I started this entry long ago, one chilly evening in Hobart 2012. I wrote: “Missing my PS3 a bit, so gonna write about games I’ve been playing over the past few months.” And then I never posted the entry. Since then I’ve played a gazillion games in every spare moment I’ve had. Now that I’m on leave, thought I’d complete the list and write a few words about the games I played since March 2012 (documented some earlier ones here.)
As these babblings were written at different times, some will be short and sweet, others nonsensical babblings. And yeah I’m probably gonna praise most of the games since I try to only play games I know I’ll enjoy. Also, some games are pretty old. Like all blog entries, writing this for my memory and for my mum.
Portal 2 (PS3)
I still regard the original Portal as one of the most surprising, inventive games I’ve ever played. I remember starting it quite late one night, thinking I’d play for 30 mins or so, then next thing its 3am and I’ve got work in 5 hours. Once I’d finished the game, I was in such denial I just started playing it all over again. So the sequel had quite a bit to live upto.
Portal 2 is a winner! It uses the same great mechanics as the original, introduces a bunch of new elements (light-bridges & the special goo for surfaces – awesome), and provides a whole new depth and history to the world of Aperture Science. Super-tight writing and acting (Stephen Merchant!), some outrageous plot twists, and many more hours of gameplay than the original (I’m not totally sure, but I think the single-player campaign was around 12 hours).
The magic of Portal is in the building of your puzzle solving skills. Its so transparent, but so well balanced. Some of the leaps of logic and physics that you make 8 hours into the game would make no sense to someone starting out. While I found many of the puzzles quite easy, you reach a point where some levels seem impossible, until you’ve stared at the screen for 10 mins before your EUREKA moment. Really, I can’t think of another game that can maintain that level of challenge and not become frustrating.
And of course the game’s humour is its’ other most compelling attribute. I laughed out loud more in this game than any other in recent history. Modern games seem so lacking in humour, but the Portal writers nail it! The perfect blend of cruelty and absurdity.
MULTIPLAYER: I’ve only played the multiplayer once – split screen on the PS3 with Shakthi. We started at around 10pm. Before we realised it, it was 2am. We decided we should stop soon. He didn’t leave until 4.30am. It was awesome. The puzzles and story are totally separate and unique from the single player, and solving puzzles with a partner was so much fun! It was also great being in the same room as my partner, working out the puzzles together, arguing, screaming, getting frustrated, high-fiving when we succeeded.
Sounds like I’m being a fanboy, but this game is pretty hard to fault! If you haven’t played it already – do it!
PS3 multiplayer note: My PS3 version came with a free download of Portal 2 from Steam! Awesome, eh? Useful for online multiplayer action against non-ps3ers.
Assasin’s Creed: Brotherhood (PS3)
I was a fan of Assassin’s Creed 2, and this game is pretty much more of the same, but with a bit more polish. The story seems to be growing increasingly dumb and unmemorable, but the game setting and very simple mechanics are endlessly endearing.
Running around renaissance Rome was an absolute delight having visited Italy earlier in the year. Felt like I was visiting the forum, Colosseum and Pantheon all over again (and sometimes repeatedly). The setting kept me coming back, and I sunk at least 40 hours into the game, doing as much as possible.
The game extras like the Lair of Romulus challenges (a series of dungeons you need to run, climb and fight through) are great, sometimes more fun than the main missions themselves. However I used the “Brotherhood” stuff sparingly, built up the other assassin’s but didn’t use them very much to help me. Not sure I enjoyed that stuff, it seemed to detract from what made the game strong – exploring a great open world, sneaking and killing.
I’ll definitely be checking out Assassin’s Creed Revelations despite hearing mixed reviews, if only to explore Constantinople!
Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
Ah, Mario Kart. The DS version was fantastic, the Wii version pretty disappointing. 3DS version? Awesome 🙂
The 3D is tastefully done, the graphics the best Mario Kart on a handheld yet, the levels are a treat, the online is loads of fun, and the new flying abilities are great fun too.
