Against the Flow - April 2014

At the end of the month I like to take a look at what the industry is talking about and see where I'm going against the flow.  These are opinion that seem to be prevalent in the industry with both fans and insiders, but I just can't seem to get my head around, important questions that are not being asked, or opinions that seem to run counter to what everyone else is saying.

I can’t understand how the @ID parity clause is so misunderstood (or seen as a bad thing at all)

Read the following pitch and see if you can find any flaw with it

“Here is the deal; I’ll give you a free dev kit.  I will pay for your middleware.  I will provide free tech support for both.  I will wave all publishing fees.  Pretty good, ah?  This allows a small startup that can’t afford the risk of console publishing to develop a game virtually risk free, opening up that market to 100s of strong, innovative dev teams that would otherwise have to bank all their hopes on being noticed on page 97 of Steam's Green Light program.  It seems like it’s almost too good to be true that a major corporation would just give away free stuff … and it is.  There is small price to be paid; the game you are making, using support I am paying for on a system I am paying for which I am going to pay to list and publish needs to come out on my system.  I know, seems like a no brainer right?  Without that, given the ease at which you can port a game between next gen consoles and the PC, people could abuse the program by getting me to pay for them to develop a game for another system.  But I know … limiting your game to only one system takes away a huge market, so I won’t even do that.  All we want you to do is put it out on our system FIRST, or at the same time as any other systems.

I understand this might not be for everyone.  As such, this is a completely opt in program.  If you would rather go the traditional path and pay me for a dev kit and publishing like you would on any other console, that’s fine too.  In that case, you can come to my system whenever you want.  It’s completely up to you”

No?  Me nither.  But when Microsoft made that deal the WHOLE OF THE INTERNET freaked the hell out, and are still bringing up the “parity clause” as the reason behind game delays from major publishers, games that are already on PC not coming to Xbox, and for why the last Radio Head album sucked.  There is ignorance, and that’s OK.  Cecil from straight dope and I make it our mission to fight ignorance in all forms, so it keeps me going.  But then there is WILLFUL ignorance.  Just flat out ignoring the material you’re commenting on.  That has to stop.

I think minimalist and retro indie games on console are really not a big deal (and a rip off)

Indie has become a meaningless word, so it’s important to start with a definition.  An “Independent” game is a game without a publisher, which are generally considered freer to experiment because the developers don’t have to answer to a second party who is cutting the checks.  They are a pretty wonderful thing to be honest, and without them the industry would be in serious risk of stagnation.  But let’s not confuse indie games with low budget games, and confine what I’m saying to apply specifically to minimalist games (Tomas was Alone) or retro graphics games (Spelunky).  Both Sony and Microsoft have invested very heavily in this type of game, with MS confirming that 75 games are in development for the Xbox One and Sony porting just about every indie game ever made to the PS4 (and then some).  To fanboy’s it’s the best thing ever when a game comes to the system they define their life by, and a pointless waste of next gen tech when it goes to other guys ... and I hate to say it ... in this case, the fan boys are half right.

Let’s call a spade a spade; a console is a discounted PC with a better OS for gaming.  If you could buy a PC that didn't need manually driver updates, didn't crash, and played Titanfall at 1080p/30FPS for $400, we simply wouldn't need them.  I personally find a lot of advantages in console gaming, but the PC will always win on one important point; distribution.  You can buy PC games anywhere, from anyone.  Not only do you have steam sales, but you have steam sale re-sellers and the humble bundle to make sure that building a games catalog on PC is quick, easy, and inexpensive.  On the console side, you have a single distributor, and sales (when they come) are often gated behind a $60 a year subscription.  For triple A titles, it’s not that bad a deal; the extra money you have to pay to have a computer that runs them doesn't lead to any long term savings.  But what about indie games?

You already have a PC that can play Indie games, because you’re reading this.  Even if you’re reading it on your cell phone, then you likely have a cell phone that can play most indie games.  They are designed to be accessible by everyone (as they bank on volume sales) and don’t use assets that require a lot of horsepower.  This also makes them pretty stable; even on grandma’s computer with drivers from the 1990s and 14 different search bars, your indie game is going to run smoothly and not crash.  So at this point you have a choice ... you can buy indie games on PC for prices like 7 for $1 (Humble Bundle) or you can pay $14.99 for them on console.  I’ve heard the argument that “I don’t mind paying full price because I support the developer” ... and for that may I direct you to the Humble Store.  Where Sony and MS both take at least 30% of the sale price, Humble Store only takes 10%.  If you want to support your developers, you should be getting all your games there.  Or ... buy from the developer directly.  It takes a bit of leg work, but then they get 100% of the price (not to mention how much better off they would be if they didn't have to port it to console in the first place)

All and all, I know there are some valid reasons to play indie games on a console, but I think they are minor when compared to the huge cost saving of playing them on PC.  I’m always the advocate of perspective, and if Sony put out a Vita game that cost $1 but if you wanted to play it outside your house you had to pay $14 more, everyone would say that was stupid. Yet when game that is $1 on steam is $15 on vita, the same people say it’s worth $14 it to play it on a portable.

