Friday 15 July 2011

Audiosurf - Near infinite fun for music lovers

What is this neon blur? Read on to find out.

In short, if you have a reasonable sized music collection, a PC and £2.99 and you don't have this game you're doing yourself a diservice. In the most basic terms Audiosurf is the greatest music visualisation ever created, but to leave it at that makes it sound like nothing when in fact this game offers up not only a whole load of value for next to nothing but might actually get you to listen to and think about your music differently.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Games on the way, plans for a couple of future posts.

Hello there who ever you may be. This blog has fallen by the wayside for some time due to lack of time, inspiration, effort...heck you pick a reason and I'll bet I could attribute it to me not working on this. Whilst I'm not about to ramp up what I'm doing to weekly or even bi-weekly blogs I am intending to see if I can find a niche to write about and possibly podcast and vlog as well.

What might that topic be you ask? Cheap, unsung games. I'm jaded as all hell with the A grade games that are being churned out and really long for something a little more unique in some way shape or form, be it gameplay, plot or otherwise. As a result I'm scouring review sites and forums for unsung gems, games that were passed up by the mainstream for one reason or another, indie games and mods for classic games. Basically I want to focus on stuff poor gamers such as myself might be able to buy for pocket change and get some serious value and entertainment out of.

Winging their way to me as of tonight are Alpha Protocol and Deadly Premonition, two games praised for their boundry pushing in some respects but marred by technical issues to the point that they reviewed quite badly with many of the biggest gaming media outlets. Now, with months passed since release, any and all patches ready to go and the price dropped to an incredibly reasonable £10 a piece I want to try them out to see if they're worth even that and report back on what I make of them from my entirely critical standpoint.

As Alpha Protocol is an Obsidian game, a favorite company of mine and my brother, I'm hoping to get him over at some point to take some footage and record our thoughts for a video review of sorts. Whether I have the technology to do this at a reasonable level of quality is questionable, taking footage from an Xbox 360 not being the easiest thing in the world without specific equipment, but at least I intend to get a podcast on the subject recorded.

So, a more focused direction for this blog from now on is on the horizon and with any luck it'll make it easier to get inspired to write. And hopefully the games will be the flawed classics they appear to be. Let you know soon.

Eden

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Upcoming podcast and a realisation

Hello there you handful of readers,
Announcement time!
Coming soon, a new games focused podcast featuring myself and my brother Owain. We’ve sat down and made a pilot for a series of opinion pieces regarding our take on gaming, the companies, culture and progress of the medium. We’re highly critical but unlike a majority of loud mouthed gamers we justify our stances and take time to explain so hopefully we’re offering something unique that will provoke discussion.
The topic at hand for the first episode is the decline of Square-Enix over the last ten years, right up to the most recent news that with the combined hit of Final Fantasy 14 failing and the Japanese earthquake the company is in dire straits. Why did we like them? What went wrong? Can the company survive a 10 billion projected loss this year? All of this and more will be on there, watch this space!

And my realisation is that there was already someone under the title Jaded Geek around before me so I really need to rename this blog. On that note, suggestions people? This is likely to become something of a defacto home for the new podcast so perhaps a joint name for the podcast andblog would be a good idea? Hit me up if you're feeling inspired.

Friday 29 April 2011

A word on some more recent gaming news

Welcome back to the pit of pissy company bashing that this blog appears to have become. Given my habits this ought to come as no surprise to those who know me personally. So, what's been going on in the world of gaming this week?

First up, the successor to the Wii has been announced. It's due to be shown at this years E3 in June and obviously at this point further details are scarce. There's a lot of rumor and suggestions flying around about it being more visually capable than even the PS3 or that it will feature touch screen technology (already officially called into doubt) but my only question is will there be anything released that I'm all that fussed about. Allegedly the likes of Rockstar are on board to develop so with any luck there will be enough games to get me interested. Alas the Wii sits in its corner, neglected bar the occasional bout of Smash Bros. Nintendo's going to have to come up with something special to get me to gamble on them again.

Soul Calibur 5 has been announced and that's good news to me. I'm a big fan of the series so knowing that the next entry is on the horizon is exciting. I'm expecting even more lush graphics and the return of the entire cast plus a few new faces. Now if they just throw in a Soul Blade quest mode I might have some sort of fan pandering related breakdown.

Sony wont take responsibility for their lax security. Those of you who own PS3s will know well enough by now what's going on with the PSN being down and that your personal details have been stolen. Well, Sony has gone some way to respond to claims that credit card details might be at risk with the following Q&A on the subject so it seems there's not so much of a reason to worry provided they're being honest.
As I don't own a PS3 I'm left to look on from the sidelines but all I can think about off the back of this situation is that we all need to think more about who has our personal info and how much their claims of high security can be trusted, especially given Sony refuses to take responsibility for the details you give them. I suspect other such major multinational companies would do the same given a similar circumstance and it's down to us as consumers to make sure we're all fighting for our rights through offical chanels and well directed complaints.

And in other news, there's some piss poor Dragon Age dlc out this week featuring two packs of weapons and armor at 400ms. Hmm, weapons and armor that add nothing to the game but visual flair or a 400ms fully featured arcade game, let me take a moment to think about that choice. In fact, I wont, that's crap DLC from Bioware on a par with the game breaking Feast Day gifts doled out for cash for the original Dragon Age. Missions and characters for that kind of money, not textures, models and stats thanks!

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Thoughts on recent gaming news

Hello there you handful of wonderful people you. It's been a while since I posted that big wall of text rambling on about not having time to write this blog as I want to but lo and behold today I have a free hour or so and there are some news storys I feel like commenting (aka ranting) about.

As I've been so focused on it previously, I have to make mention of the recently announced Sonic Generations, releasing this year to mark Sonics 20th anniversary. A gameplay trailer has just been released that highlights what fans ought to be fussed about - classic Sonic is back.
I'll admit, watching the Sonic I grew up with in fully realised 3d did get a momentary blip of excitement out of me but then I kept in mind the track record for the series and immediately put that anticipation to rest. There's not much footage to go on, but once more it's clear that the way Sonic handles isn't true to the older games. The writer of the article I linked argues that different doesn't mean bad but when I want to play a Sonic game I want to play a Sonic game, not a platformer featuring Sonic. The same writer also linked to this far more interesting fan remake preview -
I see staggering work like this put next to what Sega puts out, the dedicated time and effort of two or three people over shadowing an entire company, and it makes me wonder what is causing such a dearth of creative output at Sega. The easy and obvious answer is interference from the bunsiness side of things using demographics and other assorted tools to deminish whatever might make a game unique so that it appeal to the lowest common denominator. Guess it's a good thing I'll be sticking to fan made projects when it comes to Sonic for the foreseeable future.