Have sunk 25 hours into this so far, and still pick it up occasionally for a quick 5-10 minute competitive racing bout. This cartridge will probably live in my 3DS case for the rest of its life.
Canabalt (Android phone)
I played this mobile game occasionally for a few days. Kind of the original good free-runner. Not much needs to be said about this one, its a fun simple game made unique by its awesome visuals and shades of grey, spot on music and sound.
Dead Space Android (Asus Transformer Prime)
I should admit that I wasn’t convinced that tablet gaming could do anything serious or similar to a console, I saw them as being simple and mostly time fillers, aside from playing old Lucasarts classics using ScummVM.
But during a Google Play sale Dead Space came up for $1 and, being a fan of the series, I grabbed it. One cold cold night in Hobart I fired this up to take a break from work and was surprised how much I enjoyed the game!
The controls took some getting used to, but worked quite well, and while the game is extremely linear, it does reward you for exploration with power cells and ammo.
It capt
ures some of the tension of the original Dead Space in a tight little 3.5 hour package. A fun distraction, if slightly forgettable.
Bastion (Mac)
Bastion is beautiful. Beautiful setting, design, graphics, music – love it all. It also has one of the best storytelling devices I’ve seen in a game – a voiceover that delivers the narrative, as well as giving occasional hints. The voiceover fits perfectly into the gameplay, gets you into the story and is often humorous.
Sadly I just wasn’t into the actual combat of the game. It was hack n slash fun for a few hours, but I got bored of it and gave up. Very glad to have played it and enjoyed the great elements the game has to offer, but sadly the gameplay just wasn’t my thing.
Star fox 64 (3DS)
This is such a campy delight, terrible dialogue & silly story matched with excellent gameplay. I’ve only spent a few hours of the game and “finished” it, but realise I really need to go back and finish those missions more completely so I can get the “good” ending.
Looking forward to playing this again, it lives alongside Mario Kart in my 3DS case, ready for an emergency gaming situation.
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
I don’t want to over-state this, but this is the best Mario game since Mario Galaxy. My expectations were low after New Super Mario Bros Wii, but this game blows it away.
Excellent use of the system’s 3D in puzzles, plus the level design feels like the perfect fusion of 3D and 2D platforming.
There are 8 relatively easy worlds making this game very accessible to new players, which opens up 8 more worlds that are harder. Plus you’re going to want to collect all the Star Coins, because its so damn fun. I’m currently playing this occasionally, I’ve unlocked everything but haven’t played it through as Luigi, so doing that now.
This was a real surprise, and a MUST HAVE for any 3DS owners.
Resistance 3 (PS3)
Resistance games tend to be pretty solid, and the 3rd entry in the series feels as strong as the 2nd one (which I loved.)
Only played the single player, but loved how many weapons you could play with right off the bat. Not too much new stuff, but enough to feel fresh and not a total retread of the previous games.
Gets tough at the end there!
Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)
Oh man – how did I play this game so late? What a treat! The story is great, the characterisations of the Batman universe characters are fantastic, and the game looks and feels perfect.
There is also some fun variety in the gameplay, from puzzle solving, combat, stealthily swooping on unsuspecting baddies, and the awesome delusional worlds created by the Scarecrow.
The structure of the game felt very Zelda-like to me, collecting items or upgrades that let you go back through previous parts of the game and unlock things. The setting being limited to the Asylum worked really well, so I’m curious to see how they translate the game to a larger world in Arkham City.
Loved this game.
Wipeout 2048 (Vita)
As soon as I got my Vita for my 30th (thanks, Ladz!) I purchased and downloaded this game. As much as I love Mario Kart for my racing needs, a part of me craves the futurisitic high speeds and resolutions that Wipeout provides. And it looks and plays flawlessly, the Vita really is the gruntiest handheld I’ve played. Spent lots of time racing around in Wipeout, occasionally joining the online matches too.