I really want to know what’s going on in Japan

5 months later, we seems to still talk about relative sales numbers like they mean something.  Fine, I can handle that ... fanaticism is a real thing we just have to deal with.  But can we please start talking about sales numbers as an absolute as well?  In particular, I don’t really have the time or money to hop on a plane and head to Japan to figure out what’s going on, and would very much appreciate it if a news organization could do that for me.

I was shocked when Sony told us they would be pushing back the launch of the PS4 in Japan, but I figured it was due to the obviously higher than expected pre-order numbers in the US and limited stock.  It’s not the nicest thing to do, but moving stock from the market you dominate to the market you want to dominate and have a real chance of doing so make sense.  And it worked!  The PS4 was a fantastic success and the bestselling home console of all time.

Imagine my shock then, when I learned that some of the biggest names of Japanese gaming development wanted nothing to do with it.  While Sony was bragging about 200+ developers making games for the PS4 the fact that none of them were Japanese went more or less unreported.  When Atlus said they had no games in development for PS4, Persona was going to be a PS3 exclusive, and NIS soft wasn't going to put out a PS4 game until 2016 ... again, it wasn't enough to take us away from the Xbox vs Sony troll wars.  What did it matter?  The PS4 wasn't even out in Japan, and given how much everyone loved it in the west, when it released there it would set records and everything would change!

Except that didn't even close to happen.  With only 560,000 units moved at the time of this writing* the PS4 is hardly a breakout hit.  Worse, it’s being consistently outsold by the Vita, a system that is rarely considered successful.  The most common argument you hear is that “it’s nothing ... the CRAZY Japanese are just slow up upgrade”, which like most things on the internet has no basis in fact.  The PS3 sold 615,000 units in the same time period at its launch despite the PS2 being nothing short of a religious symbol and the Wii U, universally accepted to be the bench mark of a failed console, outsold the PS4’s current total in its first month alone (with 633,000 units). The PS4 is tanking by the standards of its worldwide launch and, in retrospect, it looks like Sony and game developers knew it was going to happen.  Why didn't we?  If the Japanese game market has shifted so dramatically from the west, you would think this would be more important to write about then if a game is coming to the Xbox One in 720p.

It’s not just the PlayStation that is seeing disappointing sales.  We hear so much about Nintendo “slashing sales expectations” on the Wii U and the 3DS that it’s easy to overlook the fact that the 3DS is outselling its targets in NA and EU by a wide margin.  This means that not only is the 3DS missing sales projections in Japan, it’s missing them by so much that they even strong sales in other markets can't make up for it.  Game sales are also wonky, with the weekly top selling list reading like the barging bin of an anime convention.  Yokai Watch and Hatsune Miku-Project DIVA-F outsell Metal Gear and Final Fantasy.  DO NOT GOOGLE Hatsune Miku.  Trust me.

Rounding off the craziness, Microsoft announced a slew Japanese of game developers that will be supporting them with “launch window” titles for the Xbox one in September, including heavy weights like Atlus (the same Atlus, you may recall, that isn’t making games for the PS4) and level 5.  This, despite the fact that it’s a near certainty that it’s not going to have sales anywhere close to the PS4 or Wii U.  In fact the only positive thing I can say about the Xbox One’s chances in Japan is that it won’t sell worse than the 360, but only because that would require people to fly to the US, buy Xbox Ones, and RETURN THEM IN JAPAN on launch day.  So clearly these are US focused titles, for the US market … developed then ported to what used to be native Japan.  I don’t get it … and it bothers me that no one seems to want to know.  Speaking of far away places we know nothing about ...

I think China matters in a big way.  Just not to us.

This is already longer then I want it to be, and this topic is going to require a lot of context.  As such … it’s getting it’s own article!  Follow me or keep an eye out for this to come next week.

Edit: May 8th - This article is finished and you can find it here http://www.ign.com/blogs/headpirate/?p=278

Did I miss anything?  What did YOU notice this month that everyone else seemed to miss?  Let me know in the comments!

*This number is from an average of several different reporting sources and could be off by 50,000 or so in either direction.  Without paying for a full out NPD report, it’s the best I can do.

Payday: 3/28

So you either weren't interesting in the South Park, TitanFall and Infamous, or perhaps big budget isn’t your thing.  Nothing to worry about!  There is still plenty out there for the budget gamer this week on every platform.  Here is how I would spent $20 this payday.  As always, I've done nothing to ensure any one system is represented over and other.

FINAL FANTASY VII - $3.99, PC (Steam)

Often overlooked by fans waiting on a true remake, the FF7 PC update on steam is still the best way to enjoy this timeless classic.  If you haven’t played it, the low price tag, increased resolution, and controller support should give you all the motivation you need, and if you’re a returning player you’ll find steam cloud saves, achievements, and the new cheat system breathes new life into what is still one of the most engrossing and stratifying JRPGs you can play.