Next up it's my old friends over at Capcom. They've finally admitted that Super Street Fighter 4, the game they said was the definitive edition, will now be updated through a large DLC bundle. The package, titled Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition, will be released with four new characters complete with animated intros and endings, character balancing and changes to the replay channel allowing a player to view matches between high level players. There will also be a stand alone retail version of the game released at full price a couple of weeks later than the DLC.
My first issue is with the idea of charging for improvements that ought to be given for free. Character balancing seems like a very poor choice to be doled out as DLC as I have to wonder what will happen to those who dont download it but then play online against someone who has. Will they not be able to connect? Will the changes be given out freely behind our backs without a fuss in an effort to enhance the supposed value of the package?
The second thing on my mind is the cost. It's being released as DLC at £14.99, the same cost as half of the original costume packs. Certainly this is a step in the right direction but then I think about Marvel vs Capcom 3 and how one character costs a third of that price. I can only hope that this is a sign of Capcom realising that they're over charging on useless content, I somewhat doubt it though because...

Capcom are charging for the shadow battle mode for Marvel vs Capcom 3! It's nice to be vindicted and all, having already seen this coming, but it's a real shame to see content like this sold given it's limited use.
One last word on Marvel vs Capcom 3, Capcom have gone on record saying there's no more DLC planned for it. Ever. No more characters, or costumes (even if they are terrible), nothing. My prediction, expect Super Marvel vs Capcom 3 sometime early next year.

Wednesday 13 April 2011

PODCAST ROUND 2 - FIGHT!

Podcast crisis averted!
I and the guys have sat down and figured out what needed to be done to keep us going so The Mighty Beards Podcast lives! Timing was getting to be a big problem for the others so we've made a change to the way we're recording from here on out.

From now on we'll be recording one podcast per month featuring the three of us. We're going to be aiming to make this our flagship episode given the amount of extra time we'll have to work on the content. The next triple trouble podcast is going to be about Quantum Leap so expect some serious geekery!
The other three weeks out of the month will be dedicated to the new concept, two-man podcasts. What we've got in mind right now is rotating the setup so each week it'll be a different pair putting something out. We're not setting subjects so we expect to be a little loose and unfocused to start with until we find out particular niches. It's looking like we might be doing everything from current affairs through to more focused movie news and reviews, but who knows. If you've got a suggestion give me a shout.

The projects I've previously mentioned are still ongoing so there will be more news from me soon enough. Till then, spread the word about the podcast and help us build an audience. I want to get to the point where we can get a forum going!

Friday 8 April 2011

GAME OVER - PRESS START TO CONTINUE

Well it's looking more and more like the podcast I've been working on is about to implode this weekend so I'm left wondering how to move on, take what I've learned and use it to progress further.

Right now, what I've got in mind is to start up another podcast with my brother focused more around computer games. I've already got plans for a look at Mass Effect 1 & 2 in the lead up to part three as well as a discussion about Square Enix but beyond that I'm not quite sure where to focus.
I mean, there are a hell of a lot of game related podcasts from people with direct connections to the industry so what would be the hook to get people interested? I've considered putting focus on the notion that the presents of the show will be brothers but to make something of it I'd really have to be drawing attention to the most famous gaming brotherhood, the Mario Bros. I like Mario and all, my brother less so, but to tell the truth I wouldn't want the idea that we're in any way Nintendo focused or massive Mario fans to mislead potential listeners.
Another idea would be to make it very British centric but that again limits the audience greatly. Sure, it'll get some international attention from the types of people who like to look outside their own culture but will it be helpful in the long run?

Another notion I've played with, and a very different one from the typical game centric stuff, would be getting the news papers in the morning after work and doing a five or ten minute breakdown. I'm kind of known for my vitriol and reading the papers really brings that out of me. Whether I can be funny by myself on a daily basis doing that remains to be seen so it'd be a gamble.
Another similar alternative would be to get other people in on a weekly basis for a chat about the week. My problem here is that the number of people I know who pay attention to current affairs is small. The number who are willing to chat, publicly about it is smaller. And the ones left who can make that kind of thing entertaining smaller still.

It's a dilemma for sure. Try to carry a show by myself or try to find some reliable people who want to practice their banter and debate skills? I don't know right now.

Friday 25 March 2011

Putting too much on my plate, time for a change of pace

I always did have eyes bigger than my belly and in the case of this blog and the Let's Multiplay plans I think I might have given myself just a bit too much to do and I need to scale back until I can get some willing help with editing and other time consuming jobs. Right now it feels like I need to focus on getting the podcast out into the world more and getting it up to a more consistently high standard so things are falling by the wayside.

Instead of just ditching the idea of working on games focused stuff  I'm intending on a change of direction instead. I don't relish writing all that much because the process takes far too long when put next to the relative speed of recording a podcast. Certainly it allows for greater focus but in that is the strong possiblity of dry, exhaustive analysis in the form of walls of text. In fact that's very hard to avoid, especially for the article ideas I have like a Mass Effect mission by mission breakdown and a discussion of Square Enix's fall from grace.

So what am I going to do instead? Well given how much I enjoy recording podcasts coupled with a good number of people I know who are into games I'm thinking a second weekly podcast might be the right move for me. For a start I'm intending to get my brother to join me for the Mass Effect and Square podcasts as we've discussed it a lot and can likely talk for hours at a time but after that I'll be throwing the doors open for others to volunteer for future podcasts.

