as a whole looks a lot more interesting. Be sure to read the preview Gamespot put up the other day if any of this looks interesting at all. Who knows, if I actually get my hands on a version of this game in a store kiosk or even a friend's house, Advanced Warfighter might be gracing the 805 sooner than you think.

-Patrick

The Very Best

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 03:15:07 GMT

I apologize in advance for this, the biggest award, being the most brief...but this is probably the only way it's ever going to actually get done.

The Best Games of 2005 (finally)

Number 10

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

Simply visceral...probably the greatest feeling of locomotion I've ever felt in a game, coupled with very satisfying fighting mechanics. Even though you might seem completely out of control at times (and occasionally you are) the game never feels unwieldy. It took the "All-Time Best Comic Book Game" crown away from last year's Spiderman 2, in my opinion.

Number 9:

LEGO Star Wars

Actually making the 3 newest Star Wars movies compelling? That's a novel idea. Great co-op, too, with a sense of humor to boot.

Number 8:

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

I still don't really understand how they packed an entire GTA game onto one of those tiny discs...I'm just glad they did. Oh, and Jeff, I still know where you're headed...

Number 7:

Lumines

I still find it hard to describe the feeling you get after Lumines hooks you...it just becomes every thought in your head. During Sarah's longer play sessions, I would try to distract her by cavorting about the room, wildly proclaiming that I was "King of the 3rd Quadrant," but even then... nothing.

Number 6:

Guitar Hero

I say again : The only thing that could possibly make this game better would be more songs. Everything about the game is spot-on, down to the extra long controller cord, perfect for long-distance "crouch and wiggles."

Number 5:

God of War

This game is something that just has to be seen to be believed. That the PS2 manages to crank out the scenery and battles in this game makes it even more jaw-dropping. Incidentally, this game also got bumped up several notches for sheer visceral mayhem. There may never be a more "Bad Ass" video game character than Kratos.

Number 4:

Resident Evil 4

I certainly hope I'm not giving away too much to Scott with this screencap, but yes, you do fight giant creatures with only ten bullets in this game. In fact, that seems to be most of the game. Still one of the scariest gaming experiences ever, even after being out for, now, 14 months.

Number 3:

Dragon Quest VIII

One of the best stories of the year, and certainly one of the best RPG's of all time, this game was hands-down Top 3 material. Any game that suddenly has taken 60 hours of a week from me deserves these kinds of props. I just wish the game were a little longer ;)

Number 2:

The Warriors

Oh, those Warriors...I still can't believe how much fun Jeff and I had playing through this game. The best co-op of the year, solid graphics engine and fighting mechanics, interesting story, and more open-ended than any brawler I've ever played...Cheers to Rockstar for getting everything right on this one.

Number 1:

Mercenaries

To see this game in motion...wow. Between the spot-on physics engine (which allowed for a little cinematic flair now and then), a dozen weapons that felt perfect when fired, some of the best graphics seen on current gen consoles, and hell, even a halfway interesting story with good voice-acting, this game would have been on this list anyway. But what makes this game Number 1, what makes it better than anything else that was released in 2005, is the immersion. When you're playing Mercenaries, you never feel quite safe. Whether it was the helicopter that wrecked on the road in front of you (even though, on every other playthrough it never happened), the constantly shifting opinions of your enemies/allies, or the fact that there are certain regions of the map that you just don't visit, this game never lets up. Luckily, instead of being frustrating, it makes the game just that much more fun. The creativity that being in a warzone allows you is near endless. Can't figure out a "safe" way to cross that narrow bridge to take out the mortars? Well you could call in an airstrike on them from half a mile away, or for a more economical choice you could disguise yourself as a civilian and blow them up with a car bomb, or you could steal a tank from the enemy and disguise yourself as one of their own and-

You see how it goes from there. To call this game "free-form" is truly fitting, and I believe, after much deciding, that Mercenaries is the Greatest Game of 2005.

See, that wasn't so hard, was it?

*dies*

-Patrick

The Very Worst

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:34:57 GMT

Patrick's Note : I have no idea why the formatting on this entry is so screwed up. Apparently the Xanga text editor leaves much to be desired when copying and pasting from Microsoft Word.

