As I wrap up my run through the Kinect Adventures "adventure mode", I just want to run through some short, but final thoughts on the game. The review stays the same, however. This is more of a minor insight on the inner-mini-games that comprise Kinect Adventures.
1) I rather like rally-ball, I'm fairly decent at it.
2) I never have felt so doughy than from the obstacle course on wheels.
3) A raft is really meant for 2 people, not 1....nor is it meant to float on clouds...
4) The bubbles man, the bubbles!
And finally:
5) Those fish are truly assholes...
Thank you.
--The N00basaurus
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Jump To Go Faster
My doughy gamer figure sits in this chair drenched in the sweat of success. That's how I feel about the Kinect from Microsoft for the Xbox 360. Despite my apprehension that the device would be like a yahoo messenger webcam that would be priced out to wazzoo, bogged down and laggy at it's best, I was completely and utterly mistaken.
It is, not only handy, but delightful. I'm having more fun than I did when I opened the box of my first "motion" controller. It is so much more than, you move here, it moves there. It's you move here, and it recognize "how". For instance, it can recognize hands from feet, head from knees, and that sort of bag. There are times, however, where it will "loose" parts of your body when you turn sideways or your arms cross in front of your torso, but at the speed it recalibrate, it's always only a minor issue.
This device is proving to be much like a newly released console. What I mean by that, is the fact that it will be defined by the games that utilize it, rather than like most accessories, where the console defines the accessory. So far I have only 2 games for it, I hope to get more in the near(ish) future. Mostly, I'm excited to see "what" comes forth from such a beast. News articles and blogs have been pouring forth with ideas and hacks and mods for the system, everything from augmented reality to remote controlled couches, but really, I'm mostly excited for the hard backed and decently funded game companies to really work some magic. I've been testing the slew of demos that are currently out for it, and each one I see promise for something truly awesome.
One of the flaws of the Kinect is space. You "can" play the Kinect in as little as 4-6feet, but position the sensor above the TV. Really, you want a shelf behind your flat screen to really get the most out of the system. Around 7-8ft is the sweet spot, however. The best face recognition, the best non-lagging movement tracking, everything is from a 2 space cone burst 8ft out from the sensor. Mostly if you live in a super cramped studio appartment in Europe or East Asia, this might not be for your living quarters. However, a lot of this is just a manner of repositioning your furniture so you don't have anything to destroy your shins as you flail and propel your body about.
There is a slight lag in the system. This is to be expected of any digital device. The Kinect is focused mainly on steady fluid movements of the human body. Something sort of upper mid-range out of all the motions we can carry out. This poses a minor problem in the shape of mind over matter. In a fighting game, as far as fighting circles go, the difference of who's hard core, and who isn't, is who can juggle their opponent the fastest. That's what wins. The Kinect, is a little unable to track incredibly fast movements of the human body. It has some speed, don't get me wrong, but as always biological muscle can be a little too fast for the current digital "eyes". It however, is not as near as finicky about movement as Wii controllers, but there is a slightly noticeable lag between fast and moderate movements.
So, without further adieu, here's the load-out:
Device: Xbox360 Kinect
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: Initial Rating 8. Rating may change depending on TBA games.
As I mentioned above I have 2 games for the Kinect. I'll review them both here, one after the other:
Game: Dance Central
Platform: Xbox 360 w/Kinect
Developer: Harmonix
Ah Harmonix, the wonderful people that brought us Audiosurf and the first Guitar Hero. Dance Central is yet another one of their petri-dish creations. Bumping and Thumping bacteria dropping down hard pumping bass beats making wonderfully, almost, science music at our fingers. It is easy to see that they tried to keep this game semi-close to other music games on the shelves right now *cough* Rock Band *cough* by listing artists, titles, and even album covers of past and present musical talents.
What I like about Dance Central is simply the fact that you, yourself, are dancing. Even if it's sometimes questionable choreography, your still moving. One of the things that has always been a major turn off for me in the music game industry, is that they never really have anything for you to "look at" while your doing things. It's always a Dance Dance Revolution type of setting. Dance Central, has a tiny smidgen of that in there as they try to teach you the moves. But the best part, is that your movements are represented by the avatar on the screen, so you can see how your doing. It's just fun to see yourself fumble about each step.
