Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Tom Clancy's Shoot 'n' Loot

Yep.  I participated in a shooter beta over the past weekend.  Some small spot in hell must have frozen over.  To be fair, this isn't the first time.  Destiny, Battlefront, Black Ops III, and Battlefield: Hardline all had betas that I messed around in.  The difference this time?  I put 10 hours into it.  Most of the other betas I popped into were just to play a few deathmatches among friends.  The reason I downloaded this one was pretty much the same but that's not what kept me in it for all that time.  In fact, it's the lack of a true deathmatch that kept me there.

The normal "campaign" side of Tom Clancy's The Division doesn't have any original ideas.  It's a cover-based 3rd-person shooter with a loot system like that of Destiny or Borderlands.  I don't mean for that to be derogatory at all, it's just a very safe co-op shooter.  Go to mission start, blast people along the way, eventually get to a "no respawn zone" with an elite enemy, kill 'em and loot 'em.  Rinse and repeat.  If you've got buds playing with you, that's probably reason enough to get the game, honestly.  While it follows Destiny's formula pretty closely, missions are separated by open-world sections that have collectibles and minor skirmishes with NPC's to give you something to do along the way.  That said, the trip from one mission to another can be pretty uneventful, but as more missions are completed, more fast travel spots will be available, so I don't think it will be much of a problem.

With the missions completed, and a few collectibles found, it was time to switch gears and leave the friendly world of PvE and predictable AI behind to enter the dangerous, bloodthirsty world of PvP.  Knowing my lack of skill in shooting games, I took a deep breath and entered the game's "Dark Zone" expecting the worst.  I didn't get what I was expecting.  I didn't get shot upon entering.  I didn't see any lobbies.  No team deatchmatches or even free-for-all deathmatches were anywhere to be found.  What the hell had I stumbled into?  Upon further inspection, I realized the Division's Dark Zone isn't a traditional PvP mode, but instead is an open world, filled with hostile NPC's and feels more similar to GTA Online's freemode than a standard shooter.  How the Dark Zone works is that essentially everyone enters as a "neutral" agent.  You'll see other players running around, but pretty much everyone sticks to their guns (pun intended), hunting NPC's in hopes of decent loot drops.  So what's the difference between the Dark Zone and the game's normal play?  Well, there's a catch to your loot in the Dark Zone.  It isn't yours until you've extracted it via helicopter, which requires firing a flare to call in a chopper for extraction.  Firing said flare highlights your location and alerts the public that a chopper is coming in to pick up some loot.  90 seconds later, the chopper arrives and can pick up around 5 players' loot.  Well, as you may have guessed, sessions have more than 5 players and no one likes being left out... Sure, another chopper can be called, but that's like another 2 minutes, dammit.  You've got bullets, but little patience... Your white flag gets splattered with red as you fire into the public...  See, loot dropped by NPC's in the Dark Zone is game-specific.  If you see it, it's yours and no one else can pick it up.  If a player is killed holding loot however, their loot becomes up for grabs to anyone in the session.  I shouldn't have to explain how the game can erupt into violence here.

And yet... what I find so appealing about the Dark Zone is how unpredictable it is.  There were several times where I called a helicopter, had my loot extracted along with some other public players', we waved/saluted each other and went our separate ways.  Conversely, my friend was shot and killed as he was attempting to leave the Dark Zone even though he visibly was carrying no loot.  It should be noted however, that firing upon a non-hostile agent will mark you as "rogue," highlighting you for all the public to see.  While my empty-handed friend may have been killed, vigilante justice was swift with 6 or more players gunning down my friend's killer, cheering upon their speedy demise.  That was a defining moment for me with The Division's beta.  I felt like I was part of some kind of social experiment.  You're more than welcome to try and kill every player you come across, but you'll be marked a jackass and likely assassinated by an unforgiving public.  Then again, on the other side of things, you may see a rogue agent in the distance and decide, "Hey, I just found a decent piece of loot, I'm not going anywhere NEAR them!"  It's a bizarre structure that's sure to disappoint those looking for a more conventional deathmatch, but at least on some level, I think it works.  I don't know how long the appeal will last, but at least for a time it was neat just to see how everyone interacted with each other.  Every extraction can be a standoff, with tensions high and itchy trigger fingers.  People can be jerks just to be jerks, or they can join your cause, providing a helping hand in dealing with NPC's and hunting down loot.  Uncertainty isn't always a good thing, but here it's a driving force that makes The Division's multiplayer stand out among the dozens of shooters that seem to be released every week.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

2015 Retrospective

Let's pretend that I haven't abandoned my blog dozens of times over the past 5 years and press forward, shall we?

With the passing of 2015 and arrival of 2016, every gaming website and video game enthusiast compiles a list of games from the year prior in an effort to hone in on their favorites.  In other words: You know the drill.  Top 10's, Top 5's, the best and the worst of the year.  We've all seen dozens of these lists, so... 2 weeks into the next year, of COURSE people would like another one, yeah?  Maybe?  In any event, while I've done my best to narrow it to 10, they should not be read in any particular order.  Many a silly internet fight has begun with "You put X below Y?!?!  HOW STUPID CAN YOU POSS-" which is why I don't particularly care for numbering 10 to 1 in the traditional fashion.  That said, most people can at least decide on their favorite game of the year, which brings me to the first game of the list: Rocket League.

