Posts Tagged ‘PC’

Whenever I have been asked about my most anticipated game of 2010 is I have answered Dead Space 2. It is an instinctive response; the original was far and away my favourite game of 2008. While I feel the game didn’t need a sequel science-fiction survival horror titles prove a rare breed, so I take them where I can get them.

I felt a pang of disappointment and annoyance as I started watching E3 footage Dead Space 2. Isaac Clarke, the games protagonist, has changed. Gone is the clunky practical engineer suit, replaced instead by a more ‘edgy’ outfit. I was sad at the loss of the old distinctive look, worried the game was to be bleached it of personality to attract a wider audience.

New meaner looking suit just feels more generic.

Happily I was wrong.

Whatever the reason for Isaac’s new suit its existence soon faded as I watched the footage. New environments from the games terrestrial setting were on show, most interest of which was a church. A blend of gothic architecture and the games own derelict industrial style were obvious in the building, making it feel familiar but hinting at a diversity that was absent in the original.

New enemies (Necromorphs) of varying sizes were also on show. Attacking Isaac, some of these other otherworldly forms were reminiscent of spiders while others looked like small children with gaping tooth filled mouths. Foes approached in larger numbers than the original game, making pace appear more frantic, another shift in direction for the game I will reserve judgement on for now.

I am eager to jump back into Dead Space’s fiction to find out more about its mysterious parasitic Necromorphs and the delusional Church of Unitology. My only major disappointment from the news out of the show was that the release date has slipped to 2011, but at least it January.

Torchlight appeals to so many of my idiosyncrasies that I am bemused as to why its spiritual predecessor Diablo never appealed to me. Both offer lush fantasy settings and the draw of improved equipment with every vanquished foe that fuels my obsessive tendencies. Maybe I have simply matured as a gamer, or perhaps it is Torchlight’s refinements to the point-and-click, loot hording, action RPG genre that have me enamored.

Every change Torchlight has made to Diablo has focused on making it more appealing to newcomers. Most obvious of these changes is the appearance. A brighter palette, while remaining moody, adds lightness as do the exaggerated characters in the 3D world.

A distinct style made up of bold colours compliments the games mood perfectly.

Alterations are not limited to visuals; tweaks to gameplay also take center stage. Foremost among these additions is the inclusion of a pet. These little critters not only provide space for items and additional powers (cue skeleton summoning dogs), but also deliver the greatest innovation over Diablo, personal shoppers. Loading up a pet with unwanted loot will see them disappearing back to the town of Torchwood to sell it. It’s a tiny change, but one that released me from the burden of excess items, while stilling reaping some of their benefits.

At $20 it is hard not to recommend Torchlight. Accessible, dip in and out gameplay offers a fun distraction. Though the game is quite short the attraction of harder difficulties and increasingly powerful items prove a constant draw, for me at least.

Sometimes you need to reset the bar. As an informed gamer I find more and more that my definition of what constitutes average is slowly creeping upwards. Then Capcom’s Dark Void was thrust into my lap, and I found my equilibrium.

Conceptually Dark Void looked like a solid game. It threw me into a dramatic story, set in a beautiful world with interesting opponents. Add to this cover based combat with the ability to take flight at any time, courtesy of a jetpack, and developer Airtight Games should have been on to a winner. But these elements all combined to make and experience that define the term pedestrian.

See it looks fun, but the soul is missing.

Strangely nothing in the execution of Dark Void is wrong. There are no technical problems, mechanically or graphically, but it contains none of the magic that I seem to have begun taking for granted in my games.

I look to games with similar third person combat, such as Gears of War, and feel none of the spark that made them special. Like a gifted young musician copying their idol, the performance of Dark Void is solid in its execution, but lacks any of the soul that makes the original feel special.

Dark Void looked so promising in previews, but all the final product did for me was establish that good games really do possess a spark that raise them above the masses; a spark that no amount of technical talent or focus testing can substitute for.

Read more about Dark Void here.

A labor of love for developer Bioware, Dragon Age: Origins offers classic D&D gameplay. With an emphasis on character interaction, the game makes interesting use of a simple morality system to form some unique party politics.

Games always task us with saving the world, which can make it hard to focus on the little things. We make assumptions that our party will unquestioningly follow us to their deaths however we behave. Not so in Dragon Age, because this is a game where party members have a choice, and the ability to leave.

I played the PC version, which (anecdotally) offers a better experience than the console ports.

It was my party that formed the heart of my experience with Dragon Age. RPGs always see me playing the good guy, helping the people I meet with problems and solving situations in the best way possible. But in Dragon Age decisions are often grey, and the wrong choice can lead to me alienating a party member who disagrees with my leadership.

Having acquired every character I was met with the task of balancing their interests. Not offending a templar may not seem difficult, but it becomes a challenge when others are urging you to use dark magic to expedite a quest.

At its basest level party management is just the binary morality system seen in many RPGs, but with each party member carrying their own values. It’s a simple mechanic that creates fascinating interactions and managed to draw me in far more than the epic mission I was tasked with ever could.