What I don't like about Dance central can be summerized into two parts. Part one: Some times the wording of the choreography is hard to understand. There's got to more difference in verbal explination between "Boom Boom Pop!" and "Bom Boom Pow!" in their respected directions of movement. However, once you slow it down a little bit, and really watch the visual que, I can work it out some times. Part two: This one is not a minor issue. There is this free-form mode that interrupts each song. Every song. Every single song has sparkly rainbow glitter time splinted right in the middle of it. They just plop it there. Least they could do is give you a few ponies to play with during the cute storm. When playing with a large group of people, free style mode would be great if it popped up randomly during 1 or 2 songs in an entire set, as something a little special, but every song it starts to become a chore. That, and with my schedule and location, when you play it all by your lonesome, it's just a time to go sit down and have a glass of water before the song starts up again. The game would benefit greatly if it had either an option where you could turn freestyle off completely, or have a play mode, like a workout mode, where it would just have smooth choreography all the way through without interruption. Other then those, the game is wonderfully done.
Rating: 7 Falcon PUNCH! Show Me Your Moves!
Game: Kinect Adventures
Platform: Xbox360 w/Kinect
Designer: Microsoft Game Studios
Every one of these move mechanic devices have come with a short mini game that I have liked to call "Here's how to show off your new toy." With the Wii, it was Wii Sports, for the Ps3 Move, it's mostly Sports Champions, but they have a few other things out like "Shoot" or other single verb games, but for the Kinect, it's Kinect Adventures. Although there are not that many games within Kinect Adventures, as like all the others, it's a series of mini-games, but each one has very entertaining game mechanics.
The hardest one for me is space bubbles. I just can't seem to move my avatar fast enough to pop the bubbles. That And I always end up off screen, lol. My favorite one is the dodge ball simulation. Yeah.
I don't really have much to say about it. I like the fact that you can walk off, some one else can walk on, and they are added into the game play. Even while you are playing, a player 2 can just magically appear and start playing at any time, is just amazing.
Way to go Xbox, yet another page in your book of major achievements, bravo.
Rating: 8 "Bonk!"
It is, not only handy, but delightful. I'm having more fun than I did when I opened the box of my first "motion" controller. It is so much more than, you move here, it moves there. It's you move here, and it recognize "how". For instance, it can recognize hands from feet, head from knees, and that sort of bag. There are times, however, where it will "loose" parts of your body when you turn sideways or your arms cross in front of your torso, but at the speed it recalibrate, it's always only a minor issue.
This device is proving to be much like a newly released console. What I mean by that, is the fact that it will be defined by the games that utilize it, rather than like most accessories, where the console defines the accessory. So far I have only 2 games for it, I hope to get more in the near(ish) future. Mostly, I'm excited to see "what" comes forth from such a beast. News articles and blogs have been pouring forth with ideas and hacks and mods for the system, everything from augmented reality to remote controlled couches, but really, I'm mostly excited for the hard backed and decently funded game companies to really work some magic. I've been testing the slew of demos that are currently out for it, and each one I see promise for something truly awesome.
One of the flaws of the Kinect is space. You "can" play the Kinect in as little as 4-6feet, but position the sensor above the TV. Really, you want a shelf behind your flat screen to really get the most out of the system. Around 7-8ft is the sweet spot, however. The best face recognition, the best non-lagging movement tracking, everything is from a 2 space cone burst 8ft out from the sensor. Mostly if you live in a super cramped studio appartment in Europe or East Asia, this might not be for your living quarters. However, a lot of this is just a manner of repositioning your furniture so you don't have anything to destroy your shins as you flail and propel your body about.
There is a slight lag in the system. This is to be expected of any digital device. The Kinect is focused mainly on steady fluid movements of the human body. Something sort of upper mid-range out of all the motions we can carry out. This poses a minor problem in the shape of mind over matter. In a fighting game, as far as fighting circles go, the difference of who's hard core, and who isn't, is who can juggle their opponent the fastest. That's what wins. The Kinect, is a little unable to track incredibly fast movements of the human body. It has some speed, don't get me wrong, but as always biological muscle can be a little too fast for the current digital "eyes". It however, is not as near as finicky about movement as Wii controllers, but there is a slightly noticeable lag between fast and moderate movements.
So, without further adieu, here's the load-out:
Device: Xbox360 Kinect
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: Initial Rating 8. Rating may change depending on TBA games.
As I mentioned above I have 2 games for the Kinect. I'll review them both here, one after the other:
Game: Dance Central
Platform: Xbox 360 w/Kinect
Developer: Harmonix
Ah Harmonix, the wonderful people that brought us Audiosurf and the first Guitar Hero. Dance Central is yet another one of their petri-dish creations. Bumping and Thumping bacteria dropping down hard pumping bass beats making wonderfully, almost, science music at our fingers. It is easy to see that they tried to keep this game semi-close to other music games on the shelves right now *cough* Rock Band *cough* by listing artists, titles, and even album covers of past and present musical talents.
