Articles by Dawdle
Has success spoiled Puzzle Quest?
I loved the first game in the series for the Nintendo DS. I didn't care about the annoying little bugs or repetitive level grinding or the fact that it's basically just Bejeweled with Orcs. It was perfect for quick sessions on the bus, train, or toilet: you could start and stop with almost no problem, the plot was easy to remember even if you hadn't played for days, and the gameplay was just addictive enough that you wanted to play "just one more mission," but didn't feel like you were in danger of getting in over your head. To me, Puzzle Quest was part of the great promise of casual gaming. Not insulting to long time gamers, not overwhelming for the newer recruits.
I visited the D3 Publisher booth at PAX to check out Puzzle Quest Galactrix for the PC, not so much a sequel to the first title but a re-imagining. Knowing that the first game came out for just about every platform with a screen, the game's producers understandably wanted to do something a little different with this game. Moving out of the fantasy realm, Galactrix pulls the series into outer space and gives it a sci-fi makeover. But it isn't just the trolls and giant spiders getting replaced by aliens and spaceships. The basics are the same - line up three or more pieces to do damage, get energy for special attacks, etc. - but the game board itself has morphed, and the pieces have changed from squares into hexagons. When I had heard about the changes, they seemed interesting, like an evolution of the previous gameplay. Now that I've had a bit of hands on with the title, I'm a little less confident.
The game's screen is busy, but at the same time has trouble really communicating what's going on each turn. Every game has a learning curve, and though the first title wasn't exactly pick-up-and-play, I ended most turns in Galactrix a little confused about what I had done, and especially what my opponent had done. The series is a little infamous for it's "cheating" AI, and I can see the complaints only increasing as movement around the board gets more confusing.
The visual style to the game remains simple but attractive, and appropriate for the new setting (if a little generic). The battle effects are flashy but impressive, and although the avatar they had me using was a rather plain gentleman, the character designs overall looked quite nice. I'm still looking forward to the game when it comes out this January for PC, XBLA, and Nintendo DS, and hope that in an attempt to make something more than 'just another Puzzle Quest,' they didn't overlook what made the first one special.
Although Fruit Brute had some serious hands on time with EA's upcoming Dead Space last month, at last weekend's PAX I got a chance to step into the game's booth and check out a couple levels of the quickly approaching survival horror title. The past few years have been pretty dire for your typical horror fan, as most spooky games have either performed below expectations or just been outright stinky. Dead Space has looked pretty impressive on paper and in motion, but how many times has a title looked good until the first reviews started hitting the web?
Expectations within EA are high, but realistic. The producer I spoke with, Chuck Beaver, said that making back the money they've spent would be considered a success, although this is no budget title. Chuck seemed to confirm that this is a bit of a sea change year for EA as far as offering original content for gamers, as was evident by the volume of new and different titles they had on the show floor. Obviously with the comic books and animated film, the company has big plans for the game. As far as franchising Dead Space into a series of sequels, he would only say that they had to wait to see the reaction to this one before plans could be made, but that the team would obviously be ready to make more games in this world.
That world is possibly the most impressive thing about the game. It feels complete and fully realized, which is surprising for a brand new title. The holographic HUD is a really impressive effect, but beyond the flash, it shows the game's dedication to not letting you escape the world they've created. Enemies are free to attack if you spend to much time playing with the menus in your HUD, and your various meters, such as heath and oxygen, are both visible on your character's suit, rather than some superimposed number in the corner of the screen. It blends nicely with the rest of the game's environments, which feel familiar without getting derivative. In science fiction, a creepy, desolate spaceship will never be the most original location, but the vessel in this game didn't feel like the Nostromo from Alien or the Von Braun from System Shock 2. If the level of detail I saw holds up for the rest of the game, the environments of Dead Space could rival this generation's most memorable locations.
More details after the break.
- We started out the week welcoming The Doctor to the site all the way from Gallifrey, Or maybe the UK. Whichever one of those is real.
- NaviFairy also joined the staff, and unlike his namesake, so far hasn't been pestering us with an endless stream of Hey!s and Look!s.
- The Doctor provided a review of the PSN's Ratchet and Clank: Quest For Booty.
- GayGamer Podcast 31 featured the triumphant return of Tiny Dancer, as well as thoughts on the news out of Leipzig and heading into this weekend's PAX.
- The PSP: Big In Japan.
- We heard whispers of a Nintendo DS redesign for next year.
- Fruit Brute participated in two panels at PAX this weekend: Sex In Videogames and the Power of Gaming Communities.
- Wootini explained why you should take another look at Brave Story.
- The week ended with four of the site's writers deeply entrenched in the bright lights, blaring sounds, and BO of the Penny Arcade Expo. Expect to hear more about it from us soon.
Photo courtesy of
Joystiq.
Posting is slow this weekend as our merry band of writers are here in Seattle, seeing exciting games and excited gamers. Expect to read a whole bunch of impressions and news starting Tuesday, but as we gather our bearings here is a video round-up of some of the biggest buzzmakers at the Expo this weekend.
