30 day video game challenge day 3

To make up for missing a day of this challenge, which I instead spent in a work induced coma, I shall be posting 2 questions.

Day 3 of the 30 day video game challenge brings us to a game that is underrated.
 For me, Grand Theft Auto 4 was highly underrated. And that's not to say that it slipped under the radar, or indeed scored badly on most sites or magazines. However when talking to other gamers GTA4 is one title that seems to receive a heavy slating- the shared opinion being that it has taken a different direction, that it lacks the humor of previous GTA titles, and that the gameplay is less entertaining. Now when you look at it from this direction, maybe all these factors ring true. On the other hand, everything seems better when hiding behind the teary veil of nostalgia. There comes a time when such games should enter the classic box, and should be dug out and played for nostalgia rather than applying their qualities to new titles.

I think Rockstar took a bold step in making GTA4 more mature, more real- a necessary step. With games like Saints Row and Just Cause offering a very similar experience to GTA Vice City, San Andreas etc Grand Theft Auto needed a revamping to stay ahead of the game. And thats exactly what GTA4 did. The realistic visuals and slightly less over-the-top action & gameplay did not dull down the experience for me at all. Rather than feeling like Point Break,  it was more akin to Heat- Keanu Reeves had packed up his hair gel and let the twin guns of Pacino and De Niro add some class to the scene. It was grittier. Darker.

Going postal and shooting up the neighborhood probably felt less satisfying as the experience was more lifelike. Interactions with other characters became realistic, and inevitably the guilt of sending a schools worth of AI children to the NPC orphanage took it's toll. On top of this, Niko Bellic was less bulletproof than past protagonists- throw this together with Swat teams that actively flank, snipe from helicopters & aim for your squishy head and crime sprees became short lived. Maybe Rockstar was trying to send a message here, to fight off the controversy that surrounds every release, they cried; "Hey kids, crime doesn't pay. And you shouldn't be playing this anyway, it says 18 on the case!" Or maybe they were just encouraging gamers to play the game differently. To think about each shootout as it happened. I for one thoroughly enjoyed all of these changes- they made the game a more challenging and believable experience. Some of the achievements required some real effort on the players behalf, such as evading the police from a 4 star rating. If the purists had their way, we would instead be left with the "kill 10 people with a dildo" achievement.

Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe the old fans were driven off by Roman's unquenchable thirst for bowling, but the less said about that the better.

30 day video game challenge day 2

Day 2 raises the question of favorite character, and after much musing I have decided I am going to keep the Zelda theme going by choosing Link. Now you are probably thinking a largely mute character is an unlikely choice, but that would be very discriminatory of you and you should be ashamed. But seriously, Link's lack of vocal input is part of what makes him so great. He can remain silent and stoical even in the face of tremendous peril. And it's not just peril Link has to put up with, when confronted with some of the unforgiving puzzles and repetitive sidekicks Link has experienced over the years, you would excuse him for letting slip a string of profanities crude enough to rupture the eardrums of every pensioner across the land, but he doesn't. Link just gets on with it.

I also can't help but adore the iconic attire of green tunic, pointy hat and tights. Now normally anyone prancing around in this get up would likely be sectioned, or at least sent back to the north pole to their rightful place of toil amongst the rest of the elves. But somehow, against all odds and the advice of fashionistas world wide, Link can pull it off. In fact, it only furthers the aura of cool he oozes from every pore. Despite Link's many transformations, both in format and artistic style, the image is still as powerful now as when you were squinting at a collection of pixels on the SNES.

Must be the missing link...

But who knows. Maybe I only relate to Link because we have similar difficulties in social scenarios and my hairstyle has mirrored his since the age of 11. Maybe I should get myself a green tunic after all...

Dead Space 2 review

At some point earlier this year I submitted an application for a position at Future Publishing which involved forwarding an example of a 150 word review of a recent release. It was difficult for me to limit myself to a mere 150 words as usually once I get started about a game I can't shut up about it, unless of course it's particularly awful. Actually, especially if it's particularly awful. Anyway to cut to the chase I didn't get the position, but anything is good enough for the internet and besides I am proud of myself for summarizing a game in what is essentially a haiku, so here it is

Personal space invaders
In space, no one can hear you scream. At least, that’s what Ridley Scott would have you believe. Dead Space 2 paints an entirely different picture from the offset. Thrown in at the deep end in an orbital city being ripped apart from within by necromorphs, unfortunate engineer Isaac Clarke returns to fight both necromorph hordes and his own psychotic episodes in this no-holds-barred sequel.
 But it seems in Dead Space 2, nothing is sacred. A dynamic AI system has enemies attack you from all angles and at any time: the age-old cliché “expect the unexpected” seems to be a rule of thumb if you want to avoid becoming a necromorph kebab.
In true survival horror form, ammo and weaponry are scarce, so scarce in fact that in many scenarios you will find yourself utilizing Isaacs’ uncanny lower calf strength to stomp and kick your way to inglorious victory. Sometimes the old methods are the most effective.
-Tom Rossi

30 day video game challenge day 1

Lets kick start this blog with a little background, shall we?

Day 1 of the 30 day video game challenge is "your first video game," this would usually be somewhat problematic for me as I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast, so 13 years would be a stretch under normal circumstances. However, being that the first game I ever owned was The Legend of Zelda Links Awakening for the Gameboy- it was certainly worth committing to memory. Links Awakening was as memorable as any Zelda title, and the best introduction to gaming for an impressionable young scamp such as my past self.

Call it the rose tinted glasses of an imaginative youngster, but I seem to remember this title being a little more abstract than some of the bigger Zelda releases. Between flying whales, animated spheres with teeth and fire spitting plants I was never really sure what was going on, but the dungeons and characters were typically involving- it was as in depth as a hand-held title can be. It's a shame I ruined half my saves by exploiting a warping glitch which often resulted in Link merging permanently with various trees and walls, but I guess that's a sign of the games age. Or my own. Next time I find myself trapped inside a sycamore I'll let you know.