And now for the part of this list that saddens me : The Worst Games of 2005.

There are so many, many ways to judge a game's badness. Bugs, crashes, poor design choices...the list goes on. The games that I have selected for this dubious honor fall into one or more of these categories. This award, though, should be taken with an even larger grain of salt than the 'Best Of' list. This is because I played even fewer 'bad' games in 2005 than I did 'good' ones (although after finishing some of them, it certainly felt like they had taken up more time). I did my research before renting or certainly purchasing any games, and therefore rarely came upon any true stinkers. However, exposure could not be spared in certain cases. On that note, on with the awards.

The Very Worst Games of 2005

Number 3:

Burnout: Revenge

Poor, poor Criterion Games...they had such ambition. Sadly, this ambition either screeches to a halt, or vaults well beyond enjoyment, depending on your perception, in Burnout: Revenge.

Remember Burnout 3? Remember the fun we had? Well that's all gone, it's safe to say. I mentioned earlier that the new crash mode in Revenge is a sin unto gaming, and I still stand by that accusation. The new meter-thing at the beginning of each crash junction is unnecessary, and a little intimidating for noobs, frankly. Also, even though an interactive replay mode was promised by EA in the game, it wasn't delivered. In fact, no replay mode at all is included in the game, which is quite upsetting. Throw in “tap this button really REALLY fast or else nothing will happen” segments to enable your once sacred crashbreaker, and this mode is nearly unplayable compared with the last one in the series.

Onto racing: what I consider the meat of the Burnout series. It's broke. Simple as that. They broke it. I beg this of you: what fun is traffic racing if the traffic doesn't impede you? Does that ring odd to anyone else? Zipping between two cars stopped at an intersection at 180 miles an hour used to be the crowning pee-in-your-pants moment of these games, and now it could matter less. Feel free to slam into as much traffic as you see fit, consequence free...we don't want the game to be too difficult for you.

And why the hell did you get rid of car classes? That was just dumb.

Number 2:

Pariah

I certainly hope the pointless night-vision shot above brings back the nauseating memories of a certain other pointless night-vision scene in a film that will here go unmentioned *coughRollerballcough*. Sadly, I played Pariah longer than the other two games on this list, but I am rather proud of discarding it the fastest (if that makes any sense). Perhaps an explanation is in order:

After playing through roughly 8 hours of Pariah's single-player campaign, I reached what I found out later to be the final boss. At the time, I had no idea that this was the final boss because I really had no idea what the story was, but that's a different point entirely. Anyways, after battling the boss for nearly 20 minutes and working her health bar down to roughly 25%, she miraculously filled her own life bar back up to full. Instantly. Without explanation. I did not take the time to stare, dumbfounded into the television set. I did not swear, as I am apt to do in such situations. I did not even cast the controller away from my body, out towards the offending game. No sir. Instead I opened the XBOX disc drive, retrieved the DVD-ROM, placed it into its respective Gamefly envelope, and placed it on the mailbox. Out of my sight and life forever.

And now, here's why:

I'm sorry, but I had to put up with a lot in my playtime with Pariah. The worst offender has to be the story itself. Please excuse me if the next few sentences seem less than cohesive, as they are the only semblances of reason that I could pry out of the game. The story starts on a medical transport ship, and you are apparently a doctor. The plane crashes and you wake up with a sub-machine gun in your hand and proceed to shoot your way across a series of hills and forest locations, killing every person you meet along the way...for some reason. Upon breaching a rather secure-looking building in the middle of the forest, another cutscene begins, and apparently the building falling down around you. After you wake up outside of the rubble, the woman that you were transporting stands before you. She then runs away and you are assaulted, etc. etc. etc. blah blah blah.

Again, I'm very sorry that that last part was neither interesting nor sensible, but if I had to sit through it you do too. While the story is certainly the main reason that I loathed Pariah, the list does go on from there rather quickly. Besides the fact that there were only two useful weapons in the game, I also had problems with the thrown in driving sections (during which I would immediately exit the vehicle upon entering, only allowing myself enough time in the motorcycle/tank/car with a gun on top to trigger the next wave of enemies). Throw in a healthy dose of poor level designs and incapable AI, and you have yourself the second worst game of 2005.