Bioshock - $4.99 (PSN+ and Xbox 360 Gold)

First person shooters are never easy to recommend.  Huge market saturation and the fact that most don’t age well means there is very rarely any good reason to go back and play something you missed instead of enjoying a contemporary.  Bioshock is a stand-out exception to this rule.   The game play and level design feel fresh even beside the greats of today and the story is one you simply need to experience.  I've always considered this and Boardlands to be the "gateway" FPS; strong enough on story alone to be worth playing even if you're not a fan of the genre.  My last play though of this game was only a few weeks ago after the Burial at Sea DLC, and my option hasn't diminished at all.

Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten - $6 (Humble bundle weekly sale; comes with 7 other games at this price)

At $6 Defender’s Quest is any easy sell; as part of a bundle of 8 quality games at that price it’s a no brainer.  With the ever increasing number of low budget but well executed games being released, games that truly set themselves apart are few and far between.  Defender’s quest merges RPG elements with tower defense action and a comical story that’s easy to enjoy if you don’t take it too seriously. The end result is an experience that you’ll want to come back to over and over again, and "star rating" that lead to gear unlocks will reward you for doing so.  Nothing else in the bundle is really stands out, but Evoland, Incedipede, and Planet Stronghold are worth a look.

Dr. Mario - $4.99 (Wii U Virtual Console)

Not a sale, but new to the Wii U Virtual Console this week is the classic puzzle game Dr. Mario.  Fun, simple, addictive, and updated to use the game pad, this is a great way to make sure you’re Wii U is collecting more love then dust (if you have that problem)

So there you have it!  Did I miss anything?  How would you spend your money differently?

A year with WildStar (review and retrospective)

I can still remember how excited I was when I got the E-mail.  I would be the 403rd person to log into the WildStar servers, joining the first round of close beta.  I had been following the game for some time and couldn’t wait to get a look.  If you haven’t done “ground floor” beta testing before, it’s a very different experience then playing an MMO; the server population is extremely small and at any given point you could be grouping with a developer (and at this point it was more likely you were grouping with one of the 300 or so friends and family of the dev team playing then one of the 200 public beta testers).  In game chats about the direction of the game happened every Thursday, you could join pre-made groups with team members of weekends.  I remember posting a bug report to the forums at around noon on a Friday, to see it fixed within the hour.  I’ve had a year now,  sometimes on and off playing, sometimes obsessive playing.  I’ve seen 5 server resets, 2 complete UI overhauls, and countless updates.  Last week the NDA has finally lifted, and I can’t wait to talk about the game.  What I hope to bring you here is part review (of the current build, which may change before release) and part retrospective on the development cycle, which should give a lot of insight to the way the game is updated in the future.

WildFly

I’ll be clear about one thing from the start; if WildStar picked up the licence to make a game in the Firefly universe the only thing they would need to do is add some Chinese curse words.  The music, the art style, the charter design, the plot, and just about everything else that makes up the “feel” of this game invokes the series.  That’s not a bad thing and I bring it up simply because of the effective picture it paints.  If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it seamlessly blends classic Westerns with Sci-Fi to create a world that is extremely relatable while still being alien; where some things are very different, but the whole and most importantly the people feel the same.  On the surface, WildStar appears ups the ante with non-human races and fantasy aspects, but these additions are superficial.  The alien races might as well be re-skinned humans, with simple world views like “honor is good” or “we love nature”, but this does nothing to stop them from adding charm and a good bit of humor.  Fantasy elementals are handled with technology in an almost comical way, from firing spells out of guns to carrying around a giant combat modified defibrillator on your back.  Overall you get something fresh and bursting with personality, but far from perfectly realised.  Despite an overall enjoyable art style and a fantastic attention to detail in the character models, the graphic are simply outdated even by MMO standards.  Despite a wealth of Sci-fi influence to draw on, you could easily mistake the zones and even some dungeons are coming from World of Warcraft or Everquest.  There are a few standouts; mostly the internal areas, but they are too few and far between.  One of the starting areas  is particularly bad; I found myself thinking I was in Winterspring (a vanilla WOW zone) until some broken down vehicle reminded me I was in a different game.

Unfortunately this desire to see more WildStar and less generic MMO gets worse before it gets any better.  The game has a strong and interesting story focusing on the conflict between the brown coats and the alliance ... I mean Exiles and Dominion and the mysteries of an extremely interesting place call the Nexus.  It’s a story I would love to be immersed in, but the game doesn’t make it easy.  The lack of voice acting prevented me from making any real connection with the characters in the world I was a part of, and seems almost unforgivable in a modern MMO trying to sell itself on the weight of its personality and story.  Making matters worse, plot is often relayed in the form of text boxes while you’re out in the field and can easily be lost if you in a battle or otherwise engaged.  And like most other MMOs it’s hard to tell what you should read.  When trying not to hold your group up, it’s not always obvious if that wall of text that just popped up is plot critical information you’re going to regret not taking the time to read or just some whimsical banter about exactly why you’ve just been sent to kill ten swamp rats.  It’s not all bad, mind you.  What you do read is genially humours more often then it’s not. You will find a lot of the same wonderful charm you see in the trailers while playing the game, as well as some truly engaging plot ... you’re just going to have to go looking for it and carefully filter it from the trivial content.

