• 24Jan 09

  Reinventing the wheel

  This generation has been great so far. All the different technical aspects of each console has given us many interesting ways to play. Though there are a lot of great games out for this generation, too often it feels like I'm playing a last-gen game with HD graphics. I've put together a few ideas that I believe could re-invigorate each genre to make them feel truly "next-gen."

  First up: action games. This goes under any kind of shooter (1st, 3r, top down etc), beat-em-up and anything else where you kill something.

  1st idea: Take better advantage of physics. Most action games consider physics as "ragdolls" and nothing else. Crysis really is my main example of this.On the surface Crysis is little more than a Far Cry-esque tactical shooter, but its creative use of physics allow you to tackle your objective in far more inventive ways than your typical action game. I'm suggesting to make that the norm for action games now. Or at least use as a standard now.

  2nd idea: Don't spoon-feed the players. This was my ONLY gripe with Bioshock and I've been seeing more of a trend in this in recent years, in an attempt to appeal to the "casual" crowd. But there IS a difference between streamlining and spoon-feeding. Streamlining is when a games mechanics are made easier for beginners to grasp. But a streamlined game can still be just as appealing as any other one. But when [Bioshock] literally tells you where to go with an arrow that's pixel perfect and tells you to flip a switch by covering it in shiny gold paint, that level of spoon-feeding assistance just insults the player's intelligence.If you want to give clues on where you should go, leave subtle clues in the environment. If there is a switch next to a bridge that a player has to lower, there's no need to point an arrow to it. An action game that requires a player to think on his/her feet every now and again tends to be far more interesting than one that doesn't.

  Next up: RPGs

  One word: Setting. about 99.9% of all RPGs use either a fantasy or a sci-fi theme, especially the former. Every now and again you'll see one that branches out a little bit, twisting the typical fantasy or sci-fi universe. My thought is why not branch out further than that. Make an RPG set in the present. A crime drama RPG (GTARPG anyone?). Tom Clancey's RPG game. A WWII RPG. There are so many different themes to use and fantasy and sci-fi are continued being run to the ground. Tell me you wouldn't be interested in any of these.

  Now: Sports

  One thing and one thing only: Euphoria. Have all sports games implement Euphoria technology. Madden has been around for a good 20 years now, and since 2002, Madden games have played exactly the same way. Only the ball has any sort of physics engine behind it, so why not use a physics engine for the whole game. Anyone who has seen Backbreaker will tell you that it blows Madden out of the water in terms of realism. I'm saying if EA, 2K, Activision, Ubisoft all use a physics engine in their sports games it would really game them play SOO much better, since a big factor would be real-time physical contact, and not so much Player 1's tackle rating vs. Player 2's tacklebreak rating. Every sports game would benefit form having a physics engine.

  And last: Strategy

  Tom Clancy's Endwar had something going for them with Theatre of War. For those who don't now Theatre of War is the game Persistent online multiplayer mode. Well, why not expand on it. Make an MMORTS. Make a game world massive, and have small scale battle throughout the map. An army would essentially be a guild, and the player instead of being commanders of an entire army, make them a sergeant for a battalion.

  These are only a few idea for a few genres. comment on what you would think would be a genre revitalizer.

  • Posted Jan 24, 2009 3:16 pm GMT
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• 19Dec 07

  Best games of the year: By category

  Well, 2007 has been one HELL of a year for video games. Some that came out this year have been some of the greatest games I've ever played (I've been playing video games since I was about 4. and I'm 22 now). Some have been huge disappointments, and some have been flat out bad. After some serious thought (sad huh) about my favorite games to come out this year, here are my choices by category.

  Best graphics (technical): Crysis (PC)

  Wow . . . Just Wow. For the moment you see that first sunrise, you'll think, Am I looking at video from my vacation from Hawaii? When you realize that you've never been to Hawaii, you'll have experienced first-hand the beauty of Crysis.

  Runner-up: Unreal Tournament III

  Best graphics (artistic): Unreal Tournament III (PC)

  Though Gears of War was the first to use Unreal Engine 3, Unreal Tournament III was the first to truly take advantage of it. The diversity of the maps in UTIII are staggering, and the design is still first rate.

