2009.04.09
I was going to review Suikoden Tierkreis this week; however, I have only spent around ten hours in the game. I do not feel that ten hours is enough to review a game that is more than sixty hours.
Instead, I want to talk about the use of the terms ‘hardcore’ and ‘casual’ in the video game industry. This idea came to the forefront of my mind after a recent discussion with Lusipurr. A dictionary definition of hardcore is ”unswervingly committed; uncompromising; dedicated: a hard-core segregationist”, whilst the definition of casual is given as “irregular; occasional: a casual visitor”.
The two definitions above fit best with the idea of casual and hardcore in the video game market. I feel that I fall under the casual tag. However, this is when I feel that the terms hardcore and casual fail in their usage in the gamer idiom.
Halo 3, Killzone 2, and Persona 4 are hardcore games. Games such as Buzz, LittleBigPlanet, and Rock Band are casual. What is the term for a person who likes to play games from both groups? I do not know the answer and in not knowing the answer, I begin to think that people who use the terms ‘hardcore’ and ‘casual’ may not know the true definition of either word!
So tell me what you think: do the words ‘hardcore’ and ‘casual’ have a place in the dialogue of gamers?
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Posted by Lee
2009.04.02
Horror and scares in video games are very subjective to the person playing them. In this editorial, I want to talk about what I consider to be the five scariest games ever made.
In fifth place we have the original Resident Evil on the PlayStation. Who can forget the first time the zombie dog jumps though the window? I was a lot younger when I played this. While time has taken some of the tension and frights away, Resident Evil is still a great example of how to implement horror into a game.
In fourth place is Silent Hill for the PlayStation, a game that played on a different setting then Resident Evil. Silent Hill built up a world of tension and heavy atmosphere with the ever-present fog in the game world. Silent Hill swapped the quick jump-out moments of Resident Evil. Instead it was the game’s ability to build tension and fear that made it such a masterpiece of horror.
In third place is Project Zero for the PlayStation 2. Anyone who has seen Japanese horror films such as The Ring or The Grudge will feel right at home with Project Zero as the game borrows heavily from both films. Giving one nothing more then a broken, old camera to fight legions of ghosts, the story is set in an old house where the player is desperately searching for a missing brother.
In second place: Persona 4 for the PlayStation 2. The setting in this game is very dark and somewhat disturbing: worlds inside a television where one’s inner self can be found. The game once again brings in fog, and one knows that when the fog comes something is going to happen. Considering the game includes Satan as a character, it is clear that something very disturbing and evil is going down.
In first place is Dead Space for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. This is a masterpiece of horror gaming. Never as a gamer have I felt such fear and fright as I did while playing this game.
Scary, horrific aliens: Dead Space has them in droves.
Drawing heavily from Event Horizon, the setting is a huge mining ship where something has gone very wrong. With little chance of escape the player must do what he can to survive the nightmares which infest the ship.
Readers, what are your favourite horror moments?
19 Comments | 
Editorials | Tagged: Resident Evil, Persona 4, Dead Space, Silent Hill, Project Zero | 
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Posted by Lee
2009.03.26
Used games are set to make GameStop $2 billion in the fiscal year 2009. Most game developers and publishers would like to see the end of the used game market. They say that they do not see any money from used game sales. This is of course true, but only to a certain extent.
How many gamers have had the experience of trading in three or four games to get the latest title? I know I have. Even now when I have more money to spend on new games, £40 is still too much. Trading unwanted games in for credit makes it possible for me to get the latest title; nine out of ten times, I will pick up a new copy.
Taking away the used game market would be a bad move for the industry. What about the older titles which are hard to buy new? Looking on eBay, it is clear that there is a large demand for older titles which are now impossible to buy in stores. Services such as Xbox Live and PlayStation Network try to solve the problem by offering older titles to download.
The solution seems clear to me: offer every game as a downloadable. The technology is there for such a service–perhaps not yet for Blu-Ray titles, but for everything up to DVD titles it should be possible. Would you like to see a service which offers the ability to download every PS2 title? Would you pay a subscription for this service? It is possible that a streaming service much like Netflix might exist for games in the coming years.