What I like about Dance Central is simply the fact that you, yourself, are dancing. Even if it's sometimes questionable choreography, your still moving. One of the things that has always been a major turn off for me in the music game industry, is that they never really have anything for you to "look at" while your doing things. It's always a Dance Dance Revolution type of setting. Dance Central, has a tiny smidgen of that in there as they try to teach you the moves. But the best part, is that your movements are represented by the avatar on the screen, so you can see how your doing. It's just fun to see yourself fumble about each step.
What I don't like about Dance central can be summerized into two parts. Part one: Some times the wording of the choreography is hard to understand. There's got to more difference in verbal explination between "Boom Boom Pop!" and "Bom Boom Pow!" in their respected directions of movement. However, once you slow it down a little bit, and really watch the visual que, I can work it out some times. Part two: This one is not a minor issue. There is this free-form mode that interrupts each song. Every song. Every single song has sparkly rainbow glitter time splinted right in the middle of it. They just plop it there. Least they could do is give you a few ponies to play with during the cute storm. When playing with a large group of people, free style mode would be great if it popped up randomly during 1 or 2 songs in an entire set, as something a little special, but every song it starts to become a chore. That, and with my schedule and location, when you play it all by your lonesome, it's just a time to go sit down and have a glass of water before the song starts up again. The game would benefit greatly if it had either an option where you could turn freestyle off completely, or have a play mode, like a workout mode, where it would just have smooth choreography all the way through without interruption. Other then those, the game is wonderfully done.
Rating: 7 Falcon PUNCH! Show Me Your Moves!
Game: Kinect Adventures
Platform: Xbox360 w/Kinect
Designer: Microsoft Game Studios
Every one of these move mechanic devices have come with a short mini game that I have liked to call "Here's how to show off your new toy." With the Wii, it was Wii Sports, for the Ps3 Move, it's mostly Sports Champions, but they have a few other things out like "Shoot" or other single verb games, but for the Kinect, it's Kinect Adventures. Although there are not that many games within Kinect Adventures, as like all the others, it's a series of mini-games, but each one has very entertaining game mechanics.
The hardest one for me is space bubbles. I just can't seem to move my avatar fast enough to pop the bubbles. That And I always end up off screen, lol. My favorite one is the dodge ball simulation. Yeah.
I don't really have much to say about it. I like the fact that you can walk off, some one else can walk on, and they are added into the game play. Even while you are playing, a player 2 can just magically appear and start playing at any time, is just amazing.
Way to go Xbox, yet another page in your book of major achievements, bravo.
Rating: 8 "Bonk!"
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Clues? What clues?
So a friend of mine got the new L.A. Noire by Rockstar games, and we had an interesting few hours playing it. I did a couple cases, and well, I had to put it down. To be frank, it's not my kind of game. I'm not sure who's kind of game it is, it must be some ones, but it most certainly isn't mine.
Game: L.A. Noire
Developer: Rockstar
Platforms: Xbox 360, Ps3
Rating: 5 Gumshoes are just on the wrong feet.
I'm going to start off by stating what is good about the game. Graphically, it's decent. Face mapping on characters is well drawn out making their mouth and eye movements as well as facial expressions flow quite well. Physics engine is decent, not great, but decent. For a detective game, the crimes do seem worth your time to look into. Wiggling panties and hanging around the water-cooler were my favorite part of this game...
Now onto the bad. The game is a rail (I'd say "rail shooter" but it lacks the "shooter" part that is customary follower to that phrase). It is a sandbox game where they dumped out of all the sand, given you 1 toy, and eye you closely to make sure you play with it how they want you too. In layman's terms, the game is very rigid. There is 1 way to do things, and no room for deviation. The game mechanic is this: Your stuffed into an area. Theres a person in front of you, you talk to them. You can't talk to anyone else, but them and you can only say very few things. Then your stuffed into another area to pick up trash like a janitor. Once you have enough trash, you can talk to 1 other person. You can't talk to anyone else, no one else cares about your trash. Rinse and repeat. Peppered into this one on one duality, they toss you a few bones of car chases and gun play, but to be honest, it's not really enough to keep my attention. Cars, like in GTA 4, have a much wider turn radius than the narrow streets allow, leaving you crashing into buildings regardless of your "skill". You can't slap witnesses or people your interrogating. In fact, the cut scene NPC's lord the fact that they can slap whom-ever they please right in front of you.