So what will the focus be and what should you keep in mind if you want to join me for a recording?
  • You have to be willing to talk freely and clearly. You might say it's obvious but it's an odd feeling forcing a conversation about a specific subject knowing that what you're saying is going out into the world where anyone can hear.
  • Shyness is not an option and if you get in front of the mic and go quiet I'll attempt to jump start you but if it's not working I'll stop the recording and we'll discuss it. You've got to be ready to hear someone being critical and make an effort to change.
  • If you've not listened to any podcasts and jump at this then tell me that I'll chew you out. You wouldn't try to make a movie without having at least seen one would you? I'd suggest checking out Kevin Smiths output along with some game related stuff like the IGN or Gamesradar podcasts so you get a taste of the way podcasting works.
  • Keeping in mind that being informative is paramount whilst also attempting to be entertaining. If we're sat exchanging facts that's all well and good but if that's it then the result will be dry and harder to listen to unless it's genuinely fascinating new information. With the internet being the font of knowledge for most it's almost impossible to come up with a fact people wont have heard before so keep that in mind.
  • Games media is pretty saturated so we will need to be entertaining in some way shape or form and finding your niche is part of that. Starting out I'm not going to be expecting much but if we decide to record on a regular basis you'll need to pay attention to what you bring to the table in terms of adding to comedy or providing interesting opinion and work on it.
  • We will need to be able to talk naturally to each other. There are some people I can chat to for hours and other I struggle to keep things going with. Obviously the former option isn't going to work for a podcast so if we sit and try to record and I feel that there's no decent to and fro then I'll stop it and say.
  • If your opinions only extend to "I don't like it because I don't like it" and you don't make a joke or justify yourself afterward you're taking all the steam out of the conversation so you'll need to be sharp and roll with the punches. It takes practice getting to the point where this happens naturally so I'm not going to be getting on peoples backs, but it's something to try and keep in the back of your mind if you want to get involved. Much as it can seem easy, the art of driving a podcast is something that takes effort.
  • If you've listened to my current podcast then you know that if we disagree then debate will ensue. I don't mince my words or take prisoners intellectually so if you're not confident about a bit of proper debate and are likely to stumble or take offence at being told outright that you are wrong then you'll be no help. Just know that as serious as I might sound it's just passion and my debate style so you don't need to take offence and you'll be fine. Again, I'll call you out with no hesitation if you look all hurt when I tell you a game you like is crap and why.
  • Keep the audience in mind. Try to remember that there are a lot of opinions and that if they're not being represented then listeners who share them might turn off. If two out of three of the group are agreeing then that's the time to throw a contrary view into the mix, provided of course it drives things forward. You've got to be ready to fight for a side you don't agree with but remember that we can and will make it clear when we're doing that.
  • I am willing to research subjects I'm not all that interested in and you should be as well. If you're completely disinterested and don't think you'll be able to contribute say ahead of time. Again, if we sit down to record and you've failed to prepare I'll make sure the listners know that it's you that's derailing the podcast.
  • You'll need to be willing and able to help spread the word. I am but one man and I'm often busy editing or writing so building an audience is not easy for me to do. As such you'll need to impress upon the people you know that they should listen and put the word out online through a variety of places such as Facebook and forums.
  • Don't take offence if I say no to recording with you, if anything ask why and I'll be honest. Know that anything I say is not an attack, I'm just trying to make this an engaging podcast and as the guy with the equipment, experience and website what I say goes.
Still reading? Think you jib is cut in a way I'll like? Then you'll want to know what I have in mind for the show itself.
  • As far as weekly subject matter goes it's very much down to the individuals involved. Ideally I'd like to get two or three people together weekly to discuss topics they're all equally passionate about. If that's not possible we'll discuss ahead of time and bring our own topics to the table on the day. This will require email/Facebook/phone communication ahead of recordings.
  • Subject suggestions are open as are the people involved. If you have a subject you want to focus on and someone in particular you want to do it with then let me know and we can work toward it.
  • Subjects need to be varied and wide reaching. I don't want to do week after week of the same old Final Fantasy chat or end up focusing on one console or another so think outside the box. i.e. is there a classic unsung game series you want to champion or a genre you want to discuss in broad terms? I have a few subjects in mind but I can't be the only creative force at work all the time.
  • Having part of the show dedicated to a quick news breakdown is something I've got in mind. It'll be quick and snappy headline type stuff delivered by one person followed by some time for the group to give opinion before moving on to the subject of the week.
  • I want to make the occasional one off podcast focusing closely on a given subject. The Mass Effect and Square Enix podcasts I have in mind should give a flavor of what I mean so once I've got a sense of the flow of recording such a thing I'll begin thinking about others and taking suggestions.
Congratulations if you've read all that, you're clearly interested in getting involved and I'm interested in hearing from you. Right now I'm in the planning stages and I intend to record the first session with my brother within the next month with a view to get others involved soon after. It's first come first serve to an extent so if you want to get involved let me know sooner rather than later.

Wednesday 16 March 2011

DLC - Bioware and EA show how it's done

I've pissed and moaned about Capcoms downloadable content shenanigans a lot recently and with good reason but I've done little to say how I think DLC can be done right. This is an attempt to outline what I consider makes quality content and why Capcom is failing at every turn with their policy.

Firstly, I'm going to need an example of a company that is managing its DLC output well and seeing as they're one of my all time favorite game makers I'm focusing my attention on Bioware, and by association EA. Breaking it down further, I'm going to use Dragon Age 2 as the specific game to focus on seeing as it's current and I'm actually in the process of unlocking a huge amount of free content for the game through a variety of sources.

As I've mentioned previously in my most anticipated games of the year list, Dragon Age 2 was offering a lot in terms of free content long before it was released. EA seem rather savvy when it comes to incentivising their pre-orders of late and the selection of offers put out ahead of the games release was impressive, not least of all the free upgrade to the signature edition of the game.
The signature edition includes an entire extra team member plus the related missions for him under the title The Exiled Prince. On top of that the package contains the soundtrack as well as five unique in game items.

Even if one were to have missed this initial pre-order incentive, as I did, there was more to come in the form of two more items exclusive to pre-orders as well as another piece of content seemingly similar to Mass Effect 2s Cerberus Network called The Black Emporium and an extra in game ability allowing the summoning of a trusty war dog to lend a helping paw. That's a hell of a lot of free content.

Noticed anything missing from this equasion so far? Prices perhaps? Contrary to Capcoms insistance at consumers forking out cash for minor changes to their games EA and Bioware have sought to reward those who show faith in the company and make pre-orders well ahead of a games release.
Comparratively, the only pre-order bonuses I've heard of Capcom offering have been a variety of Marvel Vs Capcom 3 t-shirts available from a number of different retailers and whilst that's nice and all it's not quite the same as extending the playability of the game you've bought. And let's face it, most people don't want a t-shirt that basically screams "I am an uber geek" either.

So, what if I decided to buy the vanilla version of Dragon Age 2 but wanted some of that content. Well, for a start that Black Emporium stuff is in the case when you pick the game up brand new, a nice little pat on the back from EA for not having bought it second hand and jipped them out of money.
Sure it could be argued that the content was made and ought to be on the disc but given the money lost on second hand sales for publishers and developers it's fair that they lock some of it away to ensure consumers are buying the game in a way they benefit from. Offering the content at a price is simply a way of recovering the lost income from the lost sale, not a money grabbing opportunity.
Next up is the Exiled Prince content, priced at a mere 560ms points (£4.80). Given the content was meant to be an incentive for spending more on the signature edition that costs around £7-8 more than the basic game this price is incredibly reasonable, hours of gameplay added for very little cost. This seems all the more reasonable, especially considering what Capcom offers for a near equivalent price.