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Posted by Lee
2009.03.19
Resident Evil is a game which almost introduced the survival-horror concept to the untold masses during the original Playstation era. The series introduced gamers everywhere to the concept of limited ammo and a blood curdling B-movie-style story. Resident Evil helped to define a generation of games. Titles such as Silent Hill and Dead Space owe much to the Resident Evil series. Resident Evil 4 is the game considered by many to be the best in the series, and some people also consider it to be the best game ever made. Edge magazine put Resident Evil 4 as the fourth in a poll of the hundred best games to play today. Resident Evil 5 follows the same gameplay seen in Resident Evil 4; but is it a worthy sequel, or will people fail to feel the magic?
Players take the role of series regular Chris Redfield, last seen in Code Veronica for the Dreamcast. The story takes place in modern day Africa. It seems to be commonplace that in 2009 games routinely involve terrorists in some way; Resident Evil 5 is no different in this regard. With Umbrella shut down, the viruses they developed have fallen into the wrong hands. Chris is not alone in this tale; early in the game his partner, Sheva Alomar, is introduced. Like Metal Gear Solid 4, Resident Evil 5 ties up almost every loose end of the Resident Evil saga. The game also offers people who are not familiar with the story forty page summary of the whole series.
Resident Evil 5 might as well be called Resident Evil 4 High Definition. The Gameplay remains almost identical in terms of how Chris is controlled. It is sad that this game will never see a Wii release, for anyone who has played the Wii version of Resident Evil 4 will think back to how amazing the Wii remote was. The main addition in terms of gameplay is the two player co-op mode, available in both local split-screen and via network over Xbox Live or PSN. Another new amendment to the gameplay is the item management. No longer will the game pause during that all important first-aid play. This mechanic forces the player to really think about the team work aspect. The ability to use the D-Pad to switch items on the fly is a welcome revision.
The game looks amazing; the high quality textures and the level of detail in the game is astounding. Resident Evil 5 could be one of the best looking games available right now. Problems do exist with moments of interface lag encountered on the Playstation 3 version. Sound editing has set a good standard with music cutting in at the right moments to heighten the tension in the gameplay.
Resident Evil 5 is a good game; any fans of Resident Evil 4 will feel right at home with this, and anyone looking for more of the same quality gameplay should pick this up. Unfortunately, Resident Evil 5 does have a number of flaws which push the game down from great to good. The AI when playing in single-player is shocking, players will often find themselves wanting to turn the game off because of this. The best advice is to use the partner as a mule and to pack her with ammo and items, but never any guns. The other alternative to this is to play the game only in co-op, because this mode is what Resident Evil 5 was made for. The game, like Metal Gear Solid 4, is very cinematic with some of the best-directed scenes seen in video games. Looking back Resident Evil 4 is still the best Resident Evil game. Despite this, fans of the series should have little problem feeling right at home in the latest version.
8 Comments | Reviews | Tagged: Capcom, PlayStation3, Resident Evil, Resident Evil 5, XBox 360 | Permalink
Posted by Lee
2009.03.12
Classic: gamers throw this word around far too often. I want to spend the next few weeks talking about what I consider to be classic games. Many of the games written about will be old, however I want to pose the following question: does a game have to be old to be considered a classic?
Take yourself back to 18 April, 1994. What were you doing, if you owned a Super Nintendo and wanted to play a game that is now considered by many to be the greatest action-adventure game ever made. That game is a true classic; let me introduce you to Super Metroid.
Directed by Yoshio Sakamoto and produced by Makoto Kanoh, Super Metroid was the third in the Metroid series; two previous games had been released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Gameboy. The player once again took control of Samus Aran, with a suit that protected her from the elements, and super missiles which could blow doors clean open. Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano also treated players to a musical score which even today is high amongst gamers’ favorite soundtracks. Who can forget the haunting title screen music or the epic battle music with Mother Brain?
I will never forget that final battle with Mother Brain. The feeling one gets when she is defeated–it is a high costing victory, indeed. The 2D, sprite-based graphics will always be noted as some of the best of the era.
The game has a GameRanking of ninety-six percent; a ranking that I consider reflects the quality of the game. Those who have not had a chance to play this classic are in luck. Nintendo has released the game for the Virtual Console in all regions. I urge everyone to play this game today!
This game remains my favorite Super Nintendo game; many will ask about Final Fantasy VI–I would reply that Final Fantasy VI never saw a release in Europe. Looking forward, will we ever see a new 2D Metroid? The first Metroid Prime was ground-breaking, don’t get me wrong, but I hope that one day we will see a new 2D Metroid game.