Yup, that ridiculous soccer-like game where you drive the cars around into a giant ball.  Ontop of that, it wasn't even much of a debate for me.  Few of the other games on this list kept me entertained as much as Rocket League did in 2015, and I can almost promise you that none of them will continue to keep me coming back in 2016 the way that Rocket League will.  A hole in my heart was formed as my gaming buddies jumped from one generation into the next and Daytona Night died.  I predict everyone reading this will know what that means but for those who don't, a group of friends and I would play Daytona USA on Xbox Live on a weekly basis.  It was a silly game that brought us together for a lot of fun and laughs, and it broke my heart to see it go when we all jumped from the last generation of consoles into the current ones.  The only thing that's come close to filling that oval-shaped void is the feeling I get as I barrel past my friends in an attempt to make a desperate save only to whiff it and fire the ball straight into my own goal, that thrill I get when I actually manage to hit the ball when it's airbone instead of wasting my boost to go flying past it, and that crazy shot that somehow manages to slowly roll from one goal into the other to end the game.  The game is as casual or competitive as the people you play it with and works on both levels.  The matches are just short enough that it's impossible to say no to a rematch sometimes.  My choice for Rocket League as GOTY was solidified later in the year when "mutators" were added, allowing players to alter aspects of the game such as the arena's gravity or size/shape of the ball, making for some pretty ridiculous games.  Rocket League is a multiplayer masterpiece that I'll always be happy to revisit now and then for a couple matches.  Good on ya, RL.


There is one other 2015 game that can rival Rocket League on its replayability.  Super Mario Maker allows for an infinite amount of levels to play and although they vary greatly in quality, it's still appealing to know you'll never play the same level twice (though you'll play your share of levels that play themselves).  Mario Maker's real achievement isn't in its playing however, but rather its level designing. Nintendo makes use of the WiiU's gamepad (a rare feat!) in a way that allows for nearly effortless level creation.  That's where Mario Maker stands out against its level-designing competitors like Little Big Planet.  Without question, a skilled creator can do a lot more with LBP's tools than Mario Maker's, but that's just the thing.  A skilled creator.  Not just skill either, but time and LOTS of it.  Mario Maker thrives on its simplicity, allowing a first-time user to make an entertaining level in 20 minutes or so.  Of course a player can put a lot more time a into level, but that's the player's choice.  Hours and hours of learning isn't mandatory.  With Nintendo putting out updates, it's easy to see even more replayability in the future.  Hang on, NINTENDO updated one of their games!?  Maybe Mario Maker should win GOTY just for managing to get Nintendo to do that.


There isn't a whole lot to say here since... y'know.  It's Mega Man.  Tight controls, gameplay and a killer soundtrack.  I remember first scoffing at the release of Mega Man Legacy Collection.  "It's only 1-6?  Bah!  Those Capcom bastards."  (It should be noted that I don't always get along with Capcom.)  While I definitely would have liked to see 7 and 8 on there (or maybe 9 and 10 since they're more in line with the visual style of 1-6) MMLC is still plenty of bang for your buck, especially considering that "buck" is only $15.  Throw in a music player, a substantial amount artwork for each of the games and some challenge levels with leaderboards and you've got yourself a nice little collection.  Special thanks for leaving in the designated pause button exclusive to MM1 unlike in Mega Man Anniversary Collection back on PS2/GC/Xbox.  No one really wants to fight Yellow Devil legitimately do they?


While I'm still praising Capcom games instead of cursing them, I'd like to thank them for the re-REmake.  Title jokes aside, there's less to say about this one than the Mega Man Legacy Collection, it's simply an HD port of the Gamecube release with (busted as hell) leaderboards and achievements.  It has a heftier price at $20, but it's a nice port of arguably the best of its genre and while I can't believe I'm praising achievements, the achievements will make you attempt the scarier runs of the game like playing with invisible enemies or beating the game without saving.  Still miss that PS1 dialogue though.

 

It doesn't get much more charming than this.  Woolly World is essentially the gameplay of Yoshi's Island with the aesthetic of Kirby Epic Yarn.  Much like Kirby Epic Yarn, playing locally with a friend is an option that at times feels wonky since the game was designed around being played by one player, but still works.  Also not unlike Kirby Epic Yarn, it's over very quickly if you don't go after any collectibles, but it's a fun and adorable treat while it lasts.  The soundtrack is mostly very light and bouncy but varies and features some FUNKY beats in the fortresses and a few other sections.  It's fairly standard Nintendo, but the charm and soundtrack are enough to make the list for me.


