It's good. Really good.
Boy, that wouldn't make for a good impressions post now would it? Well, I guess I could call that the "short version." Yeah, let's go with that.
So anyway, Planet Puzzle League arrived from GameFly today. I played a for a couple hours, and I'm liking it so far. What it is (which should be obvious, due to the games title and all), is a puzzle game. And a damn good one at that, too.
How it works is like just about every puzzle game in existence: You move colored blocks around and try to match three or more of 'em together to score points. Simple. The difference, however, is that you can only move them horizontally. So it's sort of like Meteos, except that you're limited to horizontal movement instead of vertical movement. Well, that and the fact that the blocks don't blast off into space once you match them together. But aside from that, it's pretty similar to Meteos.
So anyway, let's move on something else shall we?
Planet Puzzle League features quite a list of game modes. Most of which are just slightly different variants on the standard gameplay, such as getting a stack of blocks under a line, or destroying huge blocks by matching blocks together next to them. Then there's the "Puzzle mode." Which tasks you with clearing all the blocks under certain conditions, like a limit number of moves, or a making a big chain of matches. The puzzle mode gives a nice change of pace from the standard gameplay, and can be quite challenging at times.
The game also features both offline and online multiplayer. With the former supporting up to four players competing against each other via download play, or multi-card play. The download play in particular is really nice addition.
The online works well, and has a nice verity of modes. But it seems like there isn't many people playing it online anymore, as during my attempts to start a match, I only found one person. I'm hoping there's more people playing it though, as the online portion is fun and works well. During the few matches I got in the person I found there wasn't the slightest bit of lag. Which is great. Hopefully it'll stay way too.
Okay, I think I'll end it here. I've pretty much covered all the important stuff. And I try to keep going, I'll probably start talking about a bunch of pointless things like the options menu or something. And I imagine no one want to hear about that.
I'll try to get a review for this written sometime after I've played more of it, and once I've finished my writing my review for Bit.Trip Beat (which I started writing not too long after I finished my review for Okami).
Oh, and one more thing. If any of you have this game, and can play it online, let me know. I'll send you my friend code. Maybe we'll be able to get a few games in.
June 20, 2009
June 17, 2009
Okami Review
Throughout my life I've always thought achieving true perfection was impossible. As no matter how good something is, there's always some sort of flaw. And that flaw -- whether it be a big one or a small one -- keeps it from being perfect. This is especially true for videogames, as they possess a wide variety of possible problems, and at least one of 'em can be found in any game. Because of that, I had gotten used to the fact there would never be a perfect game.
But in 2006, that changed. As that year marked the first time I played Okami. And it quickly proved that videogames can indeed be perfect, with its stunning visuals, superb gameplay, and well crafted story. It's easily the one game I'd say is truly perfect in every way possible.
Okami puts you in the role of the Japanese sun goddess, Amaterasu, in the form of a white wolf. Who was called upon to once again defeat, Orochi, an eight headed serpent who once again threatens the land of Nippon, after his previous defeat at the hands of Amaterasu 100 years earlier. However, Orochi isn't the only foe you'll face. Over the course of her long journey Amaterasu will face many other fearsome foes, and take on other dangerous tasks such as purging a deadly plague threatening the citizens of a huge city, stopping a raging water dragon that terrorizes the cost of Nippon, and more. Accompanying Amaterasu on this perilous journey is, Issun -- a wandering artist the size of a bug -- who joins you at the very beginning of the game. And throughout the game, he does all the talking for Amaterasu, who can't speak. And speaking talking, there is much of that in Okami. As there many long conversations between characters throughout the game. Thankfully, all the dialog is well written, and quite entertaining sometimes. So it's not really an issue.
The first thing you'll notice upon starting Okami, is its beautiful visual style, which is reminiscent if the style found in Japanese watercolor paintings. Which conveys the feeling of being an interactive painting rather than a videogame. Which is further helped along by the fact the characters and environments all look like they came right out of a painting. And little details like the flat trees, and the black lines around the characters, and bits of the environments further help convey that feeling. And even the animations are nicely done. All the characters move with a nice amount of fluidity, which in Amaterasu's case, is a good thing, as she possesses a wide range of abilities. All of which have very smooth animations.