What this game desperately needs, is player control. At the moment, as the game is, It feels like the game is desperately trying to get rid of the player element all together. As if being there, holding a controller, is some sort of burden for the game as it jumps from one cinema to the other. 3 things would have made this game epic:
Game: L.A. Noire
Developer: Rockstar
Platforms: Xbox 360, Ps3
Rating: 5 Gumshoes are just on the wrong feet.
I'm going to start off by stating what is good about the game. Graphically, it's decent. Face mapping on characters is well drawn out making their mouth and eye movements as well as facial expressions flow quite well. Physics engine is decent, not great, but decent. For a detective game, the crimes do seem worth your time to look into. Wiggling panties and hanging around the water-cooler were my favorite part of this game...
Now onto the bad. The game is a rail (I'd say "rail shooter" but it lacks the "shooter" part that is customary follower to that phrase). It is a sandbox game where they dumped out of all the sand, given you 1 toy, and eye you closely to make sure you play with it how they want you too. In layman's terms, the game is very rigid. There is 1 way to do things, and no room for deviation. The game mechanic is this: Your stuffed into an area. Theres a person in front of you, you talk to them. You can't talk to anyone else, but them and you can only say very few things. Then your stuffed into another area to pick up trash like a janitor. Once you have enough trash, you can talk to 1 other person. You can't talk to anyone else, no one else cares about your trash. Rinse and repeat. Peppered into this one on one duality, they toss you a few bones of car chases and gun play, but to be honest, it's not really enough to keep my attention. Cars, like in GTA 4, have a much wider turn radius than the narrow streets allow, leaving you crashing into buildings regardless of your "skill". You can't slap witnesses or people your interrogating. In fact, the cut scene NPC's lord the fact that they can slap whom-ever they please right in front of you.
What this game desperately needs, is player control. At the moment, as the game is, It feels like the game is desperately trying to get rid of the player element all together. As if being there, holding a controller, is some sort of burden for the game as it jumps from one cinema to the other. 3 things would have made this game epic:
- Multiple story paths: That is to say, that there should be more than 1 way to complete a crime case. More than 1 person to talk too. More than 1 area of clues. If you walk around, you should be able to find more people involved. Even civilians would know "something", sort of deal.
- Bipolar character interface: What I mean by this, is to have some sort of a meter for "good cop, bad cop". If a player does bad things as a cop (like blackmail and orphanage), they get bad cop points. If a player does good cop things (say buy the station a box of doughnuts), then they get good cop points. The overall number of points gives the player character a "reputation" and outcomes, options, and dialogue become available depending on that score. For instance, a bad cop might get the option to take a bribe, where a good cop might get a fruit basket on his desk.
- More Crime: As a detective, you are constantly in harms way. I'm not talking about roving gangs on the street, I'm just saying that there are always TONS of conspiracy theory's that people hire detectives to look into. I'm not talking about crack pot ideas like the sinister function of plastic shoe string tips, or the investigation of big foot, but I am talking about a wife who suspects her husband of cheating, or the girl scout with missing cookies. The lack of trivial side quests, the journey to side quest island, and the return to side quest island leaves the game unfinished.
Integration of 2 out of the 3 of these would make the game a more player friendly experience. My biggest issue with it, was the fact that whether you were there playing the game, or not, it didn't seem to matter at all.
That's that, case closed.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Press "A" to say "Apple".
In The Beginning, There was a blue hole in the wall. And for a time, it was good. The first thing I would like to say, is that I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post. Being in college and finding a job at *insert crap job fast food here* has eaten a lot of my time lately. That and I have been thinking and pondering on how to make this particular blogger.com game blog have much more pizazz than it does currently. Visually, that is. Not content wise, we're fine content wise, but it's so bland to look at. I know pictures and screen shots of the games I review would be a nice touch, but to be honest, I haven't quite figured out how to get the licensing to do that yet (haven't had time to do the research). Just keep in mind, some time, hopefully soon, this website will change into something interesting.
But anyways, on to business!
GAMES! Well, one game. There have been quite a few releases in the first person shooter box, as has been customary to Xbox 360's general yearly load-out. Sadly, I just don't have the money to purchase them all. I have also been playing here and there on the kinect, but not really deep into it to review it just yet. I plan on doing so in the near future, and first look seems favorable. There is always a certain line that I look forward too in the first person shooting gallery, and that's games by the almighty Valve. The creators of Half-lifes and Team Fortresses. From them and their affiliates have come a nifty little physics bending game called "Portal 2" . Now, mind you Portal was brilliant. It was a little short, but that was really it's only short fall. It was one of those games where it made you think, without being impossible.
