So I play a lot of video games. Now I’m taking a break, but thinking bout games. So maybe I’ll just write about the last few games I’ve played. Yeah I know, they’re mostly years old, but meh. Lately (past 6 months or so) been playing….

The Witcher

Finished playing The Witcher on PC this week – it was a little hit and miss for me but by the time the ending came around I was a convert and pretty much convinced I need to read the books its based on. Detailed and imaginative fantasy world, although with lots of in-game frustrations. (Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by fast travel, but the teleport system in the game barely lets you go anywhere!)

The plot unfolds at a slow and steady pace, but doesn’t win you over completely until the last few hours of gameplay, which are stunning  – partly due to their relentless excitement and some very clever plotting and set pieces. At the end, a lot of the decisions you’ve made come back to bite you in the arse, and the morals are quite blurred, there is no good vs evil, pretty much just gradations of bad.

Aside from slaying monsters and the villainous Salamandra, protagonist Geralt of Rivia also goes around sleeping with lots of ladies, witches and vampires. I assume this is either something that happens in the books or a way to appeal to the teenage boy market. Sex in games is often dealt with extremely awkwardly, so The Witcher pokes a bit of fun at it, providing a completely blurred image and rewarding the player with a stylised “sexy card”. Collect em all.

Excellent design and characters are marred by some awful acting for bit parts and occasionally dud dialogue (maybe its better in the game’s native Polish?) But just as it felt like I would give up on the game, there was always something charming and unique to pull me back in.

Will definitely be checking out The Witcher 2.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

OK, this was probably the main reason I bought a 3DS – to play Ocarina on the run. What I forgot was how close to impossible it is to play this game for less than an hour session. Played it on the flight to Italy, occasionally while there, and heavily until finish every free minute when I got back. Love it.

I don’t use the 3D capabilities of the 3DS very much – strain on the eyes and drain on the very poor 3DS battery, but occasionally dipped in to see it looking rather effective.

I wish they’d made some changes to make it a bit more short-play friendly, like being able to save progress at any point, and I wish they’d got rid of some of the annoying bits (“Navi: HEY!”) but the updated graphics make it well worth re-visiting Link’s first N64 adventure.

I genuinely hope they do a port of Majora’s Mask, severely overlooked game with a more compelling story than Ocarina. Even though I’ve only played it through once, I suspect I might even prefer it.

Zookeeper 

First played this puzzle “connect-3” game on the DS, and was delighted to see it appear in the Android market. Super-fun to play on both phone and tablet.

While its very fun on Android, it hits a rather steep difficulty jump at around stage 6, and is sorely missing the multiplayer functionality that made the DS version so special. Cossovich and I played this game against each other for endless hours when we first got our Nintendo DS’ back in 2005. Aside from a few epic Advance Wars turned-based battles, Zookeeper was never surpassed for quick multiplayer fun until Mario Kart DS. And then Tetris DS came out, and it was game over…. So many hours…..

What was my point? Oh yeah, Android version needs multiplayer. Make it so.

Hector: Badge of Carnage

A 3 episode adventure game put out by Telltale Games. Crass, funny, and occasionally quality adventure game fare. The first episode is only average, but the following two are a vast improvement. Worth checking out if you’re an adventure game fan and want something with a unique art-style and lots of toilet humour. And British accents.

Fallout: New Vegas

Seriously, I don’t think I even want to start on this one, because I’ll be typing all night. In short:
– Same engine as Fallout 3, including a shitload of bugs (PS3 version)
– Excellent writing, design, acting, story, gameplay – so much fun.
– Nice big world, huge variety of characters and lots of ways to play the game. Lots of tough decisions to make. Often hilarious and bizarre exploring the Mohave desert.
– Excellent DLC. Some serious, some completely insane!
– I think I put in something like 120 hours into this game last year. And I could do it all again.
– Awesome soundtrack, even better than Fallout 3. 

WANT TO PLAY IT ALL OVER AGAIN. Maybe one day when I’m old and unemployed. 

Prince of Persia Trilogy

Also played the Prince of Persia trilogy – Sands of Time, Two Thrones, Warrior Within. All very fun. Sands of Time still feels revolutionary all these years later. A real focus on level design and acrobatics, it feels like the direct predecessor to Assasin’s Creed and all related open world games where you climb on things and jump around.

The other thing that impressed me with Sands of Time is how directly it took the difficulty level and basic concepts of the 2D Prince game and translated it so well in 3D. Occasionally unforgiving, but well worth the perseverance. And the Sands that allow you to rewind time is a brilliant conceit.

The other two follow suit, but are more combat focused. While they are both extremely good (particularly Two Thrones) Sands of Time is still the winner. Jordan Mechner FTW! Now go play The Last Express!