Of course, the visual style isn't the only thing that's related to painting, as one of Amaterasu's abilities known as the Celestial Brush, allows her to manipulate the game world with a single brush stroke. Which is all you need to do to use many of the 13 brush techniques. As many of 'em require you to draw something simple like a circle, which yields different results depending on what you draw it on. So drawing one on a withered tree will make it bloom, and drawing one in the sky will make a sun. A good portion other techniques require you to draw a line from a source of something like fire or water and connect the line to your target. All the techniques can be executed easily and without failure, thanks to the simplicity of the brush strokes.
The rest of the game, however, isn't on the same level of simplicity. But that's not to say it's complicated, because it isn't. Most of the game consists of running around talking to people taking on quests and getting information, exploring various caves, ruins and other various structures, and, of course, fighting monsters. Which, for the most part, all these element give the game a very Zelda-like feel, especially when your running the villages talking to townsfolk, and exploring dungeons. Which is by no means a bad thing. As all these elements work brilliantly together. In fact, simply moving around the land of Nippon somehow never becomes dull. And that's partly because there's simply so many places to explore, which the game helps encourage you to do, with the many secrets and hidden treasures the vast land of Nippon holds.
The combat is great too. It's simple, but has plenty of depth. Which is partly due to the fact that you can equip two weapons. There are three types of weapons you can use in the game. The three types are Reflectors, Rosaries, and Glaives, all of which have different affects depending on whether its equipped as a main or sub weapon. For example, when a reflector is equipped as a main weapon, it acts as an offensive weapon. And as a sub weapon, it acts as a shield. This adds a small bit of strategy, as each of possible combination allow for many different ways to chain attacks together to make for some very devastating combos. As using the Celestial Brush in combination with your standard combat abilities opens many possibilities in terms of combos. A good example would be using your main weapon (which, for me, was a Reflector) to hit 'em a few times, then attack 'em a few times with your sub weapon (which was a Glaive for me), then finish 'em off with a Power Slash, then move on to the next enemy seamlessly. All that is easily executed because of the fluidity of the combat. Amaterasu can move from one enemy to another easily so that you can keep a combo going, and, of course, defeat enemies with ease.
The boss fights are pretty much the same, except that they require you to make use of the Celestial Brush a little more than the typical battles do. As you're pit against a large opponent most of the time, and in order to attack them you typically need to use the Celestial Brush in some way to open 'em up for attack. It's a pretty simple process, but it works well. The bosses provide a decent challenge, and the brush techniques are used well. They're not the greatest boss fights ever, but they're still great.
So moving on, the audio -- like the rest of the game -- is great, particularly the music. Which -- much like the visuals -- has a very Japanese feel. Which is due to the music being done on traditional Japanese instruments. Which really adds to the games atmosphere. That and the music itself is great, so that helps. And the games vast array of music ranges from the relaxing sounding tunes of villages like Kamiki, to the fast paced music of battle. Okami features some great sounding music, and always uses the right tune at the right time.
It also features voice acting, but not in the way you'd expect. Instead or there being English (or even Japanese for that matter) voice acting, the game opts for something resembling Simlish, which vaguely sounds Japanese. But the games lack of proper voice acting isn't really an issue. It would have been a nice addition, but it's exclusion is by no means terrible. As the Simlish-like speech is a fine substitute.
In short, Okami is an outstanding game. From its breath taking visuals, and its excellent gameplay, to its superb story and audio, everything in the game is truly outstanding, and expertly crafted. It's one of the most amazing and unique game experiences to date. It's easily one of the greatest games ever made.
Now then...if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play Okami…again.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
But in 2006, that changed. As that year marked the first time I played Okami. And it quickly proved that videogames can indeed be perfect, with its stunning visuals, superb gameplay, and well crafted story. It's easily the one game I'd say is truly perfect in every way possible.