Portal 2
Platform: Xbox 360, Ps3, PC
Developer: Valve
Rating: 9
I must admit, I wasn't excited for Portal 2 until about a week before it's release. I'm always...cautious around sequels They are either really great, or really crap, and most tend to circle the latter. Portal 2, has been a delight. There was a lot of "love" put into this game, and it shows in every nook and cranny.
So far, I've only played the single player. I hear the partner duo multi-player is amazing and even better, but I'm waiting for my schedule to line up with another friend of mine to really get into it.
The easter eggs were fun to stumble upon. The game was beautifully paced. One thing I really really enjoyed was the scale of epicness pressed out and onto the player from the scenery. A lot of times, in quite a few games, scenery is just eye candy, ever out and about, but never interacting. In Portal 2, quite a lot of it is looking down and up, and you go, down and up. The voice actors were delightful, some parts had me laughing in tears. It was fun to see the history of the company, and why things where what and where (which was what I wanted to find out in the first game, lol.) So yes, really enjoyed it. And the achievement of "Yes, that did just happen", brilliant. The end song, like the end song to the first game, was beautifully made, and a very nice progression away and out of the first one.
Now onto the sticky. Things that just didn't sit well with me. I didn't like how the beginning of the game had a lot of "Notes from the Underground", and the later stages just didn't. It wasn't progressive, as I feel wall art is something Valve should have as a continuing theme in all their games. Some of the levels felt too "constrained" and only offered one solution. What I feel like portals should be able to do is open multiple solutions to 1 problem, in some, if not most, areas. Though the story of the game was rather satisfying, it did feel just a little bit short, an hour or so, but not by much. Regardless, it was delicious. There's a point in the last boss fight where there is no indication of what to do (rather, there is a lack of a visual directional que at one point that left me lost for a few deaths.)
But really, that's it. Everything else was very very satisfying. Had a blast playing it, can't wait till multiplayer....DIBS ON ATLAS!!!!
P.S. I'M IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!
But anyways, on to business!
GAMES! Well, one game. There have been quite a few releases in the first person shooter box, as has been customary to Xbox 360's general yearly load-out. Sadly, I just don't have the money to purchase them all. I have also been playing here and there on the kinect, but not really deep into it to review it just yet. I plan on doing so in the near future, and first look seems favorable. There is always a certain line that I look forward too in the first person shooting gallery, and that's games by the almighty Valve. The creators of Half-lifes and Team Fortresses. From them and their affiliates have come a nifty little physics bending game called "Portal 2" . Now, mind you Portal was brilliant. It was a little short, but that was really it's only short fall. It was one of those games where it made you think, without being impossible.
Portal 2
Platform: Xbox 360, Ps3, PC
Developer: Valve
Rating: 9
I must admit, I wasn't excited for Portal 2 until about a week before it's release. I'm always...cautious around sequels They are either really great, or really crap, and most tend to circle the latter. Portal 2, has been a delight. There was a lot of "love" put into this game, and it shows in every nook and cranny.
So far, I've only played the single player. I hear the partner duo multi-player is amazing and even better, but I'm waiting for my schedule to line up with another friend of mine to really get into it.
The easter eggs were fun to stumble upon. The game was beautifully paced. One thing I really really enjoyed was the scale of epicness pressed out and onto the player from the scenery. A lot of times, in quite a few games, scenery is just eye candy, ever out and about, but never interacting. In Portal 2, quite a lot of it is looking down and up, and you go, down and up. The voice actors were delightful, some parts had me laughing in tears. It was fun to see the history of the company, and why things where what and where (which was what I wanted to find out in the first game, lol.) So yes, really enjoyed it. And the achievement of "Yes, that did just happen", brilliant. The end song, like the end song to the first game, was beautifully made, and a very nice progression away and out of the first one.
Now onto the sticky. Things that just didn't sit well with me. I didn't like how the beginning of the game had a lot of "Notes from the Underground", and the later stages just didn't. It wasn't progressive, as I feel wall art is something Valve should have as a continuing theme in all their games. Some of the levels felt too "constrained" and only offered one solution. What I feel like portals should be able to do is open multiple solutions to 1 problem, in some, if not most, areas. Though the story of the game was rather satisfying, it did feel just a little bit short, an hour or so, but not by much. Regardless, it was delicious. There's a point in the last boss fight where there is no indication of what to do (rather, there is a lack of a visual directional que at one point that left me lost for a few deaths.)
But really, that's it. Everything else was very very satisfying. Had a blast playing it, can't wait till multiplayer....DIBS ON ATLAS!!!!
P.S. I'M IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!
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