And now for my second installment of Counter-Strike ranting…
HELLDIVERS Announced
For those itching for a new topdown co-op shooter, Arrowhead Game Studios, in collaboration with Foster City Studios, has recently announced HELLDIVERS. Set in a war-torn, dystopian future, players will control the titular unit of elite HELLDIVERS and battle against hordes of alien invaders. The creators boast three separate alien factions to fend off with a hefty emphasis on team coordination. Like their previous release, Magicka, they have incorporated friendly fire into the mix… As if fighting off hordes of enemies wasn’t hectic enough!
Game-play in HELLDIVERS will have players deploying to procedurally generated warzones and utilizing their perks, weapons and active skills, known as “stratagems”, to battle back the alien hordes invading Earth. Fret not, this isn’t just some horde mode clone as HELLDIVERS will require players work to complete various objectives while enduring the onslaught. In-lieu of divulging any details on the game’s story, Arrowhead Game Studios has stated: “You’ll fight with the community to save humanity and all of your combined efforts, mistakes and heroic deeds will affect the larger campaign; a campaign where every battle counts and victories unlock cool content for all.”
HELLDIVERS will have available cross-play/save between PS3, PS4 and PS Vita, and will also allow for 4-player local with 2 players on the PS4 and 2 players on PS Vitas.
Though no formal release date has been announced, the developer’s blog hints at a “not so distant future of 2014” release.
Check out their official site by clicking the picture at the top.
Crytek announces HUNT
Crytek is throwing their hat into the Co-Operative Multiplayer ring with their latest announced game HUNT: Horrors of the Gilded Age. And don’t worry, it has been confirmed to be showcased E3 2014.
Nostalgia Bomb: Counter-Strike Pt. 1
Before I get into this rant-of-sorts, I am going to explain where I am coming from. The purpose of the “Nostalgia Bomb” post is to showcase the games that helped shape my love for gaming. I use heavy artistic license in these to prevent anyone from thinking that this is anything more than my opinion. It’s all about appreciation for the games that I grew up with; the ones that have helped inform me of what I admire so much about gaming and its community.
So without further ado… Get on with it already
Check this out: Kickstarter Games
Kickstarter is a perfect nesting ground for launching some independent, original, and sometimes incredibly innovative games. As a Kickstarter fan and supporter, I often peruse this section to see if any interesting projects are hidden within. With the reception of games born out of “Kickstarted” projects being scattershot at best, I tend to tread lightly when funding games. But that doesn’t mean I don’t keep an eye out for those hot up-and-comers. I recently searched the Kickstarter video games section, and have chosen a few I think might be worth following, if not putting some dollars into.
Transistor (PS4)
Throughout my experience with this game, one thing became abundantly clear: Transistor knows exactly what it is and doesn’t stop to get your opinion on the matter. From the very beginning, the game throws you into the world and says “Figure it out”. This lack of hand holding is as refreshing as it is tonally relevant and entices the players to explore not only their surroundings, but the mechanics within the game as well.
Transistor’s main plot begins as Red, a singer by trade, has narrowly escaped an attack by a mysterious entity. With the help of the transistor, a sword she finds after awakening, she begins to unravel the mystery surrounding her would-be attackers and their plans for the technology obsessed Cloudbank and its citizens. During their journey, Red and the transistor must battle “the process”, a program that is systematically taking the streets and people of Cloudbank “offline”. With the help of fallen citizens, Red must seek an end to the process while simultaneously seeking out those who stole her voice.
Supergiant Games has taken great concessions within Transistor to allow the player to claim their own understanding of its world. Rather than spelling everything out for the player, Transistor encourages, and maybe begs, for the player to root around and find its back story. Large plot points are represented by cut-scenes and easily found interactive objects, but most of the deep cuts are entirely optional. While this may lead to a terse narrative for those who rush through the game, those who utilize the different mechanics of exploration and skill implementation will be rewarded with a much deeper, more realized world.
Art direction in Transistor is phenomenal, taking cues from its successful predecessor, Bastion. Sprawling, hand-drawn landscapes combined with a vibrant color palette allow for a stark contrast to the moody, dark tone of Transistor’s story. The lighting and particle effects add life to the empty streets of Cloudbank, turning exploration into a scenic tour rather than a laborious trudge. As I carted Red and the transistor around Cloudbank, I was amazed at the sheer opulence that Transistor regularly dishes out. Though hand-drawn graphics may be niche for some, I feel it breathes style and imagination into the narrative sparse world of Transistor.
The voice acting in this game is scarce except for the near-constant, stream of consciousness ramblings from the transistor. Unfortunately, this tended to break my immersion due to context and delivery of the transistor’s blathering. Contextually, the transistor will spout terse, master-of-the-obvious level quips ad-nausea. To compound this, the transistor most often sounds one Decemberists song away from suicide, save for a couple rare moments. As the story unfolds, you begin empathize with the transistor’s plight, but there is ultimately no narrative pay-off for his incessant gloom. This overt narration style worked for Bastion because of how likeable Rucks was, yet with Transistor it feels more like a callback and less a thoughtful story-telling device.
