John on Videogames and Music: To Review games... Or to discuss the games design aspects?

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

To Review games... Or to discuss the games design aspects?

So I have been thinking. Should I be reviewing games, or going deeper and talking in depth about the actual gameplay design in the games. Since I am going to school in hopes of being able to become a game designer. I know my teachers would definitely say the later :). I like reviewing games, but with time as crunched as it is i would like some input. What do you guys think? (all 5 of you that read lol)

1 comment:

Awesome LaTerrySeptember 7, 2010 at 5:48 PM
I don't see a problem with doing both. When you play an awesome game, review it, and when you have deep thoughts about some sort of game mechanic or something, discuss it here.
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What I'm currently playing (multiplayer)

I have been playing the Uncharted 3 subway multiplayer "experience" pretty much exclusively in terms of multiplayer. I have Resistance 3, and I LOVED the beta. But I just love me some uncharted! the multiplayer was so phenomenal in uncharted 2 that I have been determined that I will try my best to get really good at the uncharted 3 multiplayer. Especially with its new awesome modes like 2 vs 2 vs 2 mode and all the other amazing things the fine gentlemen and gentleladies at naughty dog have done I keep finding myself coming back for more :). One thing that is different that I am not much of a fan of is loadouts. I hate loadouts with a passion. They make online multiplayer way to unbalanced (in my opinion). Because the highest level players get the best weapons, perks and boosters. While lower level players get the runt end. I don't have enough time to play multiplayer like everyone else. So when I do get to play it I don't want my butt handed to me on a teabagging platter because I'm only at level 10 and everyone else is at level 30+. But besides that I love the MP of uncharted 3 :D

What I'm currently playing

I love the first 2 assassins creed games. The story for some reason grabs my attention and leaves me wanting more. And the gameplay is very fun, while the first assassins creed did suffer from repetitive gameplay and you could win every fight with the counter attack or just mash the attack button. At the time, the gameplay outside of combat with 3 or more soldiers was the first of its kind, and really amazing to behold. The first time you sneak into the house of Tamir by scaling the building, then waiting in the crowd silently waiting for the perfect moment to get the assassination I was sold. It was amazing.

Then AC2 completely changed everything and made a game that was fun 100% of the time. Fighting off 10 soldiers had strategy and quick reflexes. Subject 16's clues were always a welcome challenge.

So when I heard another assassins creed game was already going to be completed 2 years after #2 I was super exited for Assassins creed 3! But only to find Assassins Creed Brotherhood. I was a bit disappointed to say the least. It seemed like the assassins creed games had gone the way of yearly releases that were for money and not for making a great game. So I avoided it like the plague. Even after it got pretty good reviews. I finally gave in about 5 months ago and all I can say is WHY DIDN'T I GET THIS SOONER! :)

AC:Brotherhood isn't just a fresh coat of paint with minor tweaks under the hood. Its story is actually really good. Picking up the exact minute AC2 left us at. And it has a multiplayer mode as well. I haven't jumped on it, because I always finish the campaign mode before i jump on multiplayer. (except for you Killzone 3....) But I have played a little bit of the AC:Revelations MP beta and it was such a fresh breath of air that I got really exited to play it on brotherhood!. Love this game!

What I'm currently playing

I loved the first infamous game. The first superhero

with crazy super powers game done right! While there

were some things that the developers could have done

better with (animations!) the game was a blast to play

(no pun intended) Infamous 2 does everything that a

sequel game should. Improve gameplay and gameplay

mechanics, look better, have more awesomeness

(in this case powers) and it also took the very mechanical

animations from the first game and gave them a magic

poof! The animations honestly feel like they came straight

from Uncharted, they are that amazing. Throw in the

awesomeness of creating your own missions and you

got yourself a game that I will be playing for a very long

time

What I'm Currently playing

I have a confession to make.... I am currently playing about

10 games in total. Yes 10, maybe more. What I mean by that is

that I am playing the campaign mode and haven't beat it yet,

and I want to beat it! Lets see if I can get everything in a list...

In no specific order - Dragon Age 2 (love the combat, but the

story is waaaay to jumpy), Demon Souls (played a hour or so, its

so freaking hardcore its not even funny), AC: Brotherhood,

Infamous 2, Brink (its single player is also a multiplayer, very

interesting and very cool, but also hard if the other players aren't

into it), Borderlands (still haven't beat that beast of a game!),

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (very fresh breath of air for the

FPS genre), Killzone 3, Mirrors Edge and... I think that's it? lol

my point is that I don't have enough space to put every game

on my sidebar (or time) But they all rock in their own fashion,

everyone of those games are worth a buy!

BLINK 182 HAS NEW MUSIC!!!!!! :D

My favorite Punk band has finally released new music

after being on a 5+ year hiatus, coming back together (after a horrific plane crash Travis Barker endured) Touring for a year

or more and members releasing albums in their other bands /

projects. (Tom - AVA, Travis - Can a drummer get some)

So finally after 8 years I can finally have new blink 182 music

blaring in my ears! To say I was exited is a understatement.

But I did have some concerns as well. I didn't want my favorite punk band turning into blink and airwaves, I also didn't want

some pop/punk crap that was not creative, While yes, they are

considered a pop/punk band, and some of their past albums

were very pop (enema of the state) I still loved them, and still

do love them. I just didn't want 40 year old's singing about

breaking up with a girlfriend, or about grandpa crapping his

pants (he he). While all of that still appeals to the inner teenager inside me, and I still love listening to those albums.

I did not want that in the new album. I wanted mature punk,

something dark, dangerous that still had the energy punk rock

always brings to the table. And that's EXACTLY what I got! :D

While yes, there definitely are elements of Tom's other band

Angels and Airwaves, It doesn't drown the album. It rather

replaces things that the 20 yr old blink 182 would do here and

there. For example - The first single "Up All Night" the

Beginning sounds a lot like blink and AVA mashed together.

But I feel its done perfectly, The younger blink would have

probably opened up the song with a catchy guitar stringing

(think "stay together for the kids") But now it has more depth, ambiance and maturity to it. But like I said its not

overdone, a few seconds into the song and it explodes with a

headbanging chord that is catchy as hell. Still Blink 182.

The album goes all over the place song wise. There are songs

that sound like stuff from "dude ranch", songs that sound like

their self titled album and songs that feel like maybe their

parents would have made back in the enema/TOYPAJ days.

And there are songs that sound like the new blink ( Up All Night, Snake Charmer, Ghost on the Dance Floor, After Midnight). This album is mature punk defined. None of the songs are about breaking up or dicking around. They are about hardship, death, Parenthood grandeur and Argument's that feel like they will change the world. I'm pretty sure a lot of people think that Greenday moved to mature punk the best way possible, or more artistically profound. But I feel they moved to a more alt rock sound. American idiot had hints of punk (American idot, St. Jimmy and a few others) but the songs like jesus of suburbia and wake me up when September ends did not feel punk at all to me, I'm not saying punk can't be soft or prolonged. But what it can't be is weird (Jesus of suburbia) and structured(WMUWSE) at least that's what I think. And 21st century breakdown does feel way to much like alt rock. It's not bad. I love Know Your Enemy and 21 Guns. They just don't feel like punk to me. But anyway, Neighborhoods is amazing. :D