Number 1:

Legend of Heroes (PSP)

I apologize in advance for not putting a terribly recognizable game here in the top slot, as most of you probably have never heard of this atrocious RPG for Sony's handheld. However, I will try to illustrate the horrors of this game to you as well as I can.

I suppose first I should establish what I was looking for when I picked up LoH. I was expecting a game with strategic battle sequences, where creativity and forward-thinking would be rewarded. I was expecting exploration and difficult item/equipment choices that could make or break your band of fighters. In short, I was expecting a game that wouldn't feel like I was being led around by the hand; being shown each portion of the game when it was good and ready (Note: these are not unheard of expectations)

First off, the main offender in the game is the battle system. While, yes, it might seem strategic at first, what with your one or two main fighters, your support character, and your magic wielder, very quickly the fights breaks down into a guessing game. With no indication of which characters perform actions in what order, setting up enemies for combos is completely impossible. The worst part of this infraction is the fact that all of the actions in the game are ranged, meaning that if you want to cast a spell on your entire party, you must first assemble them into a tight group before casting. If your caster decides to use the spell before your party is assembled, none of your party members receive the spell, and only your frustration will be enhanced. Also, the fact that your enemies appear to be able to perform several actions per turn, such as moving and casting a spell subsequently, confused and frustrated me even more.

I suppose the lack of exploration in the game needs little explanation. To ease development, the creators built an entirely linear game with no chance of straying from their neat little path. The game map is literally a row of towns that you must visit in sequence to progress throughout the game. Anytime you wish to go someplace other than your next waypoint, your friend “Mile” will pop up on screen to remind you that you shouldn't paint outside of the lines (“Mile”, by the way, is easily the worst name I have seen in a video game this year. An odd note: the game uses the word “Milo” in place of the English measure of 5,280 feet, and “Mile” as the name of your sidekick. Sounds like a typo to me.). Also, the developers apparently realized that the game they had made was far too short so they decided to lengthen it by forcing you to backtrack for as long as an HOUR in some cases, just to extend the putrid story.

It goes without saying, I suppose, that the story was terrible. Characters, motivations, I'm not going to mention much besides the fact that I really wanted the protagonist to get injured and not be able to complete his 'quest'. That's not harsh, is it?

Also, quick one: the game looks like trash. I'm personally a fan of the ¾ view, sprite-based RPG's (especially of the SNES era), but this game looks terrible. The enemies appear to have been painted by a sick penguin, and the heroes have literally the exact same body, with different hair colors. For shame...

Finally, and probably not the most surprising of complaints about the game, is the inventory/weapon system. It's pretty standard fare for an RPG, so I guess I shouldn't criticize the game too much over it. Basically, you go to a new town, they have your next level of sword/shield/armor/etc. And you purchase it and equip it. Every time this gives you an incremental advantage over the last sword/shield/armor you had equipped but still, the materialist in you wants the new one I suppose. I only wish that there was some sort of visual reflection of the different weapons in battle. Every sword looks like the very first one you got at the end of the tutorial: terrible.

I really don't know what the hell happened with this game. It started off so promising: confident developers granting early interviews showcasing different aspects of the game, a solid translation from a top-selling Japanese franchise...it really is too bad that there really wasn't any game behind their clouds of smoke.

Wh-shew! Glad that's over. Very depressing, indeed...

-Patrick

Monday, January 30, 2006

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:26:06 GMT

Sorry this isn't the next installment in the GOTY awards, but I felt I needed to tell someone about this. I just received Beyond Good & Evil for the XBOX in the mail. It came out in 2003 to almost universal praise as, essentially, the PS2's Zelda. After playing it for a couple hours last nite, I can certainly agree with that assessment. Everything from the fun and interesting gameplay mechanics (you'll be using your digital camera in the game for lots of exciting missions) to the lovable characters and dialogue, this game has it all. Not just that, but it's also one of the prettier adventure games I've seen on the system, and the game's over 2 years old.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass on the info. The game's no longer in production, so if you find a copy somewhere, definitely pick it up. It's for all 3 consoles and PC, as I recall.