Starting out above we've got the first of a five part Fallout 3 walkthrough, showing brand new gameplay elements. Parts two through five are after the break. Also after the break is a video from Left 4 Dead, probably the game that had each of us laughing out loud (in a good way) the most. Next is a demonstration of the different paths you're capable of taking in Mirror's Edge, proving that the game won't necessarily be a linear experience. Lastly we've got the latest video from LittleBigPlanet, wherein the Sackboy goes heteronormative and finds love with a Sackgirl. Although considering Sackgirl looks just like Sackboy with pigtails and a dress, he may be in for a surprise later. The game doesn't have a huge presence here at PAX, unless you count the giant, annoying bags that they're handing out at the Sony booth. God help the next person who slams me in the legs with one of those today.
Kicking off this year's PAX, Bioshock creator Ken Levine barely mentioned any of the games that made him an industry superstar, nor did he spill any details about top secret future projects. Instead, he got a little more personal, and delivered a story about the events in his life that led him to that stage, a tale less "coming-of-age" than "coming-of-nerd."
From a middle school outcast pining for Wanda Maximoff to a late bloomer in high school finding his "tribe" among other role players, the first two acts of his life saw him move from terrified closet geek to a relatively out and proud nerd, before his compatriots discovered girls and he started over in the drama club, with its "Greased Lightning, bad Shakespeare, and jazz hands." He described living in Hollywood, where he repressed his geeky ways in an attempt to gain credibility as a screenwriter. After a miserable pass at a romantic comedy, he found himself out of a job, taking dull office work and hiding his growing videogame habit from the outside world. Finally, after applying for a job at Looking Glass Studios, he regained that sense of "tribe" he had lost along the way, and explained how that has ultimately given him more than he could have imagined.
The address was hilarious, familiar, and a little bit dirty (especially knowing his mom was sitting right in front). It's likely his story echoed the experience of many watching, minus the massive success and near universal acclaim. Just before finishing, he thanked Jerry and Mike (Gabe and Tycho) from Penny Arcade for creating PAX, and shared a note of inclusivity:
We are united by a common element, but it is not the color of our skin that brings us together. It is not the shared political ideology or the country of our birth. No what brings us all together at PAX is we're a giant bunch of fucking nerds.
- Alan Wake is still coming. Hold your horses.
- We finally got a taste of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed via the Xbox Live and PSN demos, and Wootini brought us his impressions.
- If you've always wanted to be a part of GayGamer.net, particularly those of you across the pond, I hope you remembered to apply for one of our open writing positions.
- We wished a happy birthday to our leader Fruit Brute, and reader Mr. Locke provided him with his own Soul Calibur IV doppelganger.
- Microsoft announced a special offer for those who preorder Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, already at the value price of $39.99.
- Team Fortress 2's Heavy gets a snack.
- We got details about the PSP-3000, and then we got more, slightly different details.
- Bethesda announced an official release date for Fallout 3, slightly disappointing those of us who thought Amazon.com knew what they were talking about when we preordered.
- You can register to vote over Xbox Live, although hopefully the homophobes and racists won't bother figuring out how.
- The Leipzig Games Conference provided us with a wealth of news this week, but it also gave Tiny a bit of eye candy.
The ladies over at Lesbian Gamers and Lesbian Geek are apparently missing the Sci Fi channel's Battlestar Galactica during its long hiatus. To compensate, they broke out their copies of Animal Crossing: Wild World and recreated a good chunk of the cast using in-game objects and patterns. My favorites are probably Laura Roslin, who has a sly smile that says "I'm ready to launch a few Cylons out an airlock," and Starbuck, who you can see right here. I personally think it captures her tomboy haircut and half sleepy/half stoned expression really well.
The characters all seem a bit more cheerful than the crew on the show, but then these guys have apparently not only found Earth, but discovered it's covered in talking animals and delicious fruit trees. Just wait until they meet Tom Nook, though.
Check out the entire set as well as videos of the characters in action at the link below.
Animal Crossing BSG! [Lesbian Gamers]
In an interview about the PSP-3000, German website Heise Online managed to get some interesting new information out of SCEE Head David Reeves. Translated via Google (with minor edits for clarity):
"We are continuously, month after month publishing new titles that bring something unique and different to target groups. In a month, it is Gran Turismo, in the next SingStar, as well Third-Party titles like Mirror's Edge by Electronic Arts are also part of this strategy." According to Reeves Mirror's Edge will initially be exclusive for the PS3 this year.
When contacted for a response, the developers of the game, DICE, denied knowledge of the exclusivity, and that unless executives above them had worked out a deal in secret, they expected the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC versions to ship simultaneously at the end of this year.
