Posts Tagged ‘E3’

Life may be busy but that hasn’t stopped us here at DoFuss, so here for your entertainment is the latest show. If you have been counting (and I don’t know why you would have been) you may have noticed this is the thirtieth show since we rebooted last year, which makes it as old as us, kind of.

With E3 coverage drawing to a close Darren and I dedicated this show to looking back on the announcements that caught our shared eye. Of course Move, Kinect and 3DS dominated discussion but we also indulge in some of the games that stood out to us, such as the beautiful Journey and Lost in Shadow. And we like Pierce Brosnan.

Enjoy and check back later this month for the second anniversary of the DoFuss Show.

The DoFuss Show – Some thoughts on E3 and Pierce Brosnan. [ 59:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With relatively little on show of thatgamecompany’s (developers of Flow and Flower) latest PSN title my excitement for Journey may be misplaced. But with an idea that appeals to me so much, coupled with the stunning aesthetic and thatgamecompanys pedigree, I can’t help but feel it’s a safe bet.

Set within a desolate desert world, Journey casts the player in as a lonely protagonist trying to find their way to a distant mountain. It looks stunning, with beautiful empty vistas spreading for miles, perfectly in keeping with thatgamecompany’s previous artistically aware titles.

Empty but beautiful.

What does separate Journey from thatgamecompany’s previous work is that it looks like a game. While the goal of Journey still seems firmly routed in the experience and exploration, the player character is… well a character, as opposed to an evolving amoeba or a petal. This more grounded protagonist brings with it more relatable abilities and ways to interact with the word, such as jumping and singing.

To reach the distant mountain it seems the player will have to make use of all the skills available to them as well as the fabric found in the world. Fabric in fact forms an essential part of the games mechanics, granting powers by collecting it, as well as taking on various qualities (such as acting as a platform) when ‘harmonised’ using song.

Most intriguing of Journey’s features lie in its multiplayer. Comparable to Demon’s Souls in its implementation, the multiplayer is an almost passive experience. With no direct communication between characters it is left to the players actions to display intent.

What is even more interesting about Journey’s multiplayer is that it will only be with one other, randomly selected, person at a time. Once a partner is seen in the world, a player can choose to approach them and interact or walk on, whereby eventually another new partner will eventually be drawn in to the world to replace the old spurned one. It is an interesting dynamic that appeals to my antisocial online gaming style.

Due sometime (hopefully) in 2011, I am going to remain excited about Journey until thatgamecompany does something to prove me wrong.

It has been a long week, in no way helped by the fact that we had to record this show twice thanks to technical problems. Fortunately the dry run meant that even with my general exhaustion we were able to keep the show mostly on track, and when we didn’t it was at least funny.

We kick off as always with ‘Heaven and Hell’ (featuring the World Cup) before the ever-present ‘What Have You Been Playing?’ For a change this show Darren has been indulging in games that could technically be called current, though while Portal ‘Mac’ has technically just been released it might be pushing it to call it new. I on the other hand have been playing the very current Alan Wake, which I have been gushing about online for some time, so I take this opportunity to redress some of the balance.

After this it is on to news. E3 kicked off the day we recorded with the Microsoft Kinect event (yes, I call it the Kinetic during the show, but I am sure that was their plan) so we do touch on the show a little bit in news, as well as some other headlines that caught my eye.

Finally we rap up with a feature on in game collectables. A topic inspired by Alan Wake, a game that manages to undermine its own narrative by poor implementation of in game pick ups.

I hope you enjoy the show, leave any comments or feedback below or drop us a mail.

The DoFuss Show – 29 out of 100. [ 1:09:54 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

More information on Home Improvement for the Super Nintendo (from Wikipedia)…

(We also talk about E3).

The DoFuss Show - Real men don’t need instructions. [ 1:01:16 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download