The clouds... are the same as the bushes!!!
The clouds... are the same as the bushes!!!
Wowzers.
In addition to BioShock 2 (next week?), Final Fantasy XIII, Alan Wake, Heavy Rain (ha ha!) and others I am forgetting, Bethesda expects the next full-on Fallout game to be out before the end of the year. It's set in Vegas.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/106/1066621p1.html
DaggerofChrist unmasked
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epFupigyIN8Originally Posted by TomHicks
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As someone who played through Shenmue and became hooked on it despite its flaws and slow, sometimes pointless gameplay, I am curious about Heavy Rain. But I don't know... Lately I've been leaning more towards games that just let you do whatever you feel like doing, and the story emerges organically from your activities -- ever since playing GTA games, I've found myself annoyed by "narrative" games that put you on rails and send you through a story with very little choice as to what happens next -- you either succeed or fail at advancing the plot, which is so horribly simplistic when you consider the complexity that games can achieve now. I love movies and TV shows, but I want something different from a game than what those media offer. I want to feel like I'm in that world, deciding where to go and what to do, even if the overarching motivation comes from the designer (catch the killer, find the princess, whatever).
Ever since playing half life 2 and Oblivion, I've been a firm believer in linearity.
To me, an open world game is more of a time sink than anything. I played Oblivion for a few days until I said to myself "Wait a minute, I'm not actually having fun here."
I'm not against the idea of open world, but I don't think you can really compare the experience of a good linear game to a what's considered a good open world game. I mean, think about the realities of the time and money people have to make games. Either you can devote your resources into one giant mission (a single player campaign, if you will), or dozens of missions. The level of quality has to go down for the sake of economy. A level designer only has so many clever ideas. Would I play GTA missions if they happened to be set in a linear fashion? Some, yes. Most, no. I can really only point to a few key story missions in San Andreas (out of the whole series) that I would call memorable.
Of course, some games blur the line between open world and linearity and are great. I just feel like a lot of games are ruined by an attempt to make them open world.
There a lot of merit in a well-crafted, finely honed experience.
(in my opinion, for my personal gaming tastes)
I'm a MAN, dammit!
Open worlds have their benefits and their downsides. The major downside is a break in the pacing of the game's story. Linearity does not suffer from this problem but it does so at the price of longevity. That is, sandbox games only end when you want them. The story ends, sure, but the gameplay can go as long as you can find excuses to play. Linearity often has more narrative drive to it nowadays but I think highly linear games only work when there is a more cinematic touch to them (ala Uncharted 2). Or when they kept it simple like in the NES days.
Put short, there are strengths and weakness to each approach
I think the best games are linear and you don't even realize it.
Open-ended sandbox games are definitely fun in their own right, as GTA has undoubtedly proven, but I cannot for the life of me figure out who decided that linearity was BAD. You'll read reviews nowadays where a game cited reasons for a game being rated lower is because it's "too linear." That's bullshit.
Then again, game reviews in general are bullshit. Actually, reviews in general are bullshit, but this is the games thread, so...
Games are experiences. A linear game is more like a book. You can generally only have that experience ONCE. Achievements and goals might expand that but the further down onto rails you get, the narrower the experience.
To me, and I've argued this before openness should mean choices of method and plot points. Can I stealth my way through a mission? Fight my way through? Explore for shits and giggles? I'm fine with a "linear" story line like almost all games have even GTA/Fallout(1,2,3)/Oblivion. Openness creates unique worlds and personalizes the story. Linearity creates focus and, to me makes it less engaging.
Hosted by Gene George and Brodie Foster Hubbard
Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes · Tweet us @ShakeytownRadio · "Like" us at Facebook · E-mail us at shakeytownradio@gmail.com
Telephone us at 626-66-SHAKE (or, 626-667-4253)
"There's only two things that happen under underpasses: blowjobs and knifings." — Eddie Pepitone"I don't mind seeing leprechauns, I don't want them to see me" - Paul F. Tompkins
Anybody want to buy a Gamecube for 10 bucks? I'm going to take up knitting instead.
Garrett Gonzalez Morris (born February 1, 1937) is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was part of the original cast of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980
For the British flautist, see Gareth Morris.
You've obviously never read a Choose Your Own Adventure book.
Splosion Man was on sale this week (still is?), so I picked it up. Totally great game. Perfect for anyone that ever wanted Mario to be mostly wall jumping puzzles.
Played through a demo of Heavy Rain since I got the code for it before it gets released on the PS store. Gotta say that my impressions that it was basically the inheritor of Shenmue's legacy were basically confirmed. There is a lot of to this game, by the looks of things. Some interesting action stuff and investigation mechanics for when you are playing as the FBI agent.
Controls were a little clunky but you get used to them. Very cinematic in tone. Good voice acting, not great but just overall solid. The lip syncing is particularly impressive.
Overall, I am very interested in this game now that I've gotten to play it.
sounds like you've never played Uncharted 2
nathan smart!
http://www.nathansmart.com
ET for the 2600 was a good open ended game which so many have copied since that time.
I know I'm way behind on this one, but I just played Left for Dead (the first one) last night...for 5 minutes...right before I sealed it up and sent it back to Gamefly. Maybe I didn't "get" it...I totally hated it. Did I give up too soon?
Did you shoot zombies? Did you have to work together with a group of friends or strangers to kill zombies? Yes? Then you got it. Its an incredibly simple (and I find, very fun) game. There is nothing to get. Killing zombies is fun when its hard to survive. The game gives you enough zombies and little enough health that its hard to survive.
Well, then I guess maybe story is more important to me than I may have previously thought...I can't wait for Bioshock 2 tomorrow. Though I've heard that they sacrificed some of the story-driven elements for this installment...I don't know why I didn't click with Left for Dead. I love Zombie/Survivor games...
I also was pretty bored by Left 4 Dead, and I did play it with friends. It was ok the first time through the game (which took maybe an hour) but subsequent replays were not as new and interesting as people had lead me to believe they would be.
I get the feeling it was only as enjoyable as it was because anything multiplayer is at least a little fun. I mean, I played through Stubbs the Zombie with a friend of mine and that game was terrible. Great soundtrack though.
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