I think I suck at racing games, or maybe I just don’t get the subtleties, but there was a point where I finally wasn’t good enough to progress in the game. So while I won’t play this as much as Mario Kart, I’ll still pop this on for the occasional high-octane future race!
Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Vita)
The good stuff:
Very very entertaining game, lots of classic Uncharted thrills and spills. The good parts of the game were outstanding, and the leadup to the last few chapters was hugely exciting. Great music and environments too.
The bad stuff:
It felt like “Uncharted Lite”. Maybe that was unavoidable, but the script didn’t feel as strong as previous entries, the gameplay a little too familiar, really no surprises at all. Plus the addition of gimmicky front and rear touch screen controls was annoying.
Still, a very fun game, and again showing off how powerful the little Vita is!
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (3DS)
I had only played MGS4 and loved it, so was keen to check out some of the earlier games. This did not disappoint. Same great stealth missions, super-inventive bosses, ridiculously long but earnest cut-scenes, and a handful of total batshit ideas. The Metal Gear Solid games could be complete rubbish if they weren’t delivered with such confidence and polish.
I think I spent an entire day in Hobart playing this game, sucked in by the challenging stealth missions and amused by the overblown plot and characters. I seriously don’t know whats happening half the time, and yet I still somehow care.
You get to play Solid Snake again, and its a fun trip through his past. The 3D is actually pretty nicely done too, but I mostly played the game with the 3D off to rest the eyes and the battery.
MGS is a pretty unique franchise, and I’m definitely checking out more in the series.
Osmos (Android)
This is a fantastic phone/tablet game, with a simple idea (gobble up stars that are smaller than you to become the biggest) executed perfectly with pretty visuals and totally immersive sound design. This is a fun one for the dark with headphones.
Super Meat Boy (Mac)
I checked out Super Meat Boy ages ago and I was totally stuck by the first boss level. I loved it, but it was too hard for me and I gave up. Then I saw Indie Game: The Movie (which is bril by the way, watch it!) and was inspired to give it another try, and it was well worth it!
Super Meat Boy’s strength is in its insanely challenging level design. You can play it in 5 minute bouts or settle in for hour long challenges, the game totally holds up. Hugely endearing design and cutscenes. And the “instant replay” where you see all of your failed attempts at a level play out all at once is a delight – best replay feature in a game EVER.
I still haven’t been able to complete the last level of the Light world, and haven’t attempted too much of the Dark world. This game will sit on the laptop for a while for when I next feel brave enough to try it. It probably plays better with a controller but its not available on PS3 or any of my handhelds. It plays ok on the keyboard anyway.
Monkey Island 1 & 2 (PS3)
Y’know when you’re at home sick and feeling miserable and you need to just put something on, like a comfort movie? Mine is Star Wars. But since the Monkey Island remakes made their way to PS3, that might change.
I must have played Monkey Island 1 dozens of times when I was young, and I still love every bit of it today. The remake is great, updated graphics, voice acting, and a control scheme that works pretty well on the PS3.
I have no idea what this would be like for someone who doesn’t have the nostalgic attachment to the series I do, but this game is the ultimate comfort food for me. Perfect mix of humour and adventure game silliness.
You fight like a dairy farmer.
Mario Tennis Open (3DS)
Mario Tennis never really got better than it was on the N64, but I picked this up in Hobart to play some short sessions. At first I was totally underwhelmed, the default settings are a boring touch-screen mechanic that ruins any fun.
Just as I was about to give up on this and consider taking it back to the shop, I discovered that you could change settings and play it using just the buttons, and that it was just as fun as the N64 version!
After some hours demolishing the computer (some tough opponents!) I tried to play some online matches when I got back to Sydney. Sadly, it seems very few people have taken up the game, particularly online, and my 3DS would sit there sadly trying to find competitors for 10 mins before conking out. On the odd occasion I found someone to play against, it was a treat. The best part of N64 Mario Tennis was playing against other humans, especially being in the same room as them. This came close, but I need some friends to play against. A shame, the Mario Kart community is strong and constant, you never lack an online competition.