5 Comments | Editorials | Tagged: SNES, Super Metroid, Super Nintendo | Permalink
Posted by Lee
2009.03.05
In times gone past one could look towards the PC for first-person shooters. How times have changed. While it is possible to debate that the genre is still best played on the PC, a large number of impressive titles have come the way of the consoles in the last decade or so. While not wanting to give people a history lesson, it is important to mention that Halo was the game that changed the landscape of first-person shooters on consoles forever. Progress forward a few years to the present; two more Halo games have followed.
Killzone 2 brings together the best of the genre; solid game-play mechanics with a technical design that will make most gamers’ eyes bleed. The game has a very heavy feeling to it in the movement and shooting. Anyone expecting a Call of Duty 4 or Halo 3 experience will not find it here. Controls will take a while to get to grips with. One concern is the lack of any custom button mapping included with the game. Players will be stuck with the controls they are given, thought there aree around six different set-ups to choose from, which should provide some flexibility.
The Helgast, looking very much like Nazis!
While I have not finished the game yet, I can say that the story is nonexistent. Gamers looking only for a story would be better off reading a book, as the only part of the story I enjoyed was the introduction. This is standard first-person shooter gameplay, with battles alternated with vehicle sections and the normal sniper encounters, such as most FPS fans will be familiar with. At the time of writing this article, I am near the end of the game. The action picks up; much like Call of Duty 4, I find it brings the gamer even closer to the experiences found in a real life battlefield.
As for multiplayer, this game is the best console online experience since Call of Duty 4. Though not quite matching Call of Duty 4 in terms of pure excitement, it does come very close. Killzone 2 shares many mechanics with my other favorite online game, Team Fortress 2. Players can level up; each level brings something new, such as unlocking new classes and bringing new weapons to the battle. Progress systems such as these go a long way to increasing longevity of the title. All in all, Killzone 2, despite its faults, is the best first-person shooter available on consoles at the present moment.
14 Comments | Editorials | Tagged: PS3, Killzone 2, Guerrilla Games | Permalink
Posted by Lee
2009.02.26
To think that it was some fifteen years ago that I first started playing Street Fighter 2 Turbo on the newly released Super Nintendo console! It would be some time before I found a fighter that could keep my attention like that game. It might not be such a shock to find that the game which could was a Street Fighter with the number IV.
Street Fighter IV is shining example of how a game can be made in 2009 whilst remaining true to the original game play style. The game also brings a lot of new ideas to the table and remains very true to the game released fifteen years ago. It brings in a few new mechanics that only enhance the game and make it even deeper than it already was.. The exciting thing about these newer mechanics is that while they are present, they are not needed to have a lot of fun. The game contains twenty-five fighters in total with a few to unlock along the way. Classic characters such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Blanka are here, along with new characters which players will soon learn to fight with, learning the skills needed to fight against them.
Ryu about to unleash an ultra.
I hope to have a review done very soon. This is meant as a quick heads-up on what the game has made me feel so far. I have played the game for a total of nine hours, played online in a total of ninety-six games, and unlocked all but two of the characters. I would like to think that I will be playing this game for a long time to come.
I do have some complaints against the game. The final boss, Seth, is an example of how it is possible for developers to make you feel cheated when playing a game. Seth is just random and broken, in that no pattern exists in what he does. On very easy he can beat the player within fifteen seconds; the next time he is fought on hard he can be taken down in fifteen seconds. This pattern repeats. As of yet, I have found no sure way to beat him with ease. I hope this skill will come with time.
Look forward to a review soon. For other thoughts of mine on the game, listen to episode two of the Megaphones Ahoy! Podcast.
7 Comments | Editorials | Tagged: PS3, Street Fighter IV, XBox 360 | Permalink
Posted by Lee
2009.02.16
Question: what am I? Lee Gordon is who I am. And what I am? Well, that can be open to much debate. Welcome to my first post on Megaphones ahoy. You will be able to find my writing/rambling thoughts here. I enjoy games hence why I am writing here. Twenty-Four years on this blue planet and around twenty of them I can be found playing games.
My taste ranges. I can often be seen playing the latest big-budget game, but I also find time to enjoy the smaller ‘indie’ games. There are no genres I won’t try at least once. I enjoy the industry just as much as playing the games. I am quite knowledgeable and would be happy to discuss any concerns you have about the video game industry. You can look forward to a new post on a weekly basis. My day will be Thursday.
Favorite Games
1.Final Fantasy VII
2.Freespace 2
3.Resident Evil 2
4.Street Fighter 2 Turbo
5.Metal Gear Solid
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