Oh yeah, no way I'm not including this one in the year's favorites.  If you know me at all, you've probably heard that I might kind of enjoy Out Run.  Just a bit.  Just having an accurate port of one of my all-time favorite video games in a portable format would be enough, and is already an achievement on its own.  Arcade games always got inaccurate ports to home consoles and Out Run is certainly no exception.  Developer M2 definitely knows how to make an accurate port, but 3D Out Run goes above and beyond.  While the original arcade version is preserved and intact here, they've also added a version that runs at 60 fps (compared to the original's 30) and has optional vehicle mods to add a little variety by allowing you to reach higher top speeds or have better handling and alter the car's physical appearance.  That said, I've only tried the mods once just to see what they were.  The original game is just too good.  Oh, and 3D Out Run is not to be confused with Out Run 3D.  That one's a Sega Master system game that will fetch you like $200+ on eBay.


Another well-known fact about me: I love rhythm games.  Among my favorite games for the PSP were the DJ Max Portable games.  After that it was the DJ Max Technika series because I was fortunate enough to have access to the arcade machine.  Actually, My love of that arcade game was what originally persuaded (read "tricked") me into getting a PS Vita with the release of DJ Max Technika Tune, which is more or less a port of the arcade game.  Unfortunately, the Vita version couldn't hope to capture the same gameplay on such a small screen, so I was left feeling a little disappointed.  The hyper-catchy K-Pop was there as was the touch screen, it just was too cramped to play well.  Well, several years later we've got Superbeat Xonic from the same developers as DJ Max and this time the layout is much more conducive to the Vita.  Not only that, but you can choose to abandon the touch screen all together and play with the buttons and joysticks (which is arguably the better control option anyways).  Unfortunately, it doesn't quite live up to its predecessors because here you're just playing ontop of the music instead of actually generating it.  Still, it's a solid rhythm game that I can't imagine will show up in too many other people's 2015 lists.


Not a whole lot to say here, it's just Borderlands 2 and the Pre-Sequel and their DLC campaigns and characters, but they run a WHOLE LOT BETTER than they did on the last gen consoles.  Yeah yeah, I know, PC MASTER RACE blah blah.  For console gamers, the Handsome Collection is a major step-up from what they're used to.  Shoot a lot of things, get a lot of loot.  A great time with friends. 

 

Here's another quick entry, which seems fitting for Just Cause 3.  The game gets right to the point unlike Just Cause 2.  It knows you don't care about its poorly written story and right from the start loads you up with explosives, the famous grapple hook, and a new wingsuit.  You still unlock abilities as you progress to allow for even more proposterous things like a JUMP BUTTON for land vehicles.  I can't say I've put a ton of time into this one yet, but it'll be a toybox I'll revisit from time to time just to mess around with.  It's goofy, over-the-top open world fun, plain and simple.


Warning: I have not finished MGS V: The Phantom Pain and am therefore according to most gamers a terrible person.  However, I'm not just putting this on here in an attempt to prevent them from coming to beat me up.   MGS V is technically impressive and succeeds in creating a big open-world stealth game where threats can come from any angle.  Players are given a lot of options in how to deal with these threats and objectives which makes for lot of "in the moment" excitement.  It also means that the few times in story missions when players have their options taken away from them, the gameplay takes a significant hit.  From what I've heard, I actually haven't hit the second "roadblock" mission, but the first one was a frustrating mess that resulted in me cheesing through it in a fashion that was neither fun or rewarding.  The story isn't much motivation to keep playing either, as it's delivered in tiny chunks that sometimes won't come out for several hours at a time.  Then again, the story is one of the weaker aspects of the game, so this isn't much of a loss.  All in all, when it DOES hit its highs, MGS V is an amazing game, it just requires a little extra patience at times.

So there we have a collection of 10 games (again, not ranked from 1-10) but there's several others I think are worthy of being here, so I'm going to do a few hyper-quick summaries on some honorable mentions:
Rare Replay: $30 for 30 games.  Many of them actually good.  Would get the day I got an XBone

Zelda Triforce Heroes- fun multiplayer but falters with massive internet connection issues  (Also 3 people are REQUIRED for the game to be any fun.)

Dragon Quest Heroes- Beautiful character designs and DQ fanservice.  Takes out some of the problematic things from other Musou games.

Hatsune Miku Project Mirai DX- Chibi version of the Project Diva games.  In other words, more rhythm games

Payday 2 Crimewave Edition: Looks gross, but had a discounted price and is fun with friends

Majora's Mask 3D- An excellent update to the oddball Zelda

King's Quest- Charming Adventure game that doesn't kill you every second like old Sierra.  

Before I say farewell to the games of 2015, I'd like to point out a few of the games that could very well have shown up in this list had I gotten around to playing them.  Undertale gets nothing but praise and seems like something I would enjoy a lot as well.  Rodea seems like a bizarre Sega joint that I'd like to give a shot too.  Finally, I can almost guarantee that I'd be a fan of Yakuza 5, I was just deterred by its digital-only release combined with my lack of PS3 harddrive space.  I will get to it though, and probably love it.

With that, it's time to finally wrap this bloated post up and look ahead towards the games of 2016.  There are several games on the horizon I'm excited for, so maybe we're in for another great year of video games.  Hey, new year... new things... Maybe I'll even get back into writing these silly things?  Crazier things have happened.