Some games introduce new methods of play, many raise the bar for what it possible with current technology, and others change the way you perceive games and just exactly what they’re capable of. Half-Life thrives in all three categories. We’re not just talking in terms of graphics and play here, but rather a full experience in all aspects of gaming – one that grips you from the very moment you immerse yourself in it until the credits roll. Half-Life was a game that – in its time – embodied everything this writer had ever wanted from his favorite hobby.
A quick little proviso before I go on. I’ve never played any of the Every Extend games before; this was my first experience with one. Therefore I’m talking about this game as a stand alone experience, rather than in the context of the games that came before. So, erm, yeah…read on!
Q Entertainment’s Every Extend Extra Extreme is a difficult game to classify. It’s a puzzle game with no puzzles, a rhythm action game where you spend most of the time watching rather than hitting buttons. The first time I picked up the pad I had no idea what a ‘Quicken’ did, why my avatar disappeared for minutes at a time, or generally what on earth was going on. But I was loving every second, and therein lays part of what makes E4 such an engaging experience. The careful combination of sound, visuals and vibration is dazzling enough that even when you have only the vaguest of ideas surrounding the mechanics of play it can still dazzle and excite.
Perfect. It’s a word that gets thrown around with far too much disregard for its true meaning in these somewhat throwaway days of games journalism. Personally, I would hesitate to use it any games review, no matter how mind-blowingly orgasmic it might be. However, with Portal, it almost feels appropriate.
You see, Portal tries to be nothing but that which it is; basically an add-on packaged in with four amazing other games. Yet it applies itself to this role in an impressive way. Portal is one hell of a puzzler with a stylistic sheen covering every inch of its composition. The elements it brings to the player – innovation, ideas, substance and puzzles – are all there in abundance, and are pulled off with a deft touch. Everything feels right, the gameplay, presentation, sound design and ambience combining to make a single experience that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Portal exists almost in its own little bubble, and it is one that would be very difficult to burst.
At the time of writing my Gamerscore is at a rather respectable 9963. I’m one achievement away from reaching 10,000. Just one more level on Call of Duty 4’s veteran difficulty and I’ll be right up there, those five digits available for everyone to see in all their glory. I’ll have entered the upper echelons of the gaming hierarchy, one of the elite, a king amongst men.
Or not. I’ll still be the same gamer I was before, I won’t move up in any ranking system, I’m not going to get paid, I won’t get a better quality of life. Hell, I’m not even going to be able to trade them in for dashboard themes or gamer pics. The only real end result is the dawning realization that I’ve played what probably amounts to far too many games.
So why do I, and many gamers like me, look forward to that next blip? The one accompanied with a short message letting me know what I’ve managed to do and assigning it a numerical value. What is it about this small implementation that arouses not only a sense of pleasure when we attain it, but also ire and fondness in equal parts within the gaming community at large? Most gamers fall into one of two camps; those who see achievements as one of the generation’s greatest innovations, a design choice that opens up a whole new way of playing games, and those who see achievements as a cheap way to entice greedy gamers to pay for titles simply to obtain what, really, amounts to an entirely arbitrary score.
The original DMC was a strange crossbreed. Elements of both Resident Evil and Onimusha could be felt in abundance and western and eastern traits were juxtaposed, especially in the lead character’s traits. It was a title that swaggered into the thirdperson action genre with a remarkable style that’s stayed ingrained in many a gamer’s mind. Almost seven years after the original’s release and DMC is ready to make its return.
It hit Sony hard losing Devil May Cry 4’s exclusivity. Having their grip lessened on a franchise that up to now had only appeared on Sony consoles, mere days before the PS3’s launch across PAL territories, meant Sony’s uphill struggle had just got harder. But for us gamers the chance for the title to reach as wide an audience as possible is nothing but good news. Still, even by Capcom’s legendary standards DMC4 has taken its sweet time to get out the door, and is finally arriving early next month. Hopefully the lengthy development cycle will be worth the wait.
It was way back in 2006 when Quantic Dream first introduced Heavy Rain at E3. The above video was the visually astounding tech demo they presented, called ‘The Casting’. As you can see it shows the various technical features of the game engine, the most notable of which being full body and facial motion capture, real-time tears, advanced skin shades, and some advanced rendering features such as depth of field, spherical harmonics, auto exposure and high dynamic range rendering. The technology used in the demo enables animations of pupil dilation, tongue, eyes, fingers, and dynamic hair. Although games like Heavenly Sword have got cut scenes with absolutely fantastic motion capture, this is all done in game. When I first saw it back in 2006 I was blown away and couldn’t wait to see more, but when nothing came my attention drifted elsewhere.
One glance at a list of upcoming games over the next few months, or even years, shows that there is money to be made in sequels. PGR4, Halo 3, GTAIV, Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero III, Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, and any number of new SingStars are all either here or are out there on the horizon. Look even further out and you’ll find Far Cry 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII, Street Fighter IV, Fable 2 and many more.
So what does this say about the industry? Is it down to a lack of originality and creativity? The easy answer would be that the abundance of sequels due to come out, and indeed, have come out in the past, is indicative of a deficiency of fresh ideas – a landscape of greedy publishers ready to lap up your hard earned cash for re-hashes of the same idea. However, to say that the somewhat repetitive nature of such titles as Zelda or Metal Gear Solid exhibits a gaming industry that has run out of good ideas is a rather vague and untrue statement. While there are the Maddens and Fifas out there that are content with the similar gameplay and minor graphical overhauls, many sequels are in fact trailblazing new ideas.
If you’ve never played a PGR game before your first attempt at PGR4 may not be the most graceful thing you’ve ever done. Many of the tracks are tight and narrow, the Kudos system can feel unforgiving, and the cars feel unwieldy. It may seem all too easy to give up and label the game a waste of your time. This simply could not be more wrong. Terrific new cities, a splendidly exotic and broad selection of cars, the drama and cunning of the event designed with a reinstitution of Kudos at the core, it’s all there. From bike stunts to the brilliant soundtrack PGR4 is brimming with personality. True, your first moments with it may feel uncompromising, but get stuck in and you’ll see why PGR4 is one of the best racing experiences out there.
Ok, ok. I get it. Not unlike the ‘video games as art’ argument morality is a tired topic when it comes to video games, but in the current climate of this new generation it is certainly one worth discussing. Video games are changing, offering new experiences and interactions that both literally and figuratively take you to the next level. Better graphics, higher production values, a strong sense of immersion, realistic relations with more-human-than-ever characters. With such an evolution taking place in the creation process of each video game the question of morality is always ready to rear its ugly head.
Chris McMahon is a gaming enthusiast, and a fresh-faced recruit into the world of games journalism. He's currently writing for gamesTM, and is learning his way around the people and workings of the industry. He's also pretty awesome at Guitar Hero ;-) Read, enjoy, and if you want to get in touch, do so at camcmahon@hotmail.co.uk.