Oh, and I also got Psychonauts for XBOX the same day. Not as impressed with that one. Lots of great reviews and "Best Game of '05 No One Played" awards, but I don't really see anything here that sets it apart. Pretty standard platforming and annoying item collection. Good sense of humor, though.

-Patrick

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 03:55:54 GMT

Alright, we're gettin there...

Today's award is for the best soundtrack of the year, with three very good candidates. Enjoy!

Best Soundtrack

Number 3:

Stubbs the Zombie in:

Rebel Without a Pulse

One of the most surprising things about this great game is its soundtrack. Featuring newly recorded covers of 50's era songs by some of today's top indie artists, it shockingly has come up in very few discussions of the game. One of the hindrances in discussing the soundtrack is, sadly, that music doesn't play a very large role in the game. During 90% of the game, actually, there is no music. Besides cinematics and menu screens, the only time we are exposed to the soundtrack is when our beloved hero nears, say, a jukebox in a level or some other music source. This is certainly understandable, seeings how only 13 tracks grace the full roster and during the 6 hour campaign they might get a little old. Sadly, though, they still seem rather underused. The Death Cab for Cutie cover of 'Earth Angel' during the rhythm dancing sequence, though....genius. The full soundtrack includes new tracks from such artists as Ben Kweller, The Raveonettes, Cake, The Dandy Warhols, The Flaming Lips, and Phantom Planet...nothing to shake a stick at certainly.

Number 2:

Lumines

Referring to the music within Lumines as a 'soundtrack' feels odd. That's because the music is actually never exactly the same from play to play. Every track (and there are well over 40 here, each associated with a particular level) is built around a solid beat and bass line, and the player actually augments the song on top of that with their actions within the game. Flipping, slamming, shifting, and eliminating the blocks each play different samples within the song, all fitting perfectly within the theme of the particular track. The truly remarkable thing about this effect, though, is that after playing for more than a few minutes, you will most likely find yourself playing along with the beat of the song, inserting your own style and making the track your own. Finally, a reason to wear those hideous PSP headphones.

Number 1:

Guitar Hero

Honestly, was there ever a doubt? I would hope not if you assume my sanity. Simply put : The only way the Guitar Hero soundtrack could be better is if it was bigger.

Not that I'm complaining, not at all. It won this award hands down. In fact, I feel that it is the greatest testament to the game that a lot of people feel the same way, that only bigger could be better. Of the songs that are included on here, from Joat Jett's "I Love Rock n Roll" all the way down to "Bark at the Moon", there's not a weak one in the bunch (well, unless you positively can't stand Sum 41, and then, I suppose, 1 out of 47 ain't bad). Even the bonus songs are interesting to play through and possess a certain level of challenge because of the fact that they're not immediately recognizable.

In short, I never thought I would rock out so hard to freakin' Boston or even ZZ Top, but there you have it : A great soundtrack can take even the most unexpected song and really make you appreciate it.

Alright guys, all that's left is the best and worst honors, coming up in the next few days!

-Patrick

Monday, January 23, 2006

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 04:33:12 GMT

All:

So, I figure it's probably a good idea to finish these 'Game of the Year' awards before the end of January, for whatever reason. Well, most of the the last things to accomplish before the final 'Top 10' list are encompassed in this entry. The awards for 'Most Surprising' and 'Disappointing' along with 'Best Multiplayer' are layed out as follows (Oh, and sorry a/b the relative brevity of these awards as compared with the 'Best Story' awards, but damn, it's almost February)

Most Surprising

(i.e. Most Surprisingly Well Done)

LEGO Star Wars

If you've ever been disappointed with the Star Wars:Battlefront games because they lacked, well, a story in general, then LEGO Star Wars is going to please you in ways I can only imagine. Not only do you get to play through the three most recent films, scene by scene (which, by the by, isn't nearly as annoying as the movies simply because you can sacrifice Jar-Jar into whatever swamp you see fit sans recompence), but you can do so with a buddy at your side. While the action is tight and generally smooth, the little effects added into the game put so much icing on top. When your sidekick droid (controlled by Player 2, incidentally) is accidentally struck with a stray light-saber slash in the leg, he is forced to hobble about on his only attached appendage for the remaineder of the level (or until he is unceremoniously cast into a swamp)...or when an enemy is defeated and his body is broken down into its constituent pieces that scatter across the floor...rarely has a film-based game paid this much attention to detail, not to mention the humor exuded by each of the silent cut-scenes included.