Not the combat we want, but the combat we deserve

WildStars combat and character system started off as a refreshingly complex mix of new ideas and old standards.  It’s two most radical departures from the ordinary were an attribute system that forced trade-offs by making every attribute valuable in some way to every class (only 4 of the 6 classes were live at this point) and combat system that was generally challenging.  There was no fodder; if a quest told you to go kill 4 bears, you could expect 4 challenges and long fights vs. bears that would pass as mini-bosses in any other MMO.  You built your class by picking a limited number of skills from an available list, similar to Guild Wars 2.  You could augment the skills with perks, and there was a healthy amount of customization which allowed some classes to play multiple roles equally well.  Attacks are delivered without targeting; either effecting everyone in your party, a cone in front of you, the closest creature or something similar, while enemies telegraphed devastating area of effect attacks, creating an action oriented game that kept you on your toes.  It was different, but not unwelcome.  The core system focuses on build and burn abilities; one attack creating a resources which other attacks consume.  Unfortunately, it tested poorly, and not without reason.  Mob density was a huge problem, as a single wondering monster turned any fight into a retreat (or worse).  Given how long a single kill could take, would cost you a significant amount of time and a string bad luck could turn a whole play session into an unenjoyable waste of effort.  Wonky mob tethering only added to the problem; attempts to move enemies out of groups often resulted in them going invisible and warping back to their home at random.  The telegraphs were often overwhelming; as soon as you had more than a single enemy (which was unavoidable as some encounters were groups of less powerful monsters) it was easy for them to force you into situations where it was simply impossible to keep up; by the time you had positioned yourself to deliver your own attack, you had to move again before you could execute it.  Rather than tackle the big problems, the developers took the easy path and lowered kill time, scaled down the telegraphs, and made combat generally easier.  It’s wasn’t enough to quite the voices of the mass market however, and calls for simpler and easier to understand attributes were soon raised and answered.  Simplified gear and crafting followed.  Then less customization and class choice, so that people didn’t need to worry about making an unplayable build.  What we have now is exactly what you would expect from a game looking for mass appeal.  There is one core attribute to focus on for each class, once you pick a role there is a correct way to “build” for that role, and combat itself is quick and forgiving.  This isn’t to say it’s not enjoyable, but if you have played guild wars, Neverwinter, Anon, or any out action based MMO, there is nothing new waiting for you here.

More isn’t more (except when it is)

Paths, one of the games key features, seem a fantastic way to keep the game fresh and enjoyable regardless of your play style.  There are 4; explore, soldier, scientist and settler, which focus you on tasks outside the standard level progression and reward you with unique and powerful abilities.  Combined with 6 classes, this provides and absolute unprecedented level of verity and choice, and near infinite level of repayable  .. on paper.  In reality, only settler and explore really stand out, with soldier and scientist mostly have you doing a little more of what you are already doing.   As for the classes, the fantastic and unique stalker and engineer are a blast to play, while the Espre, Medic, and Spell Slinger feel way too similar to each other, and the warrior is a very generic tank.   Over the games development, the team has made changes to the path systems to ensure they are all useful and diverse, and this has always seemed a focus. The same can’t be said about the classes.  While the class monotony was a key talking point from tester almost from day one, they never given much attention.  They argued that combat itself was complex enough as it is, and the design will serve to amplify the minor differences.  Once you enter a group and move to the fantastically designed instances, for example, things can get chaotic.  With positioning playing such an important role, understand not only what you need to do but where you need to do it from can be a real challenge.  Playing a healer stands out as particularly frustrating as heals can affect people around you, in front of you, or closest to you, and there are still telegraphs to worry about.  Voice chat is almost a must; there isn’t any time to type.  If you like this or not is going to be a matter of option, but the point made by the developer is valid; the depth of combat itself amplifies the small differences to the point where each feels unique, but only for players who invest enough time in the game to see these elements.

Mine!  All mine!