And what does Capcom offer? A quick look back at my previous posts about Capcoms DLC releases will answer that question for you but for the sake of the lazy I'll repeat myself - costumes and characters. The costumes are running at 400ms for five costumes and the characters are 400ms each. I've done my griping about these but let's just take a moment to look at what one of these price points equates to.
Taking into account that there are 36 characters in the game (or 38 if you buy the other two) that's a total cost for future costume packs coming to more than 2800ms. That's £24 for costumes that add no gameplay at all. Full retail games mere months after their release cost £25. Hell, I bought GTAIV for £15 and that's a huge game with a lot of content. The mind boggles that Capcom thinks it's offering anything of value and more so at those who are willing to buy it. The difference in quality DLC offers between these two companies is huge, the relative worth of Capcoms offers being near negligable in comparison.

We're in a new age as far as the business of the games industry goes and DLC is a part of it whether we as consumers like it or not. However, this being business, it's profit that drives companies to offer less than stellar products for less than descerning customers and it's up to us as gamers to put our collective feet down and not buy into deals like the ones Capcom offers for the sake of our own futures lest we end up with companies locking even more content away for the sake of spinning a little more cash.

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 - A new age of DLC

Capcom officially unveil Shuma Gorath and Jill Valentine for Marvel Vs Capcom 3.
Oh look, a story about Capcoms DLC policy, I wonder whether it's the usual crap?
Oh look, it is.
Breaking down the cost of buying the game on a per character basis using RRP as the base for the product cost works out to a less than £1 per character ratio, even less when you take into account the cost of the packaging, disc and the rest of the content. The characters are available from March 15th for 400 Microsoft ponts each. That's £3.43 per character. And most of the character data is on the disc. What a ripoff.

And hot on the heels of that is a new rumor concerning the arrival of more DLC -


Frank West and Strider are on the way if this pic can be trusted.
 It's not really much of a surprise to see West crop up, Capcom having alreay gone on record saying he was in the game and almost finished before the game went into production. And it's probably not a surprise for anyone reading this to see me say it's not on for Capcom to expect us to pay for content originally budgeted for and almost completed during development.
Strider is a genuine unknown quantity in this by comparison. Capcom have made no mention of him at all with reference to MvC3, though the sheer weight of the fans complaining about him being left out might have woken them up a bit. Personally I could care less about his inclusion, his broken infinite combos in MvC2 ruining th eonline experience for me as they did.
If they are on the way that means two more Marvel characters are likely to turn up too so odds on for Doc Oc if previous news of his name alongside Wests in the coding means anything. As for the second character, I wouldn't be surprised to see another X-Man make it back into the game, perhaps Cyclops or Iceman.
Ultimately, will I pay 400ms per character though? Hell no.

Wednesday 2 March 2011

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 - close but not quite

The first of my most anticipated games of the year has arrived and after a week or so of play I think it's about time for me to follow up on my initial thoughts. Firstly the positives.

Ho-ly crap does this game look stunning. Initially the move to 3D models on a 2D plain was one that I felt left behind the classic Capcom fighter aesthetic, still preview images doing little to spark my interest, but having now seen the game in full swing I can most definitely say that it's got the right look about it. The level of detail put into making the 3D animations closely resemble the original sprites is staggering at times. Iconic characters like Wolverine, one of Capcoms most used sprites of yesteryear, move in a familiar way, little things like his bouncing stance really hit the nostalgia button for me. In addition new faces fit in with the old beautifully and there hasn't been a moment of play yet where I've found myself thinking that there was something off visually.

Another of the welcome changes to the game is the control system, or at least part of the new control system. The new basic layout has done away with the three punch/three kick setup and simplified things down to light, medium and hard attacks. It took a while getting my head around having moves like Akumas hodoken and hurricane kick attached to the same button but after a few matches it felt very natural. Alongside the three main attack buttons is a "launcher" move, one that will shoot your opponent into the air for further combo-ing.
The flipside of the control scheme is Simple mode. It simplifies the game further to the point where pressing forward and your "special button" will perform a super move. Basically it's MvC3 for toddlers. And I have no problem with that for the most part, it makes sense for Capcom to make sure as many people as possible can get a kick out of the game, but when it comes to its use online...well you might be able to imagine why having all the skill drained from play makes playing Ranked Matches feel a tad redundant.

Speaking of online play, it's time for major gripe number one (I have dubbed myself the Jaded Geek of course). The online play is a mess and for a few reasons.
Firstly, when you fail to connect to an opponent you get kicked back a menu screen. Having to reselect things over and over whilst listening to the first three seconds of a piece of music is mind numbing.
Secondly, there's no ranked match or player match lobby system meaning you have to join whatever game the system forces you into with no thought given to connection quality. Anyone who plays fighting games knows that changes to game speed make a huge difference and in a high paced game like this all the more so. What I've experienced more than anything else is matches so incredibly slow that they are unplayable, the frame rate reduced to four or five per second to make up for the terrible connection between the players.
And finally for the online play, Simple mode. With the speed issues I just mentioned button inputs become very hard to perform - slowing down the input for a hodoken is not easy when you can't judge whether what you're pressing is even going through but pressing forward and special isn't. So Simple mode offers bad players the opportunity to exploit the horrible online setup to their hearts content while player who actually want to learn and compete on an even field are left in the cold.
All of these factors combine to create a situation that will quickly kill off any online population the game might have and stop people playing it much past the first few months of ownership. Fingers crossed for a patch to sort this situation out.

On to gripe number two and it's a lack of modes that's got me irritated. Fighting games used to come with standard modes that very rarely got left out. Simple things like Survival, Time Attack and Tournament mode all used to be in just about every game you might care to mention from the 90's right through to the 00's and yet Marvel Versus Capcom 3 has none of them. At all. These are phenominially basic modes to implement yet they're not here so what's Capcom up to?

D L-fucking-C. I've already taken my swipes at this game before its release for having Capcoms now typical DLC reek about it but it seems the company has been up to its old tricks. Y'know Shuma Gorath and Jill Valentine are going to be downloadable characters? Well did you know that they're also on the disc? Yup, good old Capcom locking content you've already got in your hands. Next up of Capcoms terrible DLC policy spawned atrocities is costumes. Again with the minor graphical changes with a pricetag attached big enough to pay for the purchase of another game.
What more have they got to offer? Well how does a developer shadow mode sound? Don't know what this is? Well, in days gone by it was often possible to unlock secret developer ghosts to play against in some games. Often getting them unlocked was a case of being incredibly skilled and getting fast times or high scores, the shadows representing a bonus challenge. They were minor bonuses for the hardcore to enjoy. So now Capcom is going to charge for them. And they can fuck right off with that attitude.

