Pre-review of LA Noire
To start I'll say I have not always been a very big fan of Rockstar games. I found most of the Grand Theft series, rather annoying, and repetitive. However, after I heard good things about Red Dead Redemption, I gave it a try, to find a rather fantastic story and gameplay. So when they announced much of the same group would be working on a new big title I was curious. Then Rockstar announced they were pouring a huge chunk of money into the game, to make it the first of its kind in facial technique and technology. I got very curious. I even started getting the same tingle I did when I began reading up on Mass Effect 2. If you know me, then you know how I feel about the best series ever. ;)
Story
The story of LA Noire follows the events of Cole Phelps beginning as a beat cop. I won't get into much of the story, outrightly avoiding it. Due to LA Noire being a story that you play. It is quite well written, has some fun sidetracks, and twists. I have not completed it yet, I am currently on disc 2. Xbox version has 3 discs, whereas the PS3 blu-ray only has one. I will say that it feels like the old 1900's mystery tales. A very fluidic feel to the overall experience of the gameplay melding into the story makes it sometimes feel like you aren't even playing a game at all. More like you are watching a movie, and a controller just happens to be in your hands.
Gameplay
Controls for LA Noire are almost identical to Red Dead Redemption. Which is fine for the most part, you won't worry too much about insta death if you aren't able to turn at just the wrong time. They aren't so easy that it doesn't feel challenging, and are not so hard you find you need a new TV because you threw your controller into it.
The only downside to the controls comes in the place of the driving mechanics. Wherein the control of the car when going at any speed needed for a car chase goes from passable to rather irritating. You are either overcompensating or the car isn't responsive at all. When this was a horse in Red Dead, it is okay, due to well a horse is a live creature. TO a degree it still has some say in how it should move. A car however, even a 1940's car should work a bit more smoothly than this. However, while most car chases may become rather annoying. If it is a plot mission, after 3 fails the game lets you skip the car chase sequence, and go straight to the follow-up storyline. Without any real consequence of said action. Save you will need to do it eventually if you are an achievement whore.
Overall
The game is simply magnificent, it's a joy to play. You will lose time whilst playing it. Needing to "read" the facial expressions of the NPCs is rather fascinating, although it can sometimes be annoying, due to ones own proclivities. I must give Rockstar a rather huge set of props for achieving a rather huge step in facial technologies. Now while this kind of technology means you will likely not be making your "own" character with it. I am sure someone somewhere will figure out how. It will likely be awhile though. It is still an awesome thing to behold whilst playing the game.
Buying this game if you already haven't is advised if you like a good gaming experience.
(I shall have another more full review once I have beaten the game.)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
On the Brink
Brink
I recently obtained my copy of Brink, a game created by Splash Damage. Who also developed two versions of "Enemy Territory" Quake wars, and Wolfenstein. I person never played those games, so I won't comment. Brink was produced and published by Bethesda Software, a company who has been buying up and publishing games like crazy in the past 5 years. Zenimax is the company that owns Bethesda, Zenimax went around and bought up many other game magazines, such as EGM.
Now if anyone doesn't know Bethesda's works (Fallout 3, and all the Elder scrolls games) then you probably don't care much about the rest of this review/rant.
Brink, was first announced awhile back at E3. It looked amazing, had a unique art style, which is still probably the best thing about the game. Had a decent albeit not original idea for a story. Now the big deal they made was about a new play mechanic, called SMART. Which stands for Smooth Movement against Random Terrain, ie you will be able to do some awesome Parkour moves. Before Launch they were also toting how many customization options there were. Releasing numbers on how many variant possibilities there were. Now for the break down.
Story
Now what we were told at E3, and subsequently afterwards. Is that the Ark was made to save humanity, taking 5000 people to do so. Now the Ark years later is over populated, and in desperate need of supplies. It would be up to you to either raid for supplies, or defend. What we ended up with was a story nothing like mentioned. There is an Ark, but it is however a huge city-state now. That divided itself from the original inhabitants, and the refugees. Now what happens when you divide the rich from the poor, in such an elaborate way? Revolution, of course.
Customization
Many gamers are now used to a level of control when it comes to customizing. Either having had played MMO's where you have a decent amount of control. Or ironically by having played other games by Bethesda, such as almost all the Elder Scrolls games. When you actually go to make a character, you get slight flashes of well.. racism. You pick from a group of faces, all very standout as being sterotypical. If you pick a white guy, you can only slightly change the colors of whiteness. If you pick a black guy, same thing occurs. You can't actually make your face, nor really pick your skin color. So on.
Now armor and so on, they already said would just be an aesthetic deal. Which im fine with, I still had lots of fun with Halo: Reach's armor ingame. Brink however only gives you about 2 options from their toted large amount of customizable parts. Until you of course play through the game and earn experience. Okay fine, while stupid, due to most of your first options being rather lame. I felt a bit lied too, as they made such a big deal of customizing, but then put it all behind exp doors. Like the hot girl you get back to your house, and after getting all her clothes off you find she has a chastity belt on, too which she forgot the key at home.
Gameplay and the SMART system.
I was really looking forward to the parkour nature they kept showing in gameplay footage, and trailers. What they fail to mention is the entire game is First person view ONLY. Why is this bad, since it is an FPS game. Well, imagine you want to run up a wall and then grab the railing to your left. Well, now reimagine that, but as soon as you get to the wall, ALL you can see is wall and have now completely lost depth perception, and character placement. You look left in hopes to grab the railing, but you did it too soon, and jumped under the stairs. This happens often, another thing that happens often is the SMART system not working. I had plenty of times where stairs became an obstacle to movement. The jump button seems to work best for most everything anyways. The environs weren't even developed to take advantage of the SMART system.
