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What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011?

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D'oh. We're in 2011, not 2010 as I originally posted.

Reposting with the correct subject line.
-----------------------

Is it me or did March just zoom by? It feels like just a few days ago
I was typing out the previous "What have you been playing?" post. How
am I ever supposed to get any gaming done if time whizzes by so fast?

Not that I did too badly this month (or, let's be honest; any month);
as always I've worked my way through a good number of games. And, as
always, I like to share the list of games I have played with the
public and invite others to share their playlist as well. Let everyone
know what games occupied your time, and -optionally- which of those
you think were worth playing and which were not. It's a monthly
c.s.i.p.g.a tradition!

So I'll get us started.
-----------------------
* Amnesia - The Dark Descent (new)
* Test Drive Unlimited 2 (new)
* Shadowgrounds (replay)
* Just Cause 2 (new)
* Medal of Honor (2010) (replay)
* Homefront (new)
* Crysis 2 (new)
* Prey (replay)
* Lego Star Wars 3 - The Clone Wars (new)

-----------------------
* Amnesia - The Dark Descent (new)
"Amnesia" is the scariest computer game ever written!

That's what I'm supposed to say, right? That's what all the other
reviews are saying. Frictional Game's latest title is a masterpiece in
interactive horror, right? Am I the one who is going to question their
reviews? Well, maybe not, but I am going to question their age.
Amnesia, scary? Are these guys, like, still in pre-school, worrying
about the monster-under-the-bed and hiding from lightning? 

I'm not totally going to blow away Amnesia; it's head-and-shoulder's
above Frictional's last attempt at gaming, "The Ball", which was a
poor-man's clone of Valve's "Portal". The production values on Amnesia
are much improved; better graphics, better sound, even better level
and character design. But if you really are finding this game scary I
have to wonder if you are still sleeping with a nightlight. 

Creepy? Okay, a little bit maybe, for the first half hour. But by then
you've seen pretty much all the game has to throw at you: lots of dark
areas, lots of growling implying monsters are all around, a very few
instances where there actually *are* any monsters around, and that
horror staple, annoying "insanity" effects. After that, Amnesia
quickly became an exercise in tedium.

But the gameplay was uninspired, hindered all the more by the lack of
variety in textures and monsters. The few action sequences (consisting
entirely of "run away from the evil critter") were unexciting and the
puzzles were simplistic to solve, once you happened to stumble upon
the inventory pieces necessary to piece everything together. I respect
Frictional for their continued (and improving) efforts as an
independent developer, but nonetheless "Amnesia" is a forgettable and
unimpressive game.


* Test Drive Unlimited 2 (new)
Honesty compels me to admit that I probably didn't give Test Drive
Unlimited 2 a fair shake. I uninstalled it after only an hour of
gameplay; that's barely time to scratch the surface of a huge game
like TDU2. But I'm not sure I could stomach much more.

First of all, who's bright idea was it to strap Sims-wannabe gameplay
to a racer? Has there been a massive clamoring for this sort of
gameplay that I've been unaware of? It's bad enough that some racers
were trying to wedge plot into the genre, but now I have to babysit a
poorly-rendered avatar as he social-climbs through a community of
cliche "so cool it hurts" twenty-somethings of the sort I didn't want
to hang around with even when I was that age? No thanks! This is a
racing game; I just want to race!

And what about the racing? Well, aside from the terrible performance
there's not much to say. The gameworld is expansive but aside from
that lacks any standout areas; one area looks much the same as the
next (and it all looks incredibly familiar to the texture set already
seen in the first Test Drive Unlimited). The driving feels floaty and
-despite the much appreciated cockpit view- lacks immersion. It just
doesn't make me want to race. Actually, it feels rather too much like
commuting.

It's just not fun.


* Shadowgrounds (replay)
Shadowgrounds is one of those rare games that manages to be both fun
and yet strangely unfulfilling. A top-down shooter similar to the
classic Alien Breed, the fun part is obvious: even thirty years after
the movie Alien immortalized the concept, the idea of playing a
space-marine who runs around and shoots giant space-bugs still hasn't
been played out. Colorful levels, hordes of creepy aliens who deserve
to die and a backpack full of guns: it's paradise!