The reason this game took the "Most Surprising" award is simply because it sounds so ridiculous at first mention. I can't think of another LEGO video game adaptation that didn't send every self-respecting gamer running for the hills, not to mention the fact that somewhere between 80 and 100% of the Star Wars video games created have been terrible, as a rule. However, when put together, all the right pieces fit together (damn, and I promised myself no puns).

Honorable Mention

Stubbs the Zombie in:

Rebel Without a Pulse

Stubbs definitely made the 'Most Surprising' award a foot-race. When I'd first read press about this game, I thought it was perhaps the worst idea for a video game I'd come across. The premise is that, instead of blasting the heads off of the living dead, you would become one of them, and slowly shuffle your way across 15-ish levels of suburbia and corn-fields. Dear, was I wrong...

Besides the inherent advantage that is the Halo gameplay engine (the only game besides the seminal XBOX shooter series to utilize it), Stubbs won me over with its humor. The laugh-out-loud cut-scenes that involved everything from break-dancing mayorial figures to zombie-on-zombie action *wink* were some of the greatest gaming moments of the year, flat out. The voice-acting was also top-notch, with convincing yet hilarious screams of panic and attempts at reason with your zombie protagonist (still, one of the most memorable instants in my gaming history is the moment when "Zombie and sheep" became allies). Finally, the gameplay itself was creative enough to warrant a second play through the game, with mastery of the 'severed hand toss' being a must for impressing whoever might be watching. The only reason that Stubbs loses out to LEGO in this category is because of its limited scope. After perhaps 6 hours the game was beaten, with nothing more to unlock, whereas LEGO was filled with boundless unlockables as well as a roughly 10 hour mission mode.

Most Disappointing

Burnout: Revenge

I know, I know...I should have seen this one coming. After the orgasmic explosion that was Burnout 3: Takedown, not much could move the arcade racing crown from its head. However, I was still not expecting such a poor showing as I found in the fourth game in the series.

I hesitate to outline a grocery list of what exactly the developers screwed up in this franchise iteration simply because, by nature, I am not a negative person. Sadly, this is not the type of reward given out without some manner of serious razzing, so the list follows, but rather as a plea to the game's creators for answers:

Why the HELL did you screw up crash mode?! It was a perfect entity unto itself, able to sustain as a party-game picked up by thousands of people unfamiliar with video games in general. I have shown the crash-mode in Burnout 3 to several people that refuse to play games in general, simply because they "suck so much" at them. The beauty of the crash mode in that game is that it encouraged people to drive poorly, and let them do so unfettered. The travesty that you have created in Revenge's crash mode, complete with authentic Tiger Woods style shot meters (f*** you EA, and I seriously mean that) is a sin unto gaming, and should be sent back to hell. You destroyed something beautiful.
Instead of making it, I dunno, challenging, to race against other cars in this new game, why did you choose to weaken the racing experience? I have always said that Burnout featured the greatest traffic racing in gaming, but you have soiled your reputation, sirs. The new ability to 'check' traffic and the fact that if I so much as *nudge* another car on the road it turns into a flaming ball of jetsam make me believe that you gave in to those people that thought that Burnout 3 was too difficult. For shame...
Why exactly did you find it necessary to get rid of car classes in your game? Did it make some part of the process easier for you? Because, frankly, it makes every part of the game more difficult for me when I have to sift throught 17 cars that have the exact same title, differentiated solely by the presence of "SE" or "GT" at the end of their boring name, before I find the car that I want to drive through another one of your mind-numbing bumper-car masquerades

Dishonorable Mention

Tony Hawk's

American Wasteland

*Blech*

That's the first thing I have to say about this game, and perhaps the last. How you manage to make skating through LA boring, I'll never know. But at least now I know where to start. Same graphics as last year, same mechanics, worse story, and bogus "no load times" claim make this an unsurprising financial and creative failure.