Anyone who has played an MMO and been even slightly invested in it knows one thing; developers talk a lot and do little.  They fill the forums with grand visions of vast improvements, new systems, and game changing ideas, then spend all their time nurfing class you like to play.  So when the Wildstar devs started talking about their own grand vision of customizable EVERYTHING,  I didn’t get to excited.  When player houses went live, only a few weeks after they said they were working on it, with a charming and original twist (your house is in zone that has its own quests) ... I still didn’t get that excited.  Then custom gear game.  And custom mounts.  More housing items.  More gear.  A few months from launch, the influx of new and improved customization items hasn’t slowed down; in fact it has speed up considerable.  This is the area of game play where Wildstar is really making its mark.  The world and story are good enough to make you want to play there, and the customizing dose a fantastic job of making you want to live there.  Ironically the opportunity for a strong crafting system, something that generally goes hand and hand with customization, was lost very early on when a somewhat interesting system was scrapped altogether in favor or something simple and generic.  Quality of life improvements are also an issue; for a dev team that keeps its’ base informed about where they want the game to go, they rarely talk about the basics like run speed, travel distance, or the other minor issues that can make or break an MMO.  Bag space is a huge problem; not only is it unreasonably limited in size but there are no dedicated crafting material or costume item storage like you see in most modern MMOs.  As such, I found myself unable to get sucked in the way I felt I should.  Every time a new and wonderful improvement was added, some minor detail kept me from enjoying it.  The vendor with that new great item was 40 minutes of real time travel away, or I didn’t have any space in my bag for that new gear set.

The final word:  Who’s paying for all this?

Wildstar has a lot going for it.  The world is interesting, the combat will be enjoyable to the right type of player. All the systems that are in place, from PVP “raids” to well-crafted dungeons, are at least serviceable, and no matter what you want to do with your time, there is opportunity to have fun doing it.  Most importantly, Wildstar has one of the most responsive, quick to act, and capable dev teams I’ve ever seen.  If they are given the time and support to continue to polish this game post release, I see great things.  But will they?  Wildstar is already over budget and half a year late.  It’s also going to be pay to play, putting it in the direct line of fire of extremely polished games with unlimited budgets like FF14RR, ESO, and WOW.  Is what’s available today (or in a few months) enough to bring enough players over and keep them their long enough that the dev team get the money then need to continue to make the improvements the game needs?  Sadly, I don’t think so.  This isn’t to say you shouldn’t take a pass Wildstar; it’s worth playing.  At its core it is a strong MMO with a low barrier of entry absolutely brimming with style and charm.  But in going for mass market appeal with a higher budget and subscription model, WildStar needs to be more than just a good MMO.  It needs to be a successful one.  What good are a million different ways to customize your house if there aren’t a million other people making different ones?  The best thing I can say after playing for a year is that WildStar is a solid MMO with great potential.  I like it; I like the races, I like the story, and I like the people who are making it.  But when I step away from that personal like to give an objective opinion I can’t help but realise what I’m saying is that WildStar is just another solid MMO with great potential, and in today’s market we get a few of them every month.  Only time will tell, but this vision of the future may very well be fleeting.

PS4 Price Increase in Canada

If you read my posts or follow me you'll know there are few things that bother me more then Fanboys.  I love games, and can't understand why anyone would hate a game or a system based on who made it.  But the real problem isn't even that simple.  Game designers, publishers, and console makers pay attention to what the fan base is saying (look at how different the Xbox one is today from when it was shown at E3), and if all we are saying about a system is how wonderful it is and how we will continue to support it and only it no matter what, and will never accept the competition even if they start doing all the right things you are sending a negative message.  It's not long before that console maker will say to themselves "well, if they are going to blindly support us regardless, let's see what we can get away with"

Not at all shocking, Sony has decided to do just that up here in Canada.  They are raising the price of the PS4 itself by $50.  You could try to argue that this is due to the falling Canadian dollar (as $450 CND is about $400 US right now), but that ignores the fact that neither Nintendo or Microsoft have done this.  Even worse, they are upping the price of PS4 exclusive games to $70, even though NO OTHER PUBLISHER is doing this for any other games on any other system.

So a big hats off to all you Canadian Sony Fanboys.  You spent the last 4 months making this bed, and now we're all forced to lay in it.

Pay Day: Feb 27th

For many of us tomorrow is pay day, so today is a great day to cast my glance over all of gaming and answer that burning question;  What should I blow my money on?  I’ve taken into account sales from Steam and Steam key reseller, Xbox Gold, PSN+ and the E-shop to come up with the best possible way to spend $20.   I make no effort to represent all systems; the best games and the best deals are all that matter. This is what I’ve come up with for Feb 27th, 2014.

Humble Bundle 11 ($4.66 at time of writing) – PC, Linux, Mac

A no brainer given the fantastic quality and mind blowing quantity of games being offered in this bundle.  Dust, Twisted Dreams, and Guacamelee serve up 3 similar yet diverse takes on game play that answers a simple question: what if developers had skipped 3D altogether, and just made better and better “classic style” SNES games?   You get non-stop side scrolling action, brilliant visuals, and even character development to keep things fresh.  The Swapper provides a more cerebral experience with an introspective puzzle game that all but tricks you into thinking about the weight of the actions you are taking.  The only real question was if it was worth it to spend the extra money to get the bonus games, and Anti-Chamber seals the deal.  Another challenging and stimulating puzzle game that has some of the best “ah-ha!” moment you’re going to get all year.   Monaco adds a solid mutli-player experience to the mix.  Just make sure to set your donation level to give nothing to Fez’s developer or you're supporting Phil Fish, and that will make a Panda Cry.  Although in fairness, Fez is also a flat out fantastic game.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment ($3.49 on PSN+) – PS3/PSP cross buy (via PS1 classics)

I generally don’t recommend you spend your new money on old games, but I’m willing to make an exception for Persona.  It comes down to what makes a game age well; you need quality of life features that were ahead of the times, and game play that hasn’t’ been repeated in dozens of newer, flashier games.  Persona 2 delivers!  Well kind of.  The game play with its mix of social simulation and RPG can’t be found anywhere else, the combat doesn't rely on graphics fidelity to make it work, and the story is engaging enough to help you see past the outdated visuals and lack of voice acting. As for quality of life ... is a JRPG, you shouldn't be expecting that to begin with.