Okami puts you in the role of the Japanese sun goddess, Amaterasu, in the form of a white wolf. Who was called upon to once again defeat, Orochi, an eight headed serpent who once again threatens the land of Nippon, after his previous defeat at the hands of Amaterasu 100 years earlier. However, Orochi isn't the only foe you'll face. Over the course of her long journey Amaterasu will face many other fearsome foes, and take on other dangerous tasks such as purging a deadly plague threatening the citizens of a huge city, stopping a raging water dragon that terrorizes the cost of Nippon, and more. Accompanying Amaterasu on this perilous journey is, Issun -- a wandering artist the size of a bug -- who joins you at the very beginning of the game. And throughout the game, he does all the talking for Amaterasu, who can't speak. And speaking talking, there is much of that in Okami. As there many long conversations between characters throughout the game. Thankfully, all the dialog is well written, and quite entertaining sometimes. So it's not really an issue.
The first thing you'll notice upon starting Okami, is its beautiful visual style, which is reminiscent if the style found in Japanese watercolor paintings. Which conveys the feeling of being an interactive painting rather than a videogame. Which is further helped along by the fact the characters and environments all look like they came right out of a painting. And little details like the flat trees, and the black lines around the characters, and bits of the environments further help convey that feeling. And even the animations are nicely done. All the characters move with a nice amount of fluidity, which in Amaterasu's case, is a good thing, as she possesses a wide range of abilities. All of which have very smooth animations.
Of course, the visual style isn't the only thing that's related to painting, as one of Amaterasu's abilities known as the Celestial Brush, allows her to manipulate the game world with a single brush stroke. Which is all you need to do to use many of the 13 brush techniques. As many of 'em require you to draw something simple like a circle, which yields different results depending on what you draw it on. So drawing one on a withered tree will make it bloom, and drawing one in the sky will make a sun. A good portion other techniques require you to draw a line from a source of something like fire or water and connect the line to your target. All the techniques can be executed easily and without failure, thanks to the simplicity of the brush strokes.
The rest of the game, however, isn't on the same level of simplicity. But that's not to say it's complicated, because it isn't. Most of the game consists of running around talking to people taking on quests and getting information, exploring various caves, ruins and other various structures, and, of course, fighting monsters. Which, for the most part, all these element give the game a very Zelda-like feel, especially when your running the villages talking to townsfolk, and exploring dungeons. Which is by no means a bad thing. As all these elements work brilliantly together. In fact, simply moving around the land of Nippon somehow never becomes dull. And that's partly because there's simply so many places to explore, which the game helps encourage you to do, with the many secrets and hidden treasures the vast land of Nippon holds.
The combat is great too. It's simple, but has plenty of depth. Which is partly due to the fact that you can equip two weapons. There are three types of weapons you can use in the game. The three types are Reflectors, Rosaries, and Glaives, all of which have different affects depending on whether its equipped as a main or sub weapon. For example, when a reflector is equipped as a main weapon, it acts as an offensive weapon. And as a sub weapon, it acts as a shield. This adds a small bit of strategy, as each of possible combination allow for many different ways to chain attacks together to make for some very devastating combos. As using the Celestial Brush in combination with your standard combat abilities opens many possibilities in terms of combos. A good example would be using your main weapon (which, for me, was a Reflector) to hit 'em a few times, then attack 'em a few times with your sub weapon (which was a Glaive for me), then finish 'em off with a Power Slash, then move on to the next enemy seamlessly. All that is easily executed because of the fluidity of the combat. Amaterasu can move from one enemy to another easily so that you can keep a combo going, and, of course, defeat enemies with ease.
The boss fights are pretty much the same, except that they require you to make use of the Celestial Brush a little more than the typical battles do. As you're pit against a large opponent most of the time, and in order to attack them you typically need to use the Celestial Brush in some way to open 'em up for attack. It's a pretty simple process, but it works well. The bosses provide a decent challenge, and the brush techniques are used well. They're not the greatest boss fights ever, but they're still great.