So, am I happy with my purchase at the end of all of that. Yes and no. Yes the game itself is fantastic and is a worthy successor to Marvel Vs Capcom 2. And no because for what you get the game is not worth the full price tag and I could have waited for a month or two and spent £25 instead of £35 then bought the rest of the content that was on the disc with the money I'd saved. I'm just hoping Capcom are at least a little kinder with some free content updates soon because now this game has arrived I've got almost no reason to ever pay attention to them or buy their products again after getting so sick of their backwards steps.

EDIT: The first of Capcoms Shadow Battle packs is out and it's free. So I'll eat my words for having complained about it but what remains to be seen is whether they charge for the next bunch. I'm leaning towards "yes" as the most likely answer.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Dragon Age 2 demo - impressions

I've literally just finished the demo for Biowares upcoming sequel to dragon Age and it's safe to say I'm interested. So, what's to tell?
The combat has changed a heck of a lot, with button presses translating to direct on screen action as was hinted at by the developers previously. In addition to this, the aiming system has changed to a free style allowing for quick changes of target on the fly.
I was playing the Xbox 360 version and the controls are mapped similarly to how they were last time around, with moves assigned to X Y and B as well as a secondary set of moves revealed by holding down the right trigger while the A button is used for your basic attack. The dauntingly complex and unweildy menu system of the last game also seems to be a thing of the past, with the start button bringing up a much more Mass Effect inspired option menu.
My choice of character was mage and an instant difference comes about thanks to the aformentioned pace change in the form of attack combos with the mages staff, Hawke (your character) twirling and spinning the staff with each fireball ending the sequence with a multi-hit attack. certainly more exciting to look at. It was satisfying, though the aspect of hammering the A button did little more for the whole affair than make it feel like I was playing the greatest Dynasty Warriors game ever.
The dialogue system has also been refined with Mass Effects successes in mind, with the return of the conversation wheel. This time around, highlighting an option changes an image in the middle of the screen to let you know what moral path you're choosing. An interesting addition is that the middle choice, usually reserved for entirely typical but morally ambiguious retorts is now reserved, most of the time, for comedic or sarcastic choices. I know what I'm going to be tempted by the most on my first play.
And finally, the graphics. Out of the crop of consoles you could play Dragon Age 2 on, it's safe to say it wont be the best looking on the 360 but in spite of this it seems the subtle changes in art design have allowed for the refinement of what was often a less than attractive looking original entry. Graphics are smooth and textures are crisp, if a little dull in places. It seems there's been a redesign for the darkspawn too, with the faces of the creatures now looking far more horrific as distorted humans rather than the orc like creatures seen first time around.
Am I cancelling my pre-order? Am I buggery!

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Most Anticipated Games of 2011 Part 2

Welcome back to a look at the year to come in gaming ladies and gents. Onwards for great justice!

2nd Quarter
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
I'm a bit of a fanboy for the Warhammer 40,000 universe it must be said. I used to buy the figures and paint them but never really bothered with the game itself, I was pretty content to have a vast army of cool looking deamons along with the books full of lore and history to pore over. That was years ago now but the power armor wearing, stoic warriors are still a big draw and the next game to try and capture the essence of that is on the horizon this year.
In Warhammer 40K: Space Marine you play an Ultramarine, the best of the best. Interviews with the developers in the past have included a lot of emphasis on the idea of being a walking tank, that taking cover is not going to be what the game is about, that you're more likely to soak up damage whilst obliterating hordes of enemies. It's an interesting change from the tried and tested run/gun/take cover style of other shooters but it does beg the question of where the challenge lies if you're able to soak bullets like a sponge. Time will tell as more details arise though truth be told I'll be tempted to buy it provided there's a decent amount of Chaos presence (Blood Thirster fight please!) and some nice set pieces featuring some of the biggest units from the tabletop game.

November
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
It's taken a good long while for Bethesda to pipe up about the next installment in the Elder Scrolls series but the time has come for a trickle of details to make its way to the public. So what do we know?
Firstly, there's a new game engine to boost the graphical fidelity and overal experience of the world. The screenshots released look like amarked improvement over the last game, which is to be expected really, and show off the incedible lookin terrain and creatures.
Next up there's the quest system that sounds like a great idea. Instead of fixed plotlines and character interaction the game will decide things for you on the fly depending on your previous actions. According to the interviews there wont be any more trotting off to revisit areas you've already been to, the game will never send you to a location you've been to before for a mission. Nor will quest givers be the same for everyone, the game picking NPCs you may have already met and making them quest givers on the fly. Sounds very interesting but at the same time rife for problems. First one that comes to mind is what happens if you seriously explore for a long time then go hunting for quests. Will you end up being sent off to some far flung location because you've already been everywhere local? What happens if you've intentionally explored every possible location before taking on a quest?
Other details that have come out involve the combat system. To say that Oblivions combat was broken and, well, crap is perhaps an understatment so change is good. You'll now be able to mix and match what your character has in his/her hands allowing for a good range of tactics. Timing and tactical choices are also said to be more important now, with counters and assorted weapon related mechanics mixing things up from the simple "bash until dead" style of Oblivion.
Las thing I wanted to mention - DRAGONS! At sodding last we get to fight dragons in an Elder Scrolls game without having to install mods!

Autumn 2011
Batman: Arkham City
Arkham Asylum is possibly the most well polished and thoroughly satisfying super hero game ever made so the prospect of a sequel spanning a larger area made by the same team is very good indeed. Taking the already fantastic action of the original and refining it is all this game needs to be absolutely stellar as far as I'm concerned and from what's been shown so far that's what the development team are doing.
The only sad part of the whole affair is that Mark Hamill will be retiring as the voice of The Joker after this game which is a real shame seeing as he so perfectly captures his character so well in everything he does.

No set date
Mass Effect 3
I'm really looking forward to this but I'm planning a little look into the plot possibilites on here soon so I shant go on about it too much for now.

Deus Ex 3
This was, until quite recently, due out in March but has been put back to the first financial quarter of the year so April is looking likely. Following up the original games has taken an age but a fresh look at the past of Deus Ex is almost upon us.
The plot follows one of the first augmented humans as he becomes embroiled in the machinations of powerful groups and individuals, much like the first two games. With Square Enix in charge it's going to have some incredibly flashy cut scenes, I just hope the gameplay is good enough to warrant my having pre-ordered it. Speaking of which, pre-ordering nets a bonus mission pack; Tong's Rescue. How the heck Tracer Tong is supposed to be alive and well in the three time periods the series covers is something I hope they address quickly or it'll be an incredibly lax callback. I was really hoping to see more of Gunter too, possibly during his pre-enhanced days.