Ni No Kuni: Wrait of the White Witch ($6.99 on PSN+) – PS3

With all the COD, GTA, Last of Us, and next gen hype we’ve been getting, Ni No Kuni seems to have missed out on the GOTY contender  spotlight it deserved. Which is a shame, as this game is an absolute gem.  Not only is it the best JRPG in years, but it’s one of the few “must play” games of 2013.  Level 5 delivers outstanding visuals, fresh and challenging game play, and a story that rides that live between cute and engrossing in that way only Japan can.  With an easy 30 hours of game play just to get from start to finish, and double that with side quests, what you are getting for you $7 is simply unmatched.

Mass Effect 2 ($4.99 on Steam) – PC

It’s hard to say anything about Mass Effect 2 that hasn’t been said before.  From start to finish, this is one of a few rare games that dose everything right.  The story is complex, but not complicated or hard to follow.  The characters are unique, diverse, and interesting yet still “human” enough to make meaningful connections with.  Your decisions matter and change the game, but you never feel you're missing out on the road not traveled.  The mechanics are simplified and accessible and yet still challenging and stimulating.   Topping it all off,  last mission of this game I still hold as the most enjoyable hour or so of gaming in my entire life, and given the number of games I play in a year that’s not a statement I make lightly.

So there you have it.  Did I miss anything?  Let me know below, and I’ll see you next pay day!

A unique take on gaming: February

At the end of the month I like to take a bit of time to look at what’s making me unique among gamers.  Not to say that I’m right and everyone else is wrong, but to add some perspective and objectivity to the otherwise polarised views the gaming media seems to take.  It’s too easy to jump to one site that’s making its' ad money by telling Xbox fans they are right about everything, then to another that is doing the same with Sony fans.  But what about someone who couldn’t give a damn?  Here is a list of the areas I see myself going against the pack.

I’m disappointed with the PS4.

Not the system itself mind you ... how could I be?  It’s a fantastic piece of tech at a lower price then it’s competitor, and it addresses almost every issue people had with its predecessor.  And not with sales or reception either.  It’s still selling out in the US and from what I’ve seen the hype train shows no signs of stopping.  Sony hit their first year sales goals in 3 months before even launching in Japan, which speaks very loudly to just how much people are loving Sony’s new entry.  It’s almost impossible to overstate how fantastic the PS4 is doing right now, and with such a level of success you would expect a outpouring of support ... and here is where the disappointment comes in.

With only two current exclusives (I don’t count indie games or PS3 ports), the line up isn’t exactly stealer.  You would expect Sony to use the 2.1 BILLION dollars we have given them in console sales to buy up some new studios or at least some timed exclusives, but instead we get a delay in “Drive Club”, a poor showing of “The Order”, and a VR headset no one wants.  We see the first core “Metal Gear” game released on Microsoft Hardware.  We see final fantasy continue a cross platform release even though sales of FF13 on the Xbox were disappointing and it would have been cheap* for Sony to buy them back to exclusivity.  We see a PS3 exclusive GT6.  We see a PS3 exclusive Persona 5.  We see NIS confirm that all current projects, stretching out to 2015, are PS3 exclusive.

More people have the PS4 then have Nintendo Wii U’s right now, but the only game anyone has to look forward to in the near future “Infamous”, and the only exclusive of note is a military shooter with only a slightly above average rating.  Even more confusing, a recent study showed that gaming makes up over 80% of the PS4 total usage (compared to numbers closer to 40% for the Xbox and Wii) and that in households with more than one system, only around 10% of them use the PS4 as the primary “non gaming” console.  With millions of people already owning PS4 and hundreds of thousands buying new ones each week it begs the question ... what the heck are they doing with them?

*There is no wizardry to getting an exclusive game.  You pay the publisher for every sale they will lose on the platforms they don’t put it out on.  For FF15, the projected Xbox sales will be small number, in the million unit range.  This means Sony could make FF15 exclusive for around 30 million ... or about a week’s worth of PS4 sales.