So moving on, the audio -- like the rest of the game -- is great, particularly the music. Which -- much like the visuals -- has a very Japanese feel. Which is due to the music being done on traditional Japanese instruments. Which really adds to the games atmosphere. That and the music itself is great, so that helps. And the games vast array of music ranges from the relaxing sounding tunes of villages like Kamiki, to the fast paced music of battle. Okami features some great sounding music, and always uses the right tune at the right time.
It also features voice acting, but not in the way you'd expect. Instead or there being English (or even Japanese for that matter) voice acting, the game opts for something resembling Simlish, which vaguely sounds Japanese. But the games lack of proper voice acting isn't really an issue. It would have been a nice addition, but it's exclusion is by no means terrible. As the Simlish-like speech is a fine substitute.
In short, Okami is an outstanding game. From its breath taking visuals, and its excellent gameplay, to its superb story and audio, everything in the game is truly outstanding, and expertly crafted. It's one of the most amazing and unique game experiences to date. It's easily one of the greatest games ever made.
Now then...if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play Okami…again.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Ubisoft CEO says OnLive could start the next console cycle sooner than expected
There's been a lot of talk about when the next console cycle will start lately. There many different opinions on the subject, raging from people who think it'll start in a couple years, to people (particularly analysts) who believe they won't arrive until 2013 at the earliest. However, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot believes that OnLive is the one that will usher in the next console cycle.
While speaking with CNBC on the subject of rising development costs, Guillemot stated that OnLive could usher in the next console cycle much sooner than expected. However. he did not go into great detail as to how that could happen. But if he's right, and OnLive really is the thing that will start the next console generation, then I have one question:
How would OnLive do that exactly, and how would affect the console market?
That's what I want to know. Because, while it is a revolutionary device, I don't quite see how it could cause the console makers to start the next console generation so soon. As the current consoles are still doing quite well for them, and I feel that they still have more to offer. Stopping this generation so soon wouldn't be a good idea -- not while there's still money to be made, that is.
Which leads me to wonder what makes him think OnLive could cause that to happen. The device is very different from it's competitors, as it focuses on delivering games digitally via a video stream. Whereas the consoles are retail products -- and so are the games -- thus they need a to use a retailer in order to get 'em out to the public. Which is something OnLive doesn't need to worry about.
But at the same time, it is. Since it's all distributed digitally that means no one owns a physical copy of game, which is something many gamers prefer over a digital copy. There are many reasons why they do, but the popular one from my understanding is that you don't have to worry about being connected to the internet to access the games -- as is the case for OnLive, Xbox Live Arcade titles, and some games downloaded off Steam I believe.
And because of that, there's a chance that OnLive may very well fail for that reason. Because if no ones willing to use it because of that, it will fail due to no money being made off it. However, there is also a chance it could be successful as well. It all depends on whether or not people are willing to use a something that relies on distributing games digitally.
Which if successful, may bring about the next console generation, if Guillemot is to be believed.
It'll be interesting to see if OnLive will influence the console makers future decisions, and whether or not we'll see another console cycle start because of it.
While speaking with CNBC on the subject of rising development costs, Guillemot stated that OnLive could usher in the next console cycle much sooner than expected. However. he did not go into great detail as to how that could happen. But if he's right, and OnLive really is the thing that will start the next console generation, then I have one question:
How would OnLive do that exactly, and how would affect the console market?
That's what I want to know. Because, while it is a revolutionary device, I don't quite see how it could cause the console makers to start the next console generation so soon. As the current consoles are still doing quite well for them, and I feel that they still have more to offer. Stopping this generation so soon wouldn't be a good idea -- not while there's still money to be made, that is.
Which leads me to wonder what makes him think OnLive could cause that to happen. The device is very different from it's competitors, as it focuses on delivering games digitally via a video stream. Whereas the consoles are retail products -- and so are the games -- thus they need a to use a retailer in order to get 'em out to the public. Which is something OnLive doesn't need to worry about.