Resistance: Burning Skies (Vita)
This game was a mixed bag. On the up-side, this game made it clear that the Vita is the perfect handheld device for great first-person shooters. The system ran perfectly, the controls were great, and I was totally excited to be playing an FPS in bed in a hotel.
Sadly, Burning Skies is an uninspiring entry to an otherwise excellent franchise. Made by different developers (not Insomniac) it feels rushed with boring level design. You still get the fun guns of the Resistance world, and that stuff is good, but meh.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it. It was fun but shit. Lots of bugs, clumsy character design, clunky story. But its still FPS on a handheld and it felt GOOD! My dream of Oblivion on a handheld (yeah I know, it’ll never happen) felt slightly closer.
New Super Mario Bros 2 (3DS)
Another hasty Hobart purchase. This one I regret. NSMB2 feels far too familiar, and not in a good way. Uninventive. Fun for a while just like any Mario platformer, then boring. And then it just gets frustrating.
After Super Mario 3D Land – which was brilliant – this was a major letdown. I played for around 4 hours before I gave up. I’m not willing
to get rid of it yet, will consider coming back to it with an open mind another time (especially sine playing NSMBU!) but for now this is relegated to the shelf.
Kings Quest: Quest For The Throne (Mac)
Those who played the original King’s Quest games in the 80s might be keen to check out this site:
http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/
Free downloads of remakes of the first 3 King’s Quest games. Fun! Kings Quest 5 style graphics with voiceover. Probably only for fans of the original series, not sure they quite hold up today.
However I am keen to play through the rest of the series, or at least revisit the excellent KQ6. (I played through KQ5 more times than probably any other game I’ve owned, as it was one of the few games I had that ran in 256 colours. From memory it came on 10 floppy discs, and I had to upgrade our 286 from 512k Ram to 640k. Ah, good times.)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
This game was both special and annoying. Thankfully, the special far outweighed the annoying.
This one sticks with the tried and tested Zelda formula established in Ocarina, but is probably the best looking Zelda game. Lots of great surprises and characters, insanely fun boss battles and dungeons, great fun world to explore with plenty of distractions and secrets to uncover for those so inclined.
There were so any moments in the game that took me by surprise, even sometimes putting me in a state of awe. The great pirate ship level, the massive flying thingy you need to ride and fight, many great moments.
There were unfortunately a few annoying elements of the game – the pacing felt really wrong, and some sections were really dragged out, almost like they were just trying to make you revisit areas so that the game was longer. It probably could have done with an edit, as I spent something like 50 hours or something in the game, which is probably 10 or so hours too long.
The controls were good, however the single most frustrating part of the game was the final boss fight, where you need to hold the wiimote directly up to charge a “skyward strike” but the controls felt clumsy and unforgiving. Incredibly frustrating for controller inaccuracy to be the main cause of a long boss battle going awry.
But aside from the 2 niggles (some annoying control moments and overlong game) its still a must-play Zelda title, and for the bulk of it was a joy that I became a little too obsessive about for the time I played it.
Sound Shapes (Vita)
If you have a Vita – buy this game! It demonstrates exactly why the console should be more popular – a great looking & sounding game that is ideal for short bursts of gameplay and has enough to keep you engaged and coming back for a while.
Sound Shapes is basically a simple platformer that is about exploring the music of each level. The last few tracks are by Beck, and are by far the game highlights. Each song or album has a different design feel, and there is more variety in gameplay mechanics than I would have expected too. Not to mention that the game has level design tools included that, on a cursory play, are super simple!
Fantastic headphone handheld experience.
Update: So when you buy the Vita version, you also get it on PS3. I downloaded and installed it recently to show a friend, played it through my big speakers, and it was even better than on the Vita! Totally awesome. To quote Guangyao: “Now I’m going to be disappointed the rest of my life isn’t like this!”
Picross E (3DS)
Picross was my favourite puzzle game on DS, and its great to get these new releases on the 3DS. A very simple number/grid game, perfect for playing in front of the TV during a dull show or just to kill a bit of time. Levels can range from taking 1 minute to 30 minutes.