I thoroughly enjoyed FF13: Lightning Returns

I won’t say much seeing I plan a full review as soon as I complete the game, but I have spent a lot of time with "FF13: Lightning Returns", as well as a solid 2 weeks with FF13-X2 in preparation, and it’s been great.  I even found the first FF13, universally scorned by fans (while still picking up an 83 metacritic, mind you) to be enjoyable for the most part.  I’m impressed with the story, the production values are fantastic, and the new combat system is the most enjoyable we’ve seen out of Japan in ... ever.  I get the feeling  the people who are saying it’s a horrible game are doing so without ever trying it out of some desire to jump on a “hate bandwagon” because Square had the audacity to make something other than the exact game they wanted.  Given that what “they” want is a stale FF7 clone, I commend Square for going in this direction and hope they never back down.  And speaking of passing judgment on things you haven’t seen ...

I haven’t picked GOTY yet

You can go to almost any game site in the world right now and take part in a heated debate, with fanatics, theory-crafters and doom-speakers on both sides, about wither it will be “Titanfall” or “Infamous” that wins GOTY 2014.  This seems rather odd to me given that

1)       It’s February

2)      Neither of these games have been released.

What’s more you can pop on any discussion thread about either game and find dozens of people assigning review scores to these games they have not played.  I’m not taking about predictions; I’m talking about full on reviews with justifications.  Now I get it; these are big titles and people want them to be fantastic, plus there is a bit of a rivalry between the camps that think you can only ever own one system and who will only ever get to play one or the other (which makes no sense because Titanfall is coming out on PC, but I've never credited fanboys for being overly intelligent).  But isn't there enough to pointlessly drone on about without having to cross the line to that special type of crazy reserved for people who make factual assessments of things that do not exist?  Doing so puts you in the same boat as that guy who spent a year using high level physics to come up with Rainbow Dash’s top flight speed, and do you really want to be in that company?  Beside, neither of these games will in GOTY, because GOTY is garbage.  That brings me to my next point ...

I don’t think “The Last of Us” was a good “Game of the Year” pick

Let me just start off being saying “The Last of Us” is fantastic.  9.5/10 fantastic.  Everyone reading this needs to check it out if you haven’t already.  Had it won “experience of the year” I would have nothing but praise.  You would be reading my article about just how dang awesome the gaming industry is right now if it was the 2014 “interactive media” winner.  I couldn't agree more with anyone who gave it best story, best graphic design, best characters, even most flat out amazing thing you can do with your PS3, or your time.  I have a problem with “Game of the Year” however, because “The Last of Us” isn't any fun, and it isn't any fun because it’s not a game.

“The Last of Us” is a interactive story where you need to press button’s to get from one scene to another, and although the level of complexity in that button pushing is far greater than “Heavy Rain” or “The Walking Dead”, that’s all it is at the core.  It’s to Naughty Dog’s extreme credit that the game play doesn't end up being a distraction, as they have masterfully crafted every sequence in a way that is always building character development and your connection with them.  But how much of the overall “feel” of the game would be lost watching a play though on YouTube rather than “playing” it yourself?  For me, almost nothing.  For gamers who don’t like 3rd person I would say that’s the better way to go; there isn't anything is TLOU game play that is going to turn you on to the genre and you’ll find yourself grudgingly moving though the action due solely to your investment in the Story.

I can’t help but think that “Game of the Year” needs to be reserved for something that is simply fun to play.  This is the second year in a row the majority of media outlets have instead sided with a great story packaged as a video game and I think it shows how truly confused we all are.  Naughty dogs is trying to change the way we tell and experience stories and this deserves a lot of credit, while Nintendo is just trying to get me to enjoy collecting coins and deserves credit as well.  What’s important is that these two goals intersect exactly never.  It’s time the gaming industry acknowledged this and moved on from “Game of the Year” as the catch all award, and the only one that matters.

What makes you unique among gamers?  Let me know in the comments below.

A weekend with Titanfall (Full Review)

It's hard not to have TitanFall on your radar.  Even before it won game of the show, as well as every "best of" category it was entered in at E3 2013, the hype for this "next gen" mega blockbuster was already in full swing.  We were delighted by visions of COD meets Mech Warrior, and Titanfall promised us the next big thing not just in online multiplayer, but in games overall.  And now it’s finally (kind of) here.  After the disappointing announcement of 6v6 maps and a lot of criticism of the game’s AI, is it possible it to live up expectations?  I've only had a fragment of the game and just over 72 hours, but I already have the answer.

The basics work (basically)

No one reinvested the wheel here, yet we get something with a lot of uniqueness.  The core is what you would expect from an online shooter; you kill people while completing objectives dictated by your game mode, earning points which level up your pilot and unlock new and improved weapons and attachments to use on your next mission.  The matches are small, with only 6 humans on each team, and map sizes that would be called middle of the road in other games.  What sets Titanfall apart is a focus on mobility and egress.  The maps are littered with multiple level buildings with various ways to enter or leave, be it wall jumping in a window or double jumping to the roof.  On the goal focused modes of hard point and domination, this design really stands out and replaces chock points with a much more fluid reality.  You can’t defend by standing still because the counter attack could come from anywhere.  Adding to the chaos are two squads of AI solders on each team, one of mindless bullet catchers called grunts, and one of slightly better and far more interesting computer controlled robots called specters.  Although the AI is laughable and not likely to provide a challenge for even the greenest of players, they focus on flushing players out of camping spots and forcing them to reveal themselves on the mini map and provide covering fire rather than trying to kill anyone.  It’s a bunch of small changes a time tested formula that works well in creating something that plays and feels different.  Perhaps too well in fact.