Best Multiplayer

Number 3:

Guitar Hero

While this might be the most expensive multiplayer option of the year (short of purchasing your very own DDR machine on ebay), it is also one of the most satisfying. Thrashing through a song with a pal at your side is exhilirating if both of you are in synch. The most important fact I can convey about the experience is that both people actually play different parts of the same song to give one a breather while the other grinds, or just give both different experiences in tandem. The trash talking alone is worth the price of both axes, but suffice to say, when your competitor manages to beat you whilst playing behind his head, it's time to sit down.

Number 2:

Grand Theft Auto:

Liberty City Stories

Transcript from an average Jeff v. Pat deathmatch in GTA:LCS:

Pat : Oh, I know where you're going...you're going down to the cheatin' hole

Jeff : Well then why don't you come down and get me, eh?

Pat : [Commandeers car, drives balls-out into the "cheatin' hole"] Here I come!

Jeff : WHAT ARE YOU DOING! [Fires rocket]

Pat : [Death by rocket]

Jeff : [Struck by flaming car, survives] Whew, that was close...

Pat : [Respawns, proceeds back to "cheatin' hole"]

The sheer fact that everything that was available to players in the Grand Theft Auto series is now available in the GTA:LCS multiplayer arena is mind-boggling. No simple paragraph here could do it justice, but suffice to say that everything that you are thinking right now is possible...

Well, except for that (shame on you Scott)

Number 1:

The Warriors

Anyone that knows me better than a little will know that only a co-op game could win the coveted Best of Multiplayer award here. Put simply: cooperative play is the essence of video gaming as I see it. If given a choice between blowing a rival's head off or teaming up to do so to computer foes, my preference will always fall with the latter. And The Warriors was the cream of the crop this year in the co-op category.

To emphasize my point, I reference back to a previous post, from October 2005:

Let me start with the bottom-line to this review : These Warriors kick ass. A lot of ass. Occasionally each other's ass if the unfortunate co-op partner gets in the way of a flying television or a stray keyboard meant for another. The number of memorable moments we had in the hour or so that we played the game was staggering. These include a particularly hilarious tutorial section that involved a full-scale riot, an ugly jewelry store robbery, and several visits from the police (none of which are actually intended to be in said tutorial, but Jeff and I are a creative sort).

Moments such as these will live on as long as I do, and therefore my choice for Multiplayer Game of the Year was an easy one.

-Patrick

It begins...

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 06:11:38 GMT

2005 lies behind us, with very little to show for itself. It lies there, fading away into the ether, without a whimper or a shaking paw uplifted. How will the old dog (yes, we're still talking about 2005) be remembered? By its videogames.

And perhaps the several hundred natural disasters that seemed to occur during it.

But I'll remember it for the videogames, and this year's inaugural Patrick Dean's Game of the Year Honors is meant to show you just why 2005 was such a special year for gaming. Here's how it's going to go down:

Today I'll be outlining the first award handed out: The Best Plot of 2005

In the ensuing days I'll be handing out such awards as: Most Disappointing Game, Most Surprising Game, and Best Soundtrack. The final award handed out will of course be the final, top-10 style, Game of the Year award

Anyway, first things first, here are the winners for The Best Plot of 2005 (in descending order):

Number 3:

God of War

God of War brings the gods of Greek mythology to life in such a compelling story that you'd be hard-pressed to separate the ancient myths from the portions added on by the game's producers. In the game, Zeus has ruled that the gods must no longer wage war upon each other, after several cataclysmic fights between Ares, the god of war, and his sister Athena. Ares finds a loophole to Zeus' decree and incurs his wrath on his sister by sacking Athena's beloved city of Athens. Athena tasks the mortal Kratos (our protaganist) with the duty of destroying the god of war himself, with a little bit of training from herself and other like-minded deities. Her deal is simple: if Kratos defeats Ares, Athena will deliver Kratos' wife and child from the underworld and end his nightmare. As the story unfolds, however, we begin to find out more about our beloved Kratos and his impending deicide. It turns out that he has already been enslaved by Ares in exchange for the near limitless power that he now wields in battle. The only catch of Kratos' power is that Ares is the one pulling the strings. And what was Ares' first command?: for Kratos to kill his own family. The game follows Kratos on his journey to kill his cruel master, the one that took everything on earth away from him but his power. Will Kratos be able to destroy Ares and resurrect his family? Will Athena hold true to her deal? Or will Kratos continue to be a puppet of the gods...