Lots of fun, and a warning that when you start out, its incredibly addictive.
Journey (PS3)
A lot has been written about Journey, and its lots of people’s Game of the Year. Understandably so, its a totally unique gaming experience with amazing visual and audio design, pushing the medium in a bold direction.
It might only last 3 hours, but the memory of the game is one of the most enduring you’ll have. If you have a PS3 don’t hesitate, grab this game, and make sure you’re online.
In my playthrough (have only done one so far) I was alone for much of it, but joined characters occasionally for shared adventures. I think there was one moment where I saw a character off in the distance, but decided to stay alone for a while. I regretted it, the game can make you feel so lonely!
The multiplayer aspect of this game is so clever – you are occasionally paired with a random user playing the game at the same time as you somewhere in the world, and your interactions are only by calling out and sharing energy. There is no way you can obstruct each other or make the other player’s experience a difficult one. It creates the most positive, surprising multiplayer experience I’ve ever had.
During my playthrough I texted my friend Peter about it, and he said he’d been playing it at the same time. I got insanely excited – what if one of the players I’d played with had been Pete! Unfortunately he’d been playing offline, so I’m curious to know what his experience was like. At the very end of the game you get a list of the usernames of people who joined you on your journey.
Anyway, I haven’t really described the game, as I think it just needs to be experienced. And turn the sound up. Do it!
Rayman Jungle
Run (Android)
I hadn’t played a Rayman game before this, but if the quality of this mobile game is anything to go by, I’m now VERY interested in the franchise.
This game takes the free-run auto-run whatever genre in a great direction, making it feel like an excellent platforing game with bonuses to collect and levels to unlock. Its a LOT of fun, and more than a little addictive. Not to mention pretty!
Little Big Planet PS Vita (Vita)
In some ways – this is the best Little Big Planet game. It lives so well in the handheld format, multiplayer is great, levels are excellent, and the game is absolutely PACKED with extra features and mini-games that aren’t even related to the LBP world (the Arcade section could have spawned multiple successful mobile games!)
LBP also uses the extra features of the Vita (front and rear touch screens, gyroscope) but does it really well. Nothing ever feels gimicky, just feels a part of the overall design.
Great looking game, loads of fun, its just let down by the fact that as a platformer, LBP still feels a little clunky beside something more precise like Mario. But if you can get past some of the awkward platforming feel – LBP on the Vita is fantastic fun!
It got me excited for LBP Kart Racing, but sadly I’ve heard that game is not so great.
Judge Dredd vs Zombies (Android)
I’m a big Judge Dredd fan. Dredd hasn’t fought Zombies since Judgement Day in the 90s. I’m not sure why this game wasn’t set then. Downloaded because it was free. Tried it out for an hour or so. Its kinda fun, but ultimately I only really gave it as long as I did because I’m a Dredd fan. Its a pretty forgettable little shooter, and zombies are boring.
Unfinished Swan (PS3)
Another PSN exclusive download. Unfinished Swan is another unique, beautiful experience. The opening mechanics, painting the world around you to reveal it, is a total success. The storytelling is fun and engaging, and the level design throughout is a win.
Another 3 hour game, it is the perfect length for what it wants to achieve. Probably not as transcendental an experience as Journey – but one I am very likely to play again soon, if just to collect more balloons. And man – its pretty!
My only criticism is that I found the narrator’s voice quite dull. I know lots of people love it though, so each to their own.
Again, well worth checking out if you’re a PS3 owner. A beautiful and unique experience.
Mass Effect: Infiltrator (Android)
I played this Android game for 2 reasons: 1) To increase my “Galaxy at War” rating in in Mass Effect 3 (pretty annoyed at the tie-in). 2) I heard it was the same guys who made the Android Dead Space game that I quite enjoyed.
While I thought the game looked and sounded great, I just couldn’t get past the controls. The cover system was just gross to get a hold of, and I gave up playing after a few levels. Disappointing.
In the end I played multiplayer mode within ME3 itself to improve my Galaxy at War readiness, and that proved to be far more satisfying. I’d say ignore this game unless you’re a completist.
Mass Effect 3 (PC)
I’m worried this game is somehow tainted by the ending and subsequent online uproar. Its a shame, because I actually think this might be the best of an already superb trilogy!
A quick recap on my thoughts of the previous 2 (I played on PC): ME1 had a fantastic story, introduced the world and characters wonderfully, felt very focussed. ME2 improved the gameplay drastically, was incredible fun to play, and while the sprawling story was fun, it felt less focused on more scattershot than ME1.
Mass Effect 3, for me, combines the best of the first two games and delivers in spades (whatever that means, why do spades deliver? I don’t play cards.) The story is all building towards the final showdown between the galaxy and the Reapers and the gameplay is crazy fun and totally polished. There are a host of characters and sidequests, but everything is made to feel important and significant.
Decisions and relationships you make in the previous games all come to a head in this one, and I felt like much of the game was a huge payoff for the previous 2 games. I managed to unite races that had been at war for years, and I felt like I could only have achieved that by doing what I’d done in the previous games. Lots of small character moments and massive battles. Seriously, this game is epic on multiple scales.
So the ending – yeah I guess its not amazing. The choice at the end can feel a bit arbitrary after what you’ve been through, but at least it still makes you engage with how you feel about the issues of sentience and forces you to make a moral judgement based on what the games had made you feel and think up until that point. I didn’t feel like it was a massive cop-out, the whole game had been appeasing me and paying off previous time investments already. In a way the ending was actually kind of bold. I’d say it perhaps feels like a copout because it didn’t go far enough….
Anyway, ending aside, the other small niggle I had was the “Galaxy at War” readiness thingy, that decided how strong your fleet was based on how you played ME3, but also a few tie-in iPhone and Android games and apps, as well as multiplayer. I was pretty annoyed by this, I really just wanted my single-player experience, but thankfully the multiplayer was really good and there seemed to be a strong community out there still playing it when I was, a year after the game came out.
I genuinely feel the Mass Effect Tri
logy is the best in video game history, particularly as an ambitious space epic. I’m not sure how well it will date, but I look forward to playing all 3 again in the future.
As for ME3 DLC, I’d be interested (I played lots of the ME2 DLC) but there are so many other things to play in the meantime! I think I’m done with the Mass Effect universe for a while.
A character import story:
So my ME1 character imported into ME2 no problems. My decision to get ME3 on PC was based purely on my desire to import my ME2 character and see 2 games worth of decisions payoff. When I tried to import the character into ME3 – fail! Turns out I had an incomplete save file, and had had to wipe my PC due to a HDD failure earlier in the year. I was devastated. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to play the game without my character!
Then I discovered this website: http://www.masseffectsaves.com/
After trawling through many many save profiles, I found one person who had played through the game almost identically to me, just missing a few DLC bits. I downloaded their save file, loaded it up in ME3, and voila! Was able to play through ME3 with a character who was 95% similar to mine. I love you internet! (And also PC gaming, as I doubt this would have been possible on a console!)
Uncharted 3 (PS3)
More Uncharted fun. Doesn’t do anything the previous game didn’t do – but is still an extraordinary looking game full of highly scripted but very fun thrills. A big-budget spectacle that delivers everything you expect. Not a huge amount of depth or replayability, but still a great ride.
The Walking Dead (Mac)
I’ve been a Telltale Games fan for a while. I documented my huge disappointment in the Jurassic Park game here.
So when I heard Telltale were doing Walking Dead, and it looked like it was going to have similar mechanics to the JP game, I wasn’t interested. I find zombies quite boring anyway. So this was the first Telltale game I hadn’t bought in years.