Know what else happens often, death. This game was said to have a drop-in drop-out gameplay mechanic to its single/co-op/multiplayer sides. I was very curious how they were going to do such a thing. Like does your friend take over one of your squad mates, or does your friend just pop in when someone else dies. Neither, all sides of the game are all based on multiplayer. This means that your squad when in single mode. Are all daft 12 year olds, like you'd be playing with online. Who will go off and do their own thing, getting killed and never backing you up, ever. Resulting in you dieing multiple, upon multiple times.
Much of your death is due to the fact the enemy hits hard fast and accurate. Something you will NEVER say you can do. Your character turns like he is walking through waist deep pudding, aiming is either oversensitive or under. Never the two shall meet.
Overall
I was greatly depressed and disappointed bu Brink. I had big hopes that this game would be awesome. The dev diaries and trailers all made it seem like the team and game had been happy and polished greatly. Brink however clearly had either NOT been gameplay tested outside of the developers, or they forgot to gamepley test at all.
Unless you have a dedicated group of friends to play with you. Brink is a pass.
I recently obtained my copy of Brink, a game created by Splash Damage. Who also developed two versions of "Enemy Territory" Quake wars, and Wolfenstein. I person never played those games, so I won't comment. Brink was produced and published by Bethesda Software, a company who has been buying up and publishing games like crazy in the past 5 years. Zenimax is the company that owns Bethesda, Zenimax went around and bought up many other game magazines, such as EGM.
Now if anyone doesn't know Bethesda's works (Fallout 3, and all the Elder scrolls games) then you probably don't care much about the rest of this review/rant.
Brink, was first announced awhile back at E3. It looked amazing, had a unique art style, which is still probably the best thing about the game. Had a decent albeit not original idea for a story. Now the big deal they made was about a new play mechanic, called SMART. Which stands for Smooth Movement against Random Terrain, ie you will be able to do some awesome Parkour moves. Before Launch they were also toting how many customization options there were. Releasing numbers on how many variant possibilities there were. Now for the break down.
Story
Now what we were told at E3, and subsequently afterwards. Is that the Ark was made to save humanity, taking 5000 people to do so. Now the Ark years later is over populated, and in desperate need of supplies. It would be up to you to either raid for supplies, or defend. What we ended up with was a story nothing like mentioned. There is an Ark, but it is however a huge city-state now. That divided itself from the original inhabitants, and the refugees. Now what happens when you divide the rich from the poor, in such an elaborate way? Revolution, of course.
Customization
Many gamers are now used to a level of control when it comes to customizing. Either having had played MMO's where you have a decent amount of control. Or ironically by having played other games by Bethesda, such as almost all the Elder Scrolls games. When you actually go to make a character, you get slight flashes of well.. racism. You pick from a group of faces, all very standout as being sterotypical. If you pick a white guy, you can only slightly change the colors of whiteness. If you pick a black guy, same thing occurs. You can't actually make your face, nor really pick your skin color. So on.
Now armor and so on, they already said would just be an aesthetic deal. Which im fine with, I still had lots of fun with Halo: Reach's armor ingame. Brink however only gives you about 2 options from their toted large amount of customizable parts. Until you of course play through the game and earn experience. Okay fine, while stupid, due to most of your first options being rather lame. I felt a bit lied too, as they made such a big deal of customizing, but then put it all behind exp doors. Like the hot girl you get back to your house, and after getting all her clothes off you find she has a chastity belt on, too which she forgot the key at home.
Gameplay and the SMART system.
I was really looking forward to the parkour nature they kept showing in gameplay footage, and trailers. What they fail to mention is the entire game is First person view ONLY. Why is this bad, since it is an FPS game. Well, imagine you want to run up a wall and then grab the railing to your left. Well, now reimagine that, but as soon as you get to the wall, ALL you can see is wall and have now completely lost depth perception, and character placement. You look left in hopes to grab the railing, but you did it too soon, and jumped under the stairs. This happens often, another thing that happens often is the SMART system not working. I had plenty of times where stairs became an obstacle to movement. The jump button seems to work best for most everything anyways. The environs weren't even developed to take advantage of the SMART system.
Know what else happens often, death. This game was said to have a drop-in drop-out gameplay mechanic to its single/co-op/multiplayer sides. I was very curious how they were going to do such a thing. Like does your friend take over one of your squad mates, or does your friend just pop in when someone else dies. Neither, all sides of the game are all based on multiplayer. This means that your squad when in single mode. Are all daft 12 year olds, like you'd be playing with online. Who will go off and do their own thing, getting killed and never backing you up, ever. Resulting in you dieing multiple, upon multiple times.
Much of your death is due to the fact the enemy hits hard fast and accurate. Something you will NEVER say you can do. Your character turns like he is walking through waist deep pudding, aiming is either oversensitive or under. Never the two shall meet.
Overall
I was greatly depressed and disappointed bu Brink. I had big hopes that this game would be awesome. The dev diaries and trailers all made it seem like the team and game had been happy and polished greatly. Brink however clearly had either NOT been gameplay tested outside of the developers, or they forgot to gamepley test at all.
Unless you have a dedicated group of friends to play with you. Brink is a pass.
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