  Runners-up: Crysis, Bioshock, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Super Mario Galaxy

  Best sound: Crysis (PC)

  If you have a surround system for your PC. It'll not only sound like a real firefight, but feel like a firefight. Bullets whistling by and grenades going off 10-someodd feet that way and you'll swear your getting shot at.

  Runners-up: Call of Duty 4, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Unreal Tournament III

  Best soundtrack (original): Sam & Max: Season 1 (PC)

  Being a jazz fan, I absolutely LOVED the music in Sam & Max, Almost as much as I loved the dialogue. It's one of 2 video game soundtracks that I downloaded onto my mp3 player and listen to regularly (Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory being the other one).
  

  Runners-up: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

  Best soundtrack (licensed): Rock Band (Xbox 360)

  It's hard to go wrong with a diverse, yet focused soundtrack like Rock Band's. It's got everything from ****c rock (Gimme Shelter, (Don't Fear) The Reaper, Foreplay/Long Time), to modern hits (When You Were Young, Here it Goes Again), there'll be a little something for everyone.

  Runners-up: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80's

  Best story: Bioshock (Xbox 360)

  It's not so much the narrative itself, that gets this award, but it's the way that it's told, you are a part of the story, and YOU, not the character you play as, learn things as YOU go. Not to say that the narrative isn't great by itself, but the presentation of said narrative is what makes it so much better.

  Runner-up: Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed
  

  Best Expansion of the year: Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms (PC)

  Another huge bang for your buck. Kingdoms took the same, incredibly deep gameplay of Total War, expanded it a bit (new units 'n stuff), and created not one, not two, but FOUR focused campaigns out of it. Each campaign will last you about as long as the main campaign for Medieval II did. What's not to love?

  Runners-up: The Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles, Guild Wars: Eye of the North

  Multiplayer game of the year: Rock Band (Xbox 360)

  Just the idea of having 3 of your buddies in a band with you is awesome. But with Rock Band, the execution is even better than the concept. And it doesn't even stop there, playing online with your bandmates is incredible fun too.

  Runners-up: Unreal Tournament III, Call of Duty 4, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Team Fortress 2, Warhawk

  Best RPG of the year: Mass Effect (Xbox 360)

  I was actually reluctant about this one since I could never get into Knights of the Old Republic (though at the time, I hated RPGs so I'd probably like it if I went back to it now, but an RPG with a sci-fi theme are a dime-a-dozen. I thought the gunplay in this game worked very well for it's RPG battle system. Plus the story was great, the dialouge was even better (who doesn't love Seth Green?). The atmosphere was very immersive, and all this added up to just a good-ol' quality game.

  Runner-up: The Witcher

  Best strategy game of the year: Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (PC)

  Red Alert is still my all-time favorite strategy game, and after the sick joke that was C&C Generals, I was hesitant on EA's new game, but as far as I'm concerned, EA has redeemed themselves of the last generation by them returning C&C to form with Tiberium Wars.

  Runner-up: World in Conflict

  Best adventure game of the year: Assassin's Creed (PS3)

  The open-ended gameplay offers a lot of ways to play, and the mix of platforming, stealth, and action make this the best adventure game of 2007

  Runners-up: Sam & Max: Season 1, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

  Best action game of the year: Crysis (PC)

  Any game that uses physics for its gameplay will get some recognition from me, but Crysis made the physics a part of the gameplay. From trying to run away from the two tanks (hide in a hut or behind a wall, I DARE you) to fighting in zero gravity against aliens make this game an action game to remember.

  Runners-up: Unreal Tournament III, Halo 3, Bioshock

  2007 GAME OF THE YEAR: CRYSIS (PC)

  Of the 18 years of playing video games, many of the great moments in Crysis rank among my all-time favorites. Crysis is simply one thrill after another . . . after another . . . after another. And it doesn't let up until the very end. Which will have you just begging for more.

  2nd place: Rock Band

  3rd place: Unreal Tournament III

  So there ya go boys n' girls, my choices for the best games of 2007. You'll notice that there are no Wii games up there (except for a best graphics runner up, but you don't have to play a game to appreciate good artistic design) and that is simply because I don't own a Wii (that'll soon change hopefully). So for all you Nintendophiles out there, I'm not a hater.

  Comment, complain, complement, whatever.

  • Posted Dec 19, 2007 11:56 am GMT
  • Category: Games
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