Then again, maybe it's not. The first few levels are amazing fun, but
then Shadowgrounds quickly runs out of steam. Underpowered weapons and
the lack of variety in both monsters and levels in the second half of
the game quickly dampen the excitement. The game throws a few neat
tricks at you with the flashlight in the beginning but this feature is
under-utilized later on. All too soon, the game starts to drag. 

There's a dearth of top-down shooters these days so Shadowgrounds
remains a welcome alternative to the usual FPS titles that I play, but
I can't help but think that this game could have been so much more.


* Just Cause 2 (new)
If ever a game was proof that quantity does not equal quality, it's
Just Cause 2. Don't misunderstand me; Just Cause 2 can be a lot of
fun, but the developers seemed to put more effort into creating a huge
world than populating it with exciting and varied things to do. The
game-world could have a quarter of the size and it wouldn't have much
effected the gameplay.

Despite some flaws in the game mechanics (the usual brain-dead AI and
stiff controls) the combat was entertaining. Blowing up buildings,
numerous weapons and a good selection of vehicles made the fights look
like something out of Michael Bay movie. And the graphics are
drop-dead gorgeous. But when it came to everything else, the game
failed. The plot and characters were terrible, even for an FPS (topped
by one of the worst the end-bosses I've seen in years). The sound was
unimpressive and - while the terrain rendering was impressive - the
building models were ridiculously oversized. But worst was the sheer
amount of commuting required to get from one mission to the next; even
with the fastest jet there might be as much as ten minutes dead-time
as I travel to the start point of the mission. Plus, while some
missions were interesting too many devolved into the usual "storm the
base" or "drive person to point X while being chased by cops".
Furthermore, while much ado has been made of the "grapple", I found it
a rather pointless tool hampered by unresponsive controls; it was
easier to just shoot the bad-guys.

Just Cause 2 had a number of interesting moments but the title as a
whole was marred by a lack of good design and pacing. It takes more
than just a huge map to create an entertaining experience.


* Medal of Honor (2010) (replay)
The last time I played Medal of Honor, I railed against how
run-of-the-mill that game was, how it was predictable and how it took
no chances with anything new. Then I played Call of Duty Black Ops and
realized just how bad one of these cinematic FPS games could get. In
comparison, Medal of Honor is actually playable and moderately
enjoyable.

Well, parts of it anyway; mostly, the bits where I get to run around
as an average GI Joe instead of a Delta Force* super soldier. Those
latter sections were unbelievably tedious. But so long as I could
pretend I was just one among many, fighting with my brothers-in-arms
and actually risking something (the Modern Warfare death assassins are
too untouchable for me to relate to) the game actually carried some
emotional weight. Not that much - the ultra-linear level design and
clumsy controls sabotaged much of the effect- but at least there was
something.

But on the whole, the game was unmemorable and disappointingly so. If
Electronic Arts had been a bit braver and willing to break out of the
mold set ten years ago by Call of Duty, this game could have been a
classic. As it stands, it's just another clone in an overplayed genre.

* or maybe I was a SEAL. I don't recall that I had a Cockney accent so
I wasn't SAS... I think. Honestly, the games and characters are *that*
forgettable.


* Homefront (new)
Homefront is perhaps one of the most disappointing titles I've played
in years. It had the potential to be such a great game - an
interesting setting, a talented developer, and a proven engine. What
we got is the usual FPS pablum, another generic Modern Warfare clone.

The single-player campaign is so scripted and constrained that the
game feels utterly mechanical; forget *opening* doors on your own,
half the time you can't even walk THROUGH an open door until your
scripted AI companions go first. This completely ruins any emotional
effect the developers wanted to impart; I have no more hate for the
bad guys on-screen than I do for the ducks at a carnival shooting
gallery. The cliche characters and ridiculous storyline don't help
either.

