I have been on Steam, Valve Software's digital software distribution service, for maybe a month or so. For most of that time, I was content with using it simply as yet another social networking client. See, when a person sets up an account, they get a profile page that they can fill up with as much or as little personal information as they want, build a list of friends also on Steam, and check out what games people are playing. In many ways, it serves as Valve's answer to Xbox Live. It does, however, two major things that are much better than Microsoft's offering: 1.) the service is free, and 2.) you can download full versions of retail games. Now, just so I am clear, when I say "retail games," I mean games that come in a box, and that you can currently buy at Wal-Mart.
This is all old hat to people who have been using Steam since its release in 2003. Like I said, though, I have only been on it for a month. It was a happy month, to be sure. A month spent blissfully, without any hindrance on my time or my wallet because, you see, I wasn't buying anything. Perhaps this behavior meant that I was not experiencing the service for what it really is.
Perhaps I didn't care.
It doesn't matter now, anyway; all that has changed. I have made my first transaction. Those sneaky bastards in Bellevue tricked me into doing it by heavily discounting a game I already wanted. Oh sure, they say that they were selling the original Half-Life for 98 cents in celebration of the game's tenth anniversary. The truth? They knew it was exactly the thing to do to get my money. And now I can't stop the dreaming. Suddenly, I feel a deep and personal need to play all the old PC shooters I have missed over the years, from Quake and Hexen, to Deus Ex, to Counter-Strike - not to mention the two Half-Life expansions. Thankfully, I can't get any of the newer games because my computer is a four year old hunk of junk. What I find to be somewhat bittersweet is the fact that neither the Blood series, nor the original Thief is in their catalog. I would love to play those, but at least I won't be spending any money on them.
For now, I am content to slowly make my way through Half-Life while I don't feel like playing any of the new hotness I have procured this holiday season. Tell you what, though...this summer will be full of retro goodness.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Prince of Persia Trailer
It took me a little while to get on board with the art style of the new Prince of Persia. I mentioned it to one friend that I am going to call this the Wind Waker Effect. I may have called it a syndrome before, but whatever.
Basically, when I saw the first few screen shots, I was not impressed in the least. I thought it was too cartoony/abstract, and really just a terrible idea. That really disappointed me, since I enjoyed the previous trilogy of games quite a lot. Once I saw the new one in action at PAX, however, I saw how beautiful it really is, and I fell in love. I think I'm going to ask it to marry me.
Since then, everything that has come out for it has just made me more excited for the game. Enter the new trailer, which gives us the backstory and some more in-game footage. December 2 cannot come fast enough!
Good thing I have a boat load of other games to play until then.
Basically, when I saw the first few screen shots, I was not impressed in the least. I thought it was too cartoony/abstract, and really just a terrible idea. That really disappointed me, since I enjoyed the previous trilogy of games quite a lot. Once I saw the new one in action at PAX, however, I saw how beautiful it really is, and I fell in love. I think I'm going to ask it to marry me.
Since then, everything that has come out for it has just made me more excited for the game. Enter the new trailer, which gives us the backstory and some more in-game footage. December 2 cannot come fast enough!
Good thing I have a boat load of other games to play until then.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Braid
I finished Braid last night. For anyone who has not heard of it, it is basically a puzzle game based around platforming and time manipulation. I had a really great time with it, and I recommend it to any and all gamers.
First off, the gameplay, while not the ultimate achievement, is quite solid. Each of the five main areas introduces a new time mechanic that is required to solve the puzzles within the world. From the standard rewind function, to a world where moving to the right advances time and moving to the left backs it up, it is fun to see how each puzzle utilizes the player's abilities.
What I found most interesting, and even rewarding, however, is that the gameplay is only a part of one amazing product. More than any other game I have ever witnessed, Braid is a work of art. Everything about it, from the visual style, to the music, to the story is expertly done to create a complete experience that can only be understood after you play it. On the surface, it appears to be a game about saving a princess. Pretty standard stuff, no? But underneath that is a far deeper message, if you care to explore (or check out the plot analysis at GameFAQs). Once you see the bigger picture, it becomes clear how everything, every little element, is used to convey one main idea. The final level will blow your mind.