That's it for now. The next few things I intend to post are going to be a bit more in depth so it might take a while for them to turn up, just so you know.

Wednesday 26 January 2011

Most anicipated games of 2011

I've pissed and moaned about last years disappointments, praised the games I enjoyed and I might well be doing the same next year but before that comes around there's the process of anticipation and reaction for this years crop of releases. So what am I looking forward to over the course of 2011? Read on and that useless knowledge will soon be yours...

February
Marvel versus Capcom 3
Over a decade of slowly mounting fan pressure has resulted in Capcom finally releasing a follow up to the seminal Marvel Versus Capcom 2 and it looks good, damned good.
Over the last few months the character roster has bulked out to an impressive 32 characters as of writing and, whilst many of them are tried and true classics with established move sets, there are a decent number of completely new characters I'm curious to try out. What's interesting is the apparent move away from constant screen filling moves and focusing more on closing in on opponents if the teaser videos are anything to go by, though I'd expect that those hell bent on fireball spamming from the side of the screen will still be able to do their thing.
This being Capcom though, there's one gripe I can air even before release. Day one DLC characters. Shuma Gorath and Jill Valentine will be available to collectors edition buyers for an entire month before they become available via download. Not only does this play into what I've complained about previously with regard to Capcom using DLC as a means of getting players to pay for pre-existing content but to add insult to injury the special edition of the game isn't available in the UK so I and anyone else over here who wants those character will have to wait while American players get a head start in terms of practice. With any luck the game will be good enough to warrant forking out for the extras all the same, it'd be a shame to see this game fail after Street Fighter 4 reignited interest in fighting games so nicely.

March
Dragon Age 2
Whilst the first entry in the series captured my imagination with its strong characterisation and brilliantly subtle results from seemingly innocuous actions it certainly wasn't without its faults. Be it the myriad glitches and asorted issues that plague the game to this day, the incredibly harsh difficulty spikes, disconnection from the action in battle or the sometimes unrelenting slog through dungeon areas (Orsamar I'm looking at you); Dragon Age had problems. But it seems Bioware took note of these and has made changes, though whether they're for the better remains to be seen.
A great deal of time seems to have been spent on the combat system in order to make it more visceral. Interviews with the developers frequently talk about making button presses translate into direct action which is a major change from the real time turn based hack and slashery of the original. Little has been said about how this translates to team management but those of us more inclined towards a sedate pace with less hammering of buttons should be catered for as mid-battle pausing is allegedly still on offer.
Beyond that, there's not been all that much information regarding other features of the game but as is the trend for new releases there is day one DLC to discuss and for a change I kind of like the way they're doing it. Right up until January 12th, if you preordered the game you got an instant upgrade to the signature edition which features an extra character for your team much like Shale, the downloadable character given away with the first game upon release. Alas I missed that by two days, but the idea is one I can get on board with.
On top of that there's even more content being given away for free provided you preorder the game and as far as I'm concerned this is far better than the offers made by a certain Japanese fighting game company I'm a tad sick of complaining about. Rewarding customers for showing early support for the game and providing the business heads some reassuring pre-order sales figures is a mutually beneficial way of going about this kind of thing and doesn't smack of blatant money grabbing.
On top of that content there are also a number of cross promotions such as the Penny Arcade belt, a staff given away for signing up to a newsletter and, perhaps coolest of all, armor based on Dead Space 2s Isaac Clark. The first two are free for all who claim them and the last is a cross promotion with Dead Space 2, none of them require you to pay for the item by itself, they're just nice little extras for those who happen to have found them or bought another EA game. This is a model for day one DLC that doesn't leave me feeling ripped off and it's one I hope other companies follow suit on.

Crysis 2
There's not all that much that can be said about Crysis 2 that isn't blatantly obvious. It looks stunning for a start. The gameplay trailers look fast paced and exciting. The free running and special ability element looks interesting enough to raise this game above the likes of dull run of the mill shooters like Call of Duty. And that's enough to stand out from the saturated FPS market for me to take an interest.
The Xbox 360 exclusive multiplayer demo was released yesterday and it's in my download queue behind a couple of large GTA 4 add-ons so as soon as it's on my hard drive I'll give it a whirl and report back on whether my anticipation has been raised or squashed.

First quarter - no release date set
Micheal Jackson: The Experience
Provided this includes a high def remake of the Moonwalker game I'm in. Cause I wanna be like Micheal and save little girls from cupboards then get a chimp to sit on my head until I track down Joe Pesci for a dance off! Imagine the Kinnect possiblities!...In fact, perhaps you shouldn't.

May
LA Noire
Rockstar is a company that, as far as I'm concerned, has done no wrong for over a decade and that's a serious achievement in the world of big business game making. Everything they've released has been an incremental improvement on their previous work, elements of each successful game taken, refined and added to the next installment of Grand Theft Auto to create more and more immersive worlds for the player to wreak hovock within. And the next game they're publishing, created by  Team Bondi, seems to be keeping the trend going.
Very little detail has been revealed about LA Noire, as is Rockstars way with their releases. Two trailers have been unleashed but the most information can be found right here in this comprehensive preview. Truth be told, I just found that preview whilst researching for this little bit of blabber so this is a completely fresh reaction.
WOW! Not only does the game look to raise the bar for interractive story telling with its motion captured performances and case based mission structure but its attention to detail is amazing. Hearing that the cases are based on real life events really piqued my interest, the notion of having to think about how to solve the crimes is a fascinating idea. If I wasn't already excitied enough to play this game before I'm possitively overflowing with anticipation now. Time to make another pre-order methinks...

Spring - No set release date
Stacking
It's a game by Double Fine. It's easy to expect reams of imagination from this game even with the slim amount of information available given the pedigree of previous releases, even if the likes of Brutal Legend weren't perfect they were a lot of fun. It's a game about Russian dolls. God knows how it works but I'm interested to find out when more details make their way to the internets.

That's all for now so check back later for part two.

Tuesday 18 January 2011

The Sonic 2 HD Preview is Here!

Well that countdown I mentioned is over and the surprise has been unveiled; a teaser trailer for the upcoming fan driven remake. And damn does it look and sound excellent. Check it out -

I'd expect your excitement is going to be based on just how much nostalgia you have for the original game but regardless, this looks great. The crisp graphics, perfectly updated to high definition, are stunning and are much more in keeping with what I had envisioned before the first Sonic 4 screens came out. And that music remix! Wow!

The one fear I have off the back of this is that Sega will pull the plug and the teaser will be all the public ever see of this game. Of course, Sega would be fools to do this unless they were to pick the game up for release themselves because frankly they're a mess of a company these days with very little good will left in their fans hearts.
Personally, the lack of decent in house production over the last decade has left me uncaring about almost everything that they put out and killing this project would likely be the finishing blow to my fandom. And that would suck frankly.

Thursday 13 January 2011

Gaming disappointments of 2010 part 2

Hello and welcome back to the bitch-fest that is my gaming disappointments of 2010. Ready for round 2?
FIGHT!

Sonic 4 Episode 1
As a kid I was as big a Sega and Sonic fan boy as you might ever have hoped to avoid. Given the choice between a fat plumber and a super sonic rodent with a totally radical 90's attitude I took the far cooler option. The 2d iterations of the series were my games of choice and I ploughed through any I could get my hands on, only the MegaCD based Sonic CD escaped me.


The one that got away.
As a teen I played each Sonic game in turn as they were released, right up to Sonic Adventure 2. At the time the first Adventure game was groundbreaking and whilst it wasn't a gameplay masterpiece it did at least capture some of what made Sonic great (whilst adding a fishing cat...the less said about that the better...). Adventure 2 refined the experience but continued on a path that was to trample my affection for the series - terrible voice acting, diabolical plotlines and a slew of needless side characters. In amongst those characters was the Anti-Sonic himself, a creature designed to appeal to the emo generation as Sonic had been designed for the 90's cool kids; Shadow The Hedgehog. After his arrival I gave up on Sonic, the time for my generations enjoyment of the series was over and it was time to move on as far as I was concerned.

Guns and motorcycles - when making fun games about blue hedgehogs running fast and jumping around wears thin you know you've got to make it EXTREME to keep the fans happy. Or not as the case may be.
I watched as the Anti-Sonic got his own game, more and more needless side characters piled up and the quality of the franchise as a whole gradually declined right up until last year when Sega finally anounced something I could get on board with; a 2d high definition sequel to Sonic 3, a true successor to the original games. Promises were thrown around about pleasing old school fans and returning to the roots of what made Sonic great. I was excite!
Time passed and the first pictures surfaced, along with the news that the game would be split into multiple "episodes" and my heart sank a little. It wasn't the 2d graphics promised, it was a 2d perspective with 3d models. It also sounded like Sega were going to try and charge full price for part of a full game, an increasing issue with DLC and one of my pet peeves.
"Okay, not the high definition sprites I was hoping for but also not the terrible 3d gameplay that had failed to evolve over the course of the franchise" I figured to myself. Problem was, on top of that, the jump animation looked off and the size of the screen around Sonic was too small. Balls. Seemingly minor problems at a glance, but in a game where charging at the side of the screen and accurately jumping is the core it's clear why it got me ready to write off the game well ahead of release.
And then a gameplay video emerged of a minecart level that looked to not only be a tad rubbish but also controlled by someone with spanners for hands. And damn did it look terrible. This never made it to the final game, but it didn't do Sega any favors to have the first look at what ought to have been a stellar return to form appear to be a gimicky mini game.

Relegated to the iPhone version of the game. Pity those who bought it.
Cut to the full release and I finally got to play the demo. Lo and behold, the problems I had seen in the trailers were still present and on top of that the way Sonics momentum worked felt very different to the original games in the series. Failed by inflated promises of past glory regained.

But wait! There might be hope yet for us die hard old school Sonic fans. Mere days ago a group of fans made an announcement and launched a site with a countdown for what will hopefully be a very strong kick up the collective sphincter of Sega -

You can always rely on the fans to give their fellow fans what they want.

This is a link to the teaser site, currently host only to a countdown. Here's hoping at the end of it there's something special to enjoy.

Resident Evil 5:Gold Edition
Starting to see the theme of disappointing sequels? Anticipation is a bitch and when a game like Resident Evil 5 comes along with a decent pedigree behind it and falls flat it tends to sting a little more than a stand alone game. Now admittedly I'm picking on a game that is in fact from 2009 but seeing as Capcom trotted it back out for a second outing last year with little but already available downloadable content to justify its release I consider them to be asking for it frankly.


Hmm, now where did that racially insensitive main character go?
Resident Evil 4 managed to redifine the franchise beautifully. Whilst it no longer involved zombies, new threats were added that at the time were enough of a change to make things interesting without completely altering the feeling of slow moving enemies unrelentingly attacking in cramped spaces. The atmosphere felt eerie, though not quite so much so as the locations of Resident Evil 1 or 2 for example. Gameplay was fresh, challenging and enjoyable, particularly in the case of the Wii edition when using the remote for manual aiming. It was easy to have high expectations of progression from the next game in the franchise, or at least that a follow up would match the quality of its forbearers. And yet Resident Evil 5 stinks.

I'm inclined towards leaving it there frankly, mentally retreading the game is a real chore, but what kind of pissy blogger would I be if I did? A shit one ladies and gents, I'd be a shit one. So for the sake of raising myself up to the dizzy heights of mediocrity I'll begin.
First things first. Daylight. When the initial previews of the game were going around it was one of the biggest gripes and one that held true when the game came out. There's no tension in wandering around deserted towns in bright sunlight, it's really as simple as that. And all that talk of characters sweating and attracting enemies, Capcoms justification for the setting, was rubbish.
Partner to the lack of darkness and shadow is the complete and utter lack of scares or even attempts at creating them. Right the way up till RE5 each game had at least one moment of pant wetting, unexpected horror; be it the dogs jumping through the windows in RE1, the T-1000 breaking through walls in RE2 or otherwise. Resident Evil 5 seemed to actively work on removing such scares. The best example of this is the way lickers, one of the most freaky fear inducing creatures in RE history, are relegated to caged animals literally waiting for you to take them out with consumate ease. If I'm not worried about what's around the next corner I'd might as well play Gears of War and be blessed with a far better control scheme and pace as well as musclebound cliches. Speaking of which...

Chris Redfield, a simple cipher with little to no personality, was turned from average man in over his head into a steroid abusing action man with arms like the thighs of a normal person. Instant fail in terms of evolving a character. I'm not interested in seeing a character that serves no purpose other than to be seen as my avatar within the world turned into a stereotypical alpha male fantasy. Capcoms reasoning? Attempting to appeal to an American audience. Poor show by Capcom seeing as appealing to the common denominator is no way to go if they want their franchise to last much longer.
Then there's Sheva, the latest in a string of typically stoic female ciphers. Except she's worse than any who have come before if only for one reason. Before the game even hit shelves some were in uproar over the apparently negative portrayal of Africans as animalistic and barbaric. Many came to the games defense arguing that Africa just happened to be the location, that the infection was the obvious cause of the seemingly barbaric acts of the trailer, but when Capcom released the game with an entire section of spear throwing infected tribe members their credibility fell apart. Then the following was revealed as an unlockable -

Wow Capcom, you take that famous xenophobia driven Japanese racism to whole new level.
I'd harp on a bit about the plot but frankly it was so bad that I never quite finished it, nor can I remember all that much of the specifics. I got to one of the very last boss fights and just stopped, never once feeling like I wanted to know what was coming. Repeated trampling of previous games plots and constant allusions to events never witnessed as being important resulted in the plot becoming laughable very quickly. Whilst previous entries had high camp value at times but regularly managed to keep in in check with enough tension and scares, in this case it was just pure campy tosh.

And finally, the additions added to the Gold edition. Three pieces of DLC, one of which is actually on the first RE5 disc but was locked away for money making purposes (multiplayer), two plot additions that undoubtably raised the convolution meter well above the fabled 9000. As well as that, another Mercenaries mode and some costumes are all you get. Hardly a reason to put what was already a below average game back on shelves.
What's more, and this is particularly silly, is that the Xbox version actually comes with a slip of paper with a download code for the content instead of having it on the disc, thus rendering the whole thing futile given that players who might have wanted the gold edition because they weren't online would be left in the cold (this is the only logical reason I can see for anyone to want to buy this re-release by the way).

And so my faith in the franchise is gone and it's going to take something special to get me back into it. My suggestion? A complete reboot taking the series back to the roots of a zombie outbreak with characters who are suddenly thrust into circumstances they cannot begin to understand. All this stuff about taking down Umbrella and visiting the remains of lab sites around the world leaves me far too cold, even in the bright sunlight.


So that's it for the bitchfest that was my look back at the crappier games of last year, though there is one main offender I've yet to dissect. It is the final nail in the coffin for a franchise and company I once followed and spent money on without question.
What might that be you ask? Well I'm not telling, but they do say that XIII is an unlucky number...

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Gaming disappointments of 2010

Hot on the heels of my top games of the last year, I've got some bones to pick with a few other games. These are the ones that ought to have been great but for one reason or another fell flat.

Dead Rising 2
Earlier in the year, instead of creating an expensive demo for Dead Rising 2, Capcom decided to create a stand alone prologue to the game called Case Zero available for the reasonable price of 400 Microsoft points. And that's what's spoiled the main event for me believe it or not. Not because it was bad, but because it was great.
Case Zero truncated the overal experience of playing Dead Rising into a managable two hour-ish experience that was action packed, well designed and paced and above all fun to play. Figuring out how to get the most from your time was a challenge but one that wasn't too punishing considering the short length of time you're dealing with. The whole thing stayed fresh and intense from start to finish, never outstaying its welcome or punishing a player too hard for a mistake.
"Just wait here one minute honey, Daddy has to go beat up the bad men with frying pans and plastic swords..."
The full game itself though suffers from being an open world after that experience, for me at least, and there's little of the noticable pace and clever design on show. Gone is the manageable township and back is the dauntingly huge area laden with nasty irritations to kick first time players up the arse. To compound the struggle getting to grips with the location you've got a familiar problem from the original to contend with; terrible psycho placement and difficulty. Having a mission marker direct you into an inescapable boss fight, often far beyond your capabilities at a low level is not fun. Having to go back a save and consciously avoid it or, even worse, restart the game is seriously irritating to say the least.
Add to that the lack of change to the game concept and the omission of voice acting for almost every in game conversation and the mountain of little niggles I could overlook in the original from the early days of the Xbox 360 suddenly seems enough to stop me from wanting to play the game.

Perhaps the latest DLC release, Case West, will pick up where Case Zero left off in terms of level design and pacing.
So, what could be done to improve it? Simply put, make it like Case Zero. Break the game into sections lasting two to three hours, limit what we can see and do so that the particularly tasty weapons are kept back till later and generally reign the concept in so it feel more like a game and less like a sandbox with a restrictive time limit. And when you finish the game, THEN open the world up and let us go exploring after we've already got a feel for what to expect. After all, it is fun to ride head long into a group of zombies on a tricycle dressed as a demented cross dresser from time to time but only if you've not got to go medicate your daughter half way through the massacre.


Front Mission Evolved
Continuing as I mean to go on, here's another lackluster sequel, though one I feel the need to pick fault with for a particularly specific reason. I have not played this game. So why, you might ask, am I putting this on a list of gaming disappointments? Well, a little history lesson is in order.
Way back in the futuristic space year of 2000 Squaresoft were in their prime, releasing a huge number of games for the PS1 in a very short space of time including Final Fantasy 8, Saga Frontier 2, Ehrgeiz and, most importantly for this tale, Front Mission 3. This was a golden age of RPG gaming and marked the first time the Front Mission franchise had made its way to Europe, being layabout teen at the time I made the most of this glut of great games (apart from Ehrgeiz of course, not even Final Fantasy 7 cameos could save that).


A forgotten classic.
Front Mission 3 offered something I'd not seen before; a tactical, grid based, futuristic RPG with big ass robots. Graphically it made the most of the PS1 and technically it was epic, with a deep combat system and an in game internet function that could easily swallow more than ten hours if you invested time investigating every nook and cranny. Its plot was a branching epic revolving around the theft of a new weapon of mass destruction and the circumstances surrounding the event, both political and personal.
I fell in love with the game and have held it high as a niche classic but since that time Square have failed to follow up with a Front Mission release in the UK. Front Mission 4 made it to the US and part five only hit the stores in Japan so for over ten years I've been left in the cold, having to content myself with reading details about the other games in the series and tracking down fan made translations of the original Front Mission for the SNES.
Cut to last year and Front Mission Evolved appeared on a release list. My eyes lit up upon reading the news and suddenly it seemed the perpetually waning Square Enix had finally come to their senses and released a current generation iteration of one of their most enjoyable series. Then I saw my first preview to find something unexpected had happened to the franchise - it wasn't a tactical RPG anymore. No, it was now a Mech Commander-esque affair. I think this particular meme best expresses how I felt when I read that -

-uuuuuccckkkinnngggg Ssssqqquuaaaarreeee!
My only question is why ditch a unique and interesting game style for something so utterly generic, especially given the mech piloting genre is already saturated with more than enough franchises to keep fans distracted? I wish I had an answer, but it seem to be part of what's wrong with Square Enix these days. What might that be you ask? Well that's an article for another time I answer.

That's it for part one of this little look back at the disappointing games of last year, check back later this week for part 2.