But at the same time, it is. Since it's all distributed digitally that means no one owns a physical copy of game, which is something many gamers prefer over a digital copy. There are many reasons why they do, but the popular one from my understanding is that you don't have to worry about being connected to the internet to access the games -- as is the case for OnLive, Xbox Live Arcade titles, and some games downloaded off Steam I believe.
And because of that, there's a chance that OnLive may very well fail for that reason. Because if no ones willing to use it because of that, it will fail due to no money being made off it. However, there is also a chance it could be successful as well. It all depends on whether or not people are willing to use a something that relies on distributing games digitally.
Which if successful, may bring about the next console generation, if Guillemot is to be believed.
It'll be interesting to see if OnLive will influence the console makers future decisions, and whether or not we'll see another console cycle start because of it.
June 8, 2009
On the lack of artistically beautiful visuals in 3D games
I came across a discussion in the GameSpot forums yesterday (specifically the Wii board) that was asking which games art style you liked more. The games in question were, Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii), and Okami (PS2, Wii). The thing that sparked the discussion was the fact that they both feature beautiful visuals from an artistic perspective, which both games have received much praise for. The big difference between the two games visuals, however, was that one was two-dimensional (Muramasa), and one was three-dimensional (Okami).
Muramasa was the most popular choice according to the poll. However, many forum posters had chosen Okami instead. They're reason for doing so was because Okami was able to make it feel like an interactive painting, despite the 3D aesthetic. Which no other game has been able to do, and therefore was the superior game visually.
And that's because 2D games almost always go for a more artistic look, and doing so for a 2D game is easier than a doing that for a 3D game. As the visuals are sometimes hand drawn (as was the case with Muramasa, I believe), which can give the feel that your in a painting if done right. As all they need to do is draw the characters and environments, and then put them into the game. Thus, making it a little easier.
Whereas 3D games don't have such luxury. Developers who try to adapt a known from of art and make it 3D (which have always been strictly 2D for a reason), are in for a very difficult task. Clover Studio (the developer behind, Okami) knew this, as they were trying to make a game that's visual styIe would resemble the styIe used in Japanese watercolor paintings. And they did it anyway. And the result was Okami, a game I'd say is one of the most beautiful games ever made.
Mainly because the fact that they were able to achieve such beauty artistically in a 3D game is incredible. Especially sense no other game (well, 3D game anyway) hasn't been able to achieve the feeling of being in a painting, like Okami has. Which gives it a sort of unique visual style because no one else has done it.
Which in some ways, is sort of sad. As most 3D games opt for a more realistic aesthetic, rather than a artistic one. So it's refreshing whenever a game takes on a more artistic look. Because it seems like there's less of 'em appearing these days.
And while there are plenty of 2D games like that appearing these days, it's pretty much become the norm. As when it's 2D, it's basically guaranteed to look good artistically. Which is by no means a bad thing. It's just...I see that so often, that it's lost that level of amazement that I get when I see something like Okami. Which means there's less of an impact upon seeing it, to the point where I think "oh, another game with an artistic style. Cool." Rather than something like "Wow! That looks amazing!"
Perhaps that would change if there were more 2D game with a more realistic aesthetic... Nah, that probably wouldn't help at all.
Muramasa was the most popular choice according to the poll. However, many forum posters had chosen Okami instead. They're reason for doing so was because Okami was able to make it feel like an interactive painting, despite the 3D aesthetic. Which no other game has been able to do, and therefore was the superior game visually.
And that's because 2D games almost always go for a more artistic look, and doing so for a 2D game is easier than a doing that for a 3D game. As the visuals are sometimes hand drawn (as was the case with Muramasa, I believe), which can give the feel that your in a painting if done right. As all they need to do is draw the characters and environments, and then put them into the game. Thus, making it a little easier.
Whereas 3D games don't have such luxury. Developers who try to adapt a known from of art and make it 3D (which have always been strictly 2D for a reason), are in for a very difficult task. Clover Studio (the developer behind, Okami) knew this, as they were trying to make a game that's visual styIe would resemble the styIe used in Japanese watercolor paintings. And they did it anyway. And the result was Okami, a game I'd say is one of the most beautiful games ever made.