Fresh to a Fault

Making a online shooter is always a balancing act.  It need to be close enough to it's contemporary that anyone can pick it up and understand the flow of game play, but unique enough that it's not just another clone.  TitanFall gets this half right, and it's not the half you expect.  This game isn't COD with Mech's; it's not COD at all.  Online shooters have always been about range and lanes. You run though buildings to fight shotgun vs. SMG, you run outside at test the snipers, and you run the covered lane if you want to engage with mid range rifles and side arms.  It's not the guns or the same macho feel that makes every COD clone feel the same; it's this simple mechanic played out over and over, so far in the background that most don't even notice it.  TitanFall’s added mobility takes lanes out of the equation altogether.  This game has double jump jet backs standard, a wall jump, the ability to pull yourself onto ledges, and every building has an interior.  This makes the quickest way from point a to point b whatever you want it to be and this forces you to play on the move.  Camping is almost impossible; outdoors you can't hide your titan, and even the best hiding spots for your pilot are simple to flush out with one of these giants.  Corner camping requires chock points, which the maps simply don’t’ have.  This benefits game play dramatically; I didn’t find myself cursing at the screen after a cheap death even once. Unfortunately there is a learning curve here and that may put off some of the core shooter fans who don't want to relearn what they have been comfortably doing for the last 10 years.  Matches are also shorter than what we’re used to, and that’s a good thing.  Each battle requires constant focus without even a respawn timer to let you catch your breath in most modes.  I feel like I’m playing harder in a 6 minute Titanfal map then a 15 minute COD map, and by the end I’m feeling a bit fatigued.

Remember the Titans

At some point you’re going to want to pony up one of these massive armoured warriors and take it for a spin.  In most game modes, a timer ticks down with every second and every kill until you can call in your very own titan, vastly increasing your firepower and making you almost impervious to small arms and grenades.  It’s not god mode by any means; you are still venerable to the anti-titan weapons carried by both players and bots, and the bots seem to be a lot less stupid when dealing with a Titan.  For all their power,  titans change game play less than you would expect for the best possible reasons.  By empowering the pilots with a huge tool set, including mobility, anti-titan weapons, the ability to jump on a friendly titan to move around or an enemy titan to take it down, respawn has done the impossible.  They make having a titan fell like a huge advantage without ever making not having a titan feel like a disadvantage.  In fact I find that staying outside my titan while allowing the computer to auto-pilot it for me is a more effective strategy then taking control myself in most game types.  There is something insanely satisfying about ordering a giant mech suit to guard a door while you flush people out of a building on foot.  Titans also ensure an ever changing battle field as the safe zones change dramatically based on how many titans are on the map at a given time, as does the role you should be playing.  Victory in Titanfall will depend heavily on how quickly you can adjust from using your pilot to control the ground and take objectives before titanfall, and use mobility and high vantage points in David vs. Goliath matches after Titanfall.  More importantly, both in and out of your titan, you full in control, powerful, and are having a great time.

Quite a looker

Side by side Ryse or even Shadow Fall on the same TV, Titanfall holds its own.   The gun and character details are outstanding and the maps are bursting with detail.  The titans are the easy standout, and are some of the best looking animated models I have ever seen.  There are some chinks in the armor however.  Nothing is destructible, the grass doesn’t move in the wind, and you can’t even shot a soda can off a desk.  You can also see a reduction in visual fidelity as you move out from the center of the screen towards the edges, as there is obviously some code wizardry at work here to maintain the fram rate at all costs.  It’s good and it’s bad news; it’s defiantly going to impress, and given that the game will release with a higher resolution then the already great looking beta it very well might be the best looking game we’ve seen to date on a console.  That said, most fans are looking for a game which is going to show the world that the Xbox One can be just as powerful as the PS4, and this isn’t it.  When you look closely what you see instead is brilliant graphics design that allows a game to look better than anything else we have seen despite the gap in power.  You see compromise where you want to see bravado.

The Last Word

Titanfall made a lot of promises and is able to deliver even in an extremely limited beta.  We can’t say what the full game is going to add, but what we are already playing would easily be worth full price and is one of the best new games of this generation.  However, this is a game built by a competitive shooter team for a competitive shooter audience, but what’s being offered breaks the mold perhaps too much. Ultimately its success will rely on how successful respawn is in getting the core audience to embrace the mechanics, and how well the story and other aspects not seen in the beta will bring new players to the genre.  Either way I’m hooked.  This game is a must have for anyone who enjoys action and wants to be part of the next big thing.