Supposedly the game boasts DirectX 11 graphics; I couldn't see much
improvement over other run-of-the-mill titles. Oddities such as
non-working achievements (horrors, I can't earn gamer-points or
whatever they are called!) and a useless "practice" multiplayer mode
just lessen my opinion even more. It's a game that could have been a
classic but -no doubt due to the publisher's fear of trying something
new- it's just another run-of-the-mill FPS that will barely be
remembered two years down the line.


* Crysis 2 (new)
Regardless of what follows, let me state the following for the record:
I enjoyed playing Crysis 2. It was a fun game.I think that should
count a lot in its favor. But boy, there are so many ways it could
have been better.

Less constrained maps, for one. Crysis 2 is nowhere near as linear as
most other FPS games on the market; its combat arenas are incredibly
wide in comparison. But when you look at the wide-open plains of the
original Crysis its hard to reconcile the difference. Worse, the
battlefields are further broken apart by various obstructions to break
apart the sight-lines, doubtlessly in an attempt to reduce necessary
video-memory usage. Crysis 2 is no tunnel-shooter, but it does feel a
bit claustrophobic. Then there's the AI; it's been reduced to the dumb
"charge at the enemy" variety (maybe ducking behind some cover on the
way over). It is also incredibly vulnerable to sniping whilst cloaked,
especially given its tendency to poke its head up from behind cover
after just a few moments of panic. The story verges on the ridiculous;
the developers tossed everything plus the kitchen sink into the
storyline resulting in an unsatisfying sludge that never really pays
off. The soundtrack a bit overbearing too.

On the other hand, once Crysis 2 starts to get into full swing, the
combat is quite satisfying, in a mindless sort of way. There's a too
much reliance on respawning enemies but it does help keep up the
tension. Except for a few instances, you are significantly more
powerful than most enemies you will face and -while there isn't too
much challenge- I did get a thrill wading into battle shooting and
clubbing to death the hordes of soldiers and aliens who stood before
me.

The end result is a "B-list" game; flawed but fun. Its a shame Crytek
was forced to compromise the best features of their previous titles to
fit into the limited memory of the console platforms but given the
cost of game development these days I guess its hard to blame them
(even if it does make them just another "me too" developer. Still,
Crysis 2 kept me cheerfully occupied for 10 or 12 hours and I expect
I'll return to it a few times in the coming years.


* Prey (replay)
One thought kept running through my head as I played this game:
they're really going to make a sequel to this game? Why? A more boring
and less original game is hard to imagine. 

Oh, kudos to Human Head for releasing this game after it spent so much
time in development hell. And they definitely deserve respect for
creating a game that runs so smoothly. Heck, I'll even grant there are
a few imaginative moments in the ten or so hours of gameplay. But the
overall experience was a chore as I worked my way through some of the
most generic levels, fighting generic monsters and enduring one of the
worst stories and characters to grace an FPS.

In fairness, many of the ideas presented in the game properly were
fresh and original when first conceived back in 1996 but by the time
the game actually was released it was all old hat. Now, even the most
generic tale can seem fresh and exciting if told well enough, but Prey
is not an example of this. Even with its much touted "portal" effects,
its still a dull and uninviting game.

(And why are the Cherokee dream lands set in the plateaus of New
Mexico? Their traditional homelands were the Carolinas and Georgia and
they were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma. For a game that was so
boastful about how the Native American heritage was so important to
the game it seems odd they got such a basic fact wrong).


* Lego Star Wars 3 - The Clone Wars (new)
I have to admit I'm surprised; Lego Star Wars 3 is probably the best
Star Wars game to be released on PC in the last four or five years.
Admittedly, this is a kid's game so you won't find much depth in story
or setting, and it does require familiarity with the television series
to make sense of the plot. But it is an undeniably imaginative game.

It offers varied gameplay as well. The first Lego Star Wars was mainly
a platformer and later titles in the franchise didn't do much to
broaden the gameplay. LSW3 expands upon that formula to include a
simplistic real-time strategy mode and an unexpectedly enjoyable
space-shooter. And while the platforming sequences haven't been
significantly improved they are still bolstered by some very well
animated and funny cutscenes. Wrap the whole package up with
impressive graphics and the end result is admirable.

Yes, ultimately this is still just another Star Wars game aimed