Mainly because the fact that they were able to achieve such beauty artistically in a 3D game is incredible. Especially sense no other game (well, 3D game anyway) hasn't been able to achieve the feeling of being in a painting, like Okami has. Which gives it a sort of unique visual style because no one else has done it.
Which in some ways, is sort of sad. As most 3D games opt for a more realistic aesthetic, rather than a artistic one. So it's refreshing whenever a game takes on a more artistic look. Because it seems like there's less of 'em appearing these days.
And while there are plenty of 2D games like that appearing these days, it's pretty much become the norm. As when it's 2D, it's basically guaranteed to look good artistically. Which is by no means a bad thing. It's just...I see that so often, that it's lost that level of amazement that I get when I see something like Okami. Which means there's less of an impact upon seeing it, to the point where I think "oh, another game with an artistic style. Cool." Rather than something like "Wow! That looks amazing!"
Perhaps that would change if there were more 2D game with a more realistic aesthetic... Nah, that probably wouldn't help at all.
June 7, 2009
It was Tetris' 25th Anniversary yesterday
Yesterday marked 25th year Tetris, one of the most popular (and one of the greatest) puzzle games ever made, has been around. And in that time it's been made for just about every platform imaginable, from the PC (the platform it originated on), to the DS, and even the phone. And after all these years and iterations, it still hasn't gotten old.
For those who don't know what Tetris is (and really, after 25 years you all should know what it is by now), it's a puzzle game. And real simple one at that. In the game there are blocks that slowly fall from the top of the screen. You're job is to make a line using those blocks. Which for the most part is really easy to do, but thanks to the many shapes the blocks come in, it can be very difficult to form a line at times.
This makes it a game that's simple to pick up and play, but impossible to master. Which has become the very foundation which puzzle games are built on. And that very foundation is responsible for the addictive nature of puzzle games, as the simplicity of these games allows them to be played for either a few minutes at a time, or for a few hours. Which gives them endless replay value, sense the score based element of these games give people (such as myself) a reason to keep going back for more. Also, it helps that the gameplay for these games never get's old.
And if you think about it, it's amazing that Tetris can still be played for hours on end 25 years after its original release. It's truely a game that hasn't had its quality diminished by time. And I imagine it never will. Heck, another 25 or so years from now we'll probably still be playing Tetris on whatever platforms it's on at that point in time.
And personally, I'd be glad if we do. Tetris is a game that has never once gotten old during the 25 years its been around, so why would it in another 25 or so years?
I'll end this post by saying, thanks. Without Alexey Pajitnov (the guy who made Tetris), we wouldn't have Tetris, or probably the many other puzzle games that followed it. Once again, thanks.
For those who don't know what Tetris is (and really, after 25 years you all should know what it is by now), it's a puzzle game. And real simple one at that. In the game there are blocks that slowly fall from the top of the screen. You're job is to make a line using those blocks. Which for the most part is really easy to do, but thanks to the many shapes the blocks come in, it can be very difficult to form a line at times.
This makes it a game that's simple to pick up and play, but impossible to master. Which has become the very foundation which puzzle games are built on. And that very foundation is responsible for the addictive nature of puzzle games, as the simplicity of these games allows them to be played for either a few minutes at a time, or for a few hours. Which gives them endless replay value, sense the score based element of these games give people (such as myself) a reason to keep going back for more. Also, it helps that the gameplay for these games never get's old.
And if you think about it, it's amazing that Tetris can still be played for hours on end 25 years after its original release. It's truely a game that hasn't had its quality diminished by time. And I imagine it never will. Heck, another 25 or so years from now we'll probably still be playing Tetris on whatever platforms it's on at that point in time.
And personally, I'd be glad if we do. Tetris is a game that has never once gotten old during the 25 years its been around, so why would it in another 25 or so years?
I'll end this post by saying, thanks. Without Alexey Pajitnov (the guy who made Tetris), we wouldn't have Tetris, or probably the many other puzzle games that followed it. Once again, thanks.
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