EA's made no qualms about pushing Mirror's Edge on the PS3, showing it exclusively on Sony's hardware at shows and admitting that the PS3 is the lead platform for the game. Has that led to an exclusivity deal between the companies? And if so, will it apply to all regions, or just Europe, where Reeves is in charge? The game has been getting quite a bit of buzz and is an integral part of the "new' EA's image, so it has the potential to be a big title for the PS3. Of course, you always have to have a bit of healthy skepticism when it comes to Sony Execs and their statements.
Erster Blick auf die PSP 3000 [Heise Online]
[via: Gamer.Blorge, via: NeoGAF Forum]
There's a lot to like in this shaky-cam footage of Sonic Unleashed from the Games Convention: blinding speed, multiple paths, no werewolves. There are also people walking in front of the camera, getting in the way and making you want to scream, "MOVE!" at your monitor. Until Sega decides to bless us with a direct feed, this is our best look so far at the gameplay in Sonic Unleashed, and while it doesn't look like it achieves the exact feel of the 2D Genesis classics, it at least brings back fond memories of the first Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast.
Valve haven't had the nicest things to say about Sony's Playstation 3 this generation, to put it mildly. While Gabe Newell is probably still throwing darts at a glamor shot of Kaz Hirai, Valve's Marketing Director Mike Lombardi is starting to take a more pragmatic approach to development for the system.
We're always evaluating what's happening in the marketplace and certainly something that's happening in the last couple of months is that Sony's managed to sell some boxes. So whether or not you like developing for that platform, if they've got millions of people connected to that platform and buying their games you have to take it seriously.
They're in the race now, so we've got to re-evaluate that for what it is.
In other words, "Sorry if it gives you a case of the yuckies, Gabe, there's money to be made there."
No current development for the system is officially planned, but Lombardi pegged the chances of a PS3 version Left 4 Dead at about 50/50, stressing that if made, it wouldn't be released until next year. The chances depend not only on the continued popularity of the PS3, but also the success of the game, as they are less likely to port a flop than a success. Valve developed the PC and Xbox360 versions of their last game, The Orange Box, but left the PS3 version to an in-house team at EA, which some claimed resulted in an inferior product.
Earlier Lombardi had downplayed the chances of a PS3 version of Left 4 Dead by citing Valve's relatively small staff. Getting a rough estimate has to boost the hopes of PS3 owners hoping for four-way zombie action, even if it comes down to a coin flip.
"50-50" Chance of Left 4 Dead on PS3 [CVG]
Late yesterday, news out of Leipzig had a Sony exec announcing that LittleBigPlanet's shared levels would be restricted to users in the same territories, disappointing fans who expected the game to live up to its title and provide a global experience. Now a Sony developer is refuting that claim.
In a post to the official European Playstation message board, a SCE Developer with the handle "Sam_Protagonist" posted the following:
[A]s many of you may have heard already in an interview at Leipzig the senior producer for LittleBigPlanet announced that the game is region locked. This is in fact not the case, and all shared levels in the game will be available worldwide. The confusion arose out of regional differences in how moderation will work as there are different legal rules each region have to play by, and at one point this looked like it may require the game to be independent in each region - however this has been worked around and there will only be one region for the game.... a LittleBigRegion.
Interesting that a senior producer wouldn't know this about the game going into a big interview at the Games Convention, and this source doesn't say exactly how they'll get around the funny legality of the situation, so it's possible this news may flip back in the other direction. For now though, the dream of playing with international Sackboys (and girls) remains intact.
After the break, check out the latest trailer from the game, starring Sackzilla and his crazy, bugged out, serial killer eyes.
LittleBigPlanet Is Not Region Locked [Playstation Europe]
- This week's poll saw Ivy named the hottest Soul Calibur IV character with girly parts. This weeks poll asks, "Are you interested in Playstation Home?"
- After a lukewarm response to Eternity's Child, creator Luc Bernard says he's packing up his toys and going home.
- Tiny packed a sweater and asked Blizzard a few questions.
- Speaking of the company, apparently trying to sell tickets for their annual Blizzcon didn't go so well. As an apology, the company re-jiggered the space and came up with 3000 more tickets they plan to sell via a lottery.
- Wootini's Wii Fit Updates came to an end, but as a consolation prize, he showed off his new, Ninten-toned body.
- We welcomed new writer Lunarmouse into the castle, and he almost immediately provided tips for gaming on a Mac.
- Tiny Dancer had to sit out GayGamer.net Podcast 30, but in his place it featured special guests Chris Furniss, Colette Bennet, and a rather vocal cat.
- Jake Gyllenhaal decides to play the Prince of Persia as a big gay hobo.
- Eidos announced Batman: Arkham Asylum, based on the comic book version of the character.
- Asterick provided impressions of Bionic Commando Rearmed.
- The Legend of Neil, Parts One, Two, and Three, offered a unique interpretation of the Zelda universe. At least I'm pretty sure Miyamoto never thought to include shrimping in the NES game.
- Our latest contest, ending in mere hours, asked for your Soul Calibur IV look-a-like characters.
- Wootini reviewed Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People: Episode One: Homestar Ruiner for WiiWare.
And girls who like girls who like rumble packs!
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