Number 2:

Dragon Quest VIII

This game makes the Best Plot list not so much because of it's story, per se, but rather the way the game tells it. Dragon Quest VIII seems like a run-of-the-mill RPG at first glance, and in many ways it is. Hell, even the name isn't going to convince anyone otherwise. There's turn-based battles, your standard levelling systems, and several fun side-quests, but what separates this game from all other RPG's is the way the story unfolds.

When an [ ITEM ] is stolen from the King's treasury, an evil never before seen is unleashed into the world.

Sound familiar? Well it should if you've played any RPG, like, ever. And, again, the game won't suck you in with the core of its story. But the way the game develops is truly something to behold. It attempts to be as cinematic as possible (and I don't mean using a CG sequence every five hours or so), which is truly commendable, as is its execution.

Very little is known about the whereabouts of, well, anything really at the outset of the Quest. All we know is that something evil happened, and we're on the road to undoing it. Along the way two more characters are ceremoniously picked up, and everyone's back-stories and relationships to one another are told in excellent flashback form. Also, the side-plots are nothing to sneeze at, either. Whether it be kingdoms torn apart by fascism, or a lone ruler mourning his wife on the edge of civilization, everything in the game is treated with the correct scope. The end result is a game filled with rich characters, fascinating relationships, and a world that swells with life.

Number 1:

GUN

Yeah, this one surprised me, too.

I'm familiar with westerns so I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started GUN for the first time. I expected a generous helping of bullets, with perhaps a side of crude Native American jokes, and that was about it. Little did I expect the immersive world that I found in this game.

The first thing to mention about this game is its superb voice-acting and script that went along with it. Hollywood script writer Randall Jahnson (yes, I know his film credentials suck) penned the story and the dialogue for GUN and his remarkable research shines through every seam in it. Everything down to the slang used in each region of the country Colton (our protaganist) visits is authentic. An excellent foundation for the story to come, it must be said.

The story is what truly hooked me about the game. Colton experiences so many life-altering events in the game that it's hard to chonicle all of them. He goes from being a peaceful hunter at the outset of the game to using his firearm skills in near every way of life in the old west. From basic sheriff duties all the way up to leading a band of rebel Natives in a siege on an old Civil War fort, Colton always seems in control of an uncontrollable situation. The story follows suit, as well. It eases you into each new story arc without any type of implausibility, either logically or emotionally from the standpoint of the game's characters. Every individual's motivations are well represented, and every character is memorable without being needlessly quirky.

In conclusion, the evolution of Colton White over the course of this game, from woodsman to rebellion hero, is one of the more enjoyable experiences I've had in gaming. It comes complete with one of the most gripping stories I've heard and now my favorite video game character of all time.

Well, there you have it...Award Numero Uno is in the bag....thank god

-Patrick

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:59:18 GMT

Here we are....January 9th....

This is awkward

So, yes, there have been no new releases on the blog regarding, well, anything and I apologize. Assembling a "Best Of..." list isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, apparently, and that realization is only amplified by the inclusion of Dragon Quest VIII into my daily routine. I've averaged about 6 hours of playtime per day, with the only more important thing in my life [time-wise] being, for whatever reason, sleep. I promise to rectify this sooner or later, using whatever means happen to drop squarely in my lap as I continue to play DQ8.

Oh, and as if it weren't painfully obvious already, DQ8 is climbing the GOTY'05 ranks faster than a coked-out Sherpa up Everest.

-Patrick

Monday, December 12, 2005

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 03:41:14 GMT

Well, that's certainly surprising. Linked from their main page and everything. It's a shame they took out all the swearing, though...

-Patrick