Then reviews started coming out. Positive ones. Friends started saying “oh my god, have you played walking dead!” I was shocked – can Telltale really have redeemed themselves after JP? I still wasn’t convinced, but when a friend (thanks, Marc!) gifted it to me on Steam and the Christmas holidays came around, I sat down to play this over a couple of days.
And it was awesome. Excellent script, a real sense of weight and urgency to decisions you make, fantastic graphic style, a totally compelling and engrossing experience. It still had the very simple game mechanics of Jurassic Park, quite limited interactions with things and linear story progression – but it works because the story and characters are SO compelling, and your decisions actually have an impact on the way characters interact with you and the way the plot unfolds. It often feels more like an interactive movie than a game, and thats not necessarily a bad thing.
The key is emotional investment in the characters. And while its a relatively easy and manipulative device, the way you are made to care for young Clementine is totally effective. I would have killed anyone who tried to hurt her! As much as the backdrop is a collapsing world full of zombies, the stories are all totally human and driven by believable motivations, fears & hopes.
I played the game over 3 or 4 days in long sittings, so it was totally effective, like watching an awesome TV series in a short time span. I was a little too involved, so many fantastic moments of despair and triumph. And that ending…. ugh so good. I wept like a baby.
An excellent job by Telltale, making one of the most engaging video game stories I’ve ever played. CHECK THIS OUT, MUM! And let me know how you went! The game shows you stats of what decisions other players made too, which is a cool feature. And when you finish it – wait for the credits to end!
Now the game is not without its problems. The biggest being the huge number of bugs it seems to have. And everyone seems to have different problems. Mine was having to replay half an hour of gameplay when Episode 1 didn’t save correctly (I remember having a similar problem in the Back to the Future game). In the end, I simply didn’t quit the game in the middle of an episode. I’ve heard far worse stories, where decisions from previous episodes didn’t carry over and whole episodes had to be replayed.
A Telltale redemption. Makes me look at Jurassic Park in a fonder light. Doesn’t make me ever want to play it again though…..
New Super Mario Bros U (Wii U)
For Christmas I got a Wii U. Yay! So for the first few days of 2013 I spent around 30 hours playing the crap out of New Super Mario Bros U.
Above I expressed how stale NSMB2 was. This game is the opposite. At first, it feels like a regular Mario 2D platformer. With one immediately striking difference – its in HD. The game looks fantastic, and in later levels starts experimenting with different visual styles too. It never strays too far from its comfort zone, but is certainly a step up from the previous titles.
The levels also increase in difficulty and inventiveness. While I got too frustrated to bother collecting all the Star Coins in NSMB2, this game struck a much better balance, and the quest for elusive Star Coins was utterly infuriating and rewarding at the same time – easily my favourite aspect of the game.
The Miiverse integration is also great, as you select worlds you’ll see the comments made by other players around the world. It is a real treat to share your experiences when you’re stuck in a level or achieve something great, and the game prompts you at just the right time. The short-level nature of the game seems really well suited to the quick online post, so I’m curious to see how well that Wii U feature might be incorporated into other titles. It also stopped me annoying everyone on Twitter with updates!
I tried the multiplayer briefly, but it wasn’t fun. Not sure why. Maybe it was the mood of the evening. But this sort of game has always been best as a single player experience for me anyway. Loved it – Mario Win!
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Vita)
This fun little post-modern ditty told me at one point: “Turn the game console off right now”
I didn’t, of course, cause crazy stuff was starting to go down and I was wondering what the hell I’d been playing for the last 7 hours!
It seems I’m working through the MGS games backwards, and this old gem was a lot of fun. Starts out with a great mission as Solid Snake, then switches to the new whiny guy Raiden, a more complicated character than he first seems. You spend a while as Raiden on this huge oil rig, going around stealthily all over it for hours. I’m surprised I never got bored of the setting, there was always enough going on.
Control scheme took a while for me to get used to, but once I did, it was fun.
I’m pretty much a Metal Gear Solid fan now. They are so silly, ambitious and downright fun.
Now back to Skyrim. Oh my god, Skyrim…..
Elias Rambles 