As expected, Supergiant Games put much effort in crafting a soundtrack with perfect parity to the setting and tone. Much like the soundtrack of Bastion, the songs played throughout Transistor assist in environmental immersion, drawing you in and evolving as the world around you does. This paired with the turn-based combat system prevents tonal clash during battles as there are no screeching guitar licks or over-the-top rock operettas. Though it may seem a little corny, having Red hum along with the tunes actually adds to the experience without seeming too gimmicky.
As is its setting, the skill and battle systems also take an exploratory approach to mastery. Though the skills and relevant combinations are spelled out in the selection menu, only through experimentation will the player fully understand how each ability pair works. Mixing up skills can drastically change the pace of battle; for instance, if you choose to charm enemies you may want to focus on more range and escape based skills. The shear breadth of the skill system compliments the turn-based system wonderfully, as it adds another level of preparation to battle. By the end of the game, you will most likely be saying “Sun Tzu ain’t got shit on me”.
Battle encounters begin as the field is traced with illuminate dots and obstructions appear within them. Once the process spawns, the choice between running around like a headless chicken and utilizing the turn-based combat begins. After you have carefully planned your attacks, Red will quickly dispense a can of ass-whoopery upon the process. Known in Transistor as the rush mechanic, it is a great tool in fighting through the swarms of enemies without taking serious damage. After each rush, a cool-down phase renders you vulnerable and the process will attack with impunity. Health goes fast… real fast, so defensive planning is also imperative. As Red loses all her health, she will shed abilities until she is has no more, thus rendering her dead. You may not die a lot in Transistor, but you will feel the sting of losing your best abilities after a poorly executed battle.
Those crying for more difficulty can rest easy as Transistor employs several means to increase it, namely through the use of limiters. While utilizing these provides bonus XP, the difference in incentive and difficulty is largely uneven. I realize this is to regulate balance, but 4% bonus XP for the enemy doing double damage is absurdly uneven. That aside, the masochists that utilize limiters after trophy baiting will be rewarded with brutal and lengthy battles.
Challenges have also returned in the form of back doors within Cloudbank. Once Red enters one, she is taken to a hammock adorned beach, where the player can perform the challenge levels, play with a dog, or select specific tracks to listen to. The challenges may award XP, but the real treat is unlocking more of this awesome soundtrack.
The guys and gals at Supergiant Games have really pulled off something great with their sophomoric release, Transistor. From its beauty to its deceiving depth of design and its high re-playability, Transistor proves that a $20 dollar game can pack the same punch as a $60 one. The best parts of this game are definitely the combat and the attention to detail within the story and characters. Those looking for a winding roller coaster of a story might be let down by its conclusion, but will surely enjoy the road along the way. As the new generation games are showing off all the new tech bells and whistles, Transistor seems to be the rallying cry for games to flex their artistic muscles. With the lack of PS4 RPGs on the market currently, Transistor is definitely here to fill that void.
Reduction Junction
Final Score: Excellent (4/5)
The Good
- Beautiful, Hand-drawn visuals.
- Moody and fitting soundtrack.
- Immense re-playability and variety.
- Amazingly rich and complex battle system.
- Character back stories are actually interesting.
The Bad
- Get ready to hear the transistor talk… a lot.
- Limiters feel like a rip off.
E3 is coming… Do we need it?
With E3 2014 looming around the corner, the rumor mill has begun its inevitable wind-up. From the Fallout 4 and Half-Life 3 rumors, the supposed death knell of Microsoft’s Kinect, or the massive list of sequels to be pressed within the next year, speculation is reaching critical mass… and the show isn’t even for another couple of weeks. The pageantry and media frenzy regarding E3 has always been relatively large, but as video games begin to market themselves so heavily, does E3 still need to boast the extravagance it is so well known for?
So You Wanna Be a Game Journalist – The Jeff Gerstmann Edition
DOTA 2: PUG Life
Recently, I have entered the MOBA scene, or multiplayer online battle arena for the uninitiated, with casual wonder. This was not my first foray into competitive online games, but it has proven to revitalize my passion for the genre and give birth to my support of the overarching phenomenon known as e-Sports. While I have never been a hater of professional gamers, I hadn’t really participated in the movement. With the monolithic success of DOTA 2 and the overwhelming support via twitch TV and other streaming services, the status of e-Sports has begun to grow from a hardcore gamer niche to near professional sport levels within recent years. While this will not be a story of my aspirations to become a professional gamer, it will be an account of my experiences from my humble beginnings to my current state in the game. Fear not! This will not be an attempt to review DOTA 2, as Mr. Sean Bean will succinctly prove, such an attempt would be a fool’s errand:
This is the beginning of my toils as a lone gamer in DOTA 2…
The Lone Gamer...er 