Finally, the icing on the cake is the homage to the original Super Mario Bros. Within the game are monsters that resemble goombas and piranha plants, and at the end of each World, there is a castle with a flag, and a turtle-like creature who informs the player that the princess is probably in another castle. That really put a smile on my face.
There isn't any other way for me to say this: play Braid!
First off, the gameplay, while not the ultimate achievement, is quite solid. Each of the five main areas introduces a new time mechanic that is required to solve the puzzles within the world. From the standard rewind function, to a world where moving to the right advances time and moving to the left backs it up, it is fun to see how each puzzle utilizes the player's abilities.
What I found most interesting, and even rewarding, however, is that the gameplay is only a part of one amazing product. More than any other game I have ever witnessed, Braid is a work of art. Everything about it, from the visual style, to the music, to the story is expertly done to create a complete experience that can only be understood after you play it. On the surface, it appears to be a game about saving a princess. Pretty standard stuff, no? But underneath that is a far deeper message, if you care to explore (or check out the plot analysis at GameFAQs). Once you see the bigger picture, it becomes clear how everything, every little element, is used to convey one main idea. The final level will blow your mind.
Finally, the icing on the cake is the homage to the original Super Mario Bros. Within the game are monsters that resemble goombas and piranha plants, and at the end of each World, there is a castle with a flag, and a turtle-like creature who informs the player that the princess is probably in another castle. That really put a smile on my face.
There isn't any other way for me to say this: play Braid!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Mirror's Edge Demo
I played the demo for EA's upcoming first-person parkour game, Mirror's Edge, tonight on my Xbox. I have to say, it was quite impressive. I have never played a first-person game that looked so clean, and gave the player so many options.
Here are just a few of the things you can do: run, jump, slide, kick, roll, climb, and wall-run. That is only about half of the things I did in the demo. Most of these are context-sensitive. For example, the left bumper is basically the "move up" button. If you are just standing, doing nothing, pressing it makes you jump. If, on the other hand, you are hanging from a ledge or standing in front of a fence, it makes you climb up. As simple as that may seem, things like that make me really appreciate the thought that went into the controls.
The visuals are almost breathtaking, and not so much in the level of detail. Rather, the style is what makes it beautiful. All of the colors are so bright and vibrant, which actually turns out to be part of the gameplay. Any object that the player can use to get from Point A to Point B is colored in fire-truck red, which often serves as a guide as to where the player needs to go. In order for these objects to stand out, everything else is an equally bright shade of blue, orange, yellow, or just plain white. It's a simple design that gives off a really unique look and feel that I absolutely love.
I feel like Mirror's Edge is a game that could reinvigorate first-person gaming. It isn't just a point-and-shoot affair. Instead of capping bad guys in the dome all the time, you're looking around the environment, trying to find the best wall to scale, or platform to vault. It's just too bad that all of my holiday gaming budget has been reserved for other games. No matter, Christmas is a great time for awesome gifts! If you want to get a better idea of what I mean by all this, either download the demo, or just watch this video:
Here are just a few of the things you can do: run, jump, slide, kick, roll, climb, and wall-run. That is only about half of the things I did in the demo. Most of these are context-sensitive. For example, the left bumper is basically the "move up" button. If you are just standing, doing nothing, pressing it makes you jump. If, on the other hand, you are hanging from a ledge or standing in front of a fence, it makes you climb up. As simple as that may seem, things like that make me really appreciate the thought that went into the controls.
The visuals are almost breathtaking, and not so much in the level of detail. Rather, the style is what makes it beautiful. All of the colors are so bright and vibrant, which actually turns out to be part of the gameplay. Any object that the player can use to get from Point A to Point B is colored in fire-truck red, which often serves as a guide as to where the player needs to go. In order for these objects to stand out, everything else is an equally bright shade of blue, orange, yellow, or just plain white. It's a simple design that gives off a really unique look and feel that I absolutely love.
I feel like Mirror's Edge is a game that could reinvigorate first-person gaming. It isn't just a point-and-shoot affair. Instead of capping bad guys in the dome all the time, you're looking around the environment, trying to find the best wall to scale, or platform to vault. It's just too bad that all of my holiday gaming budget has been reserved for other games. No matter, Christmas is a great time for awesome gifts! If you want to get a better idea of what I mean by all this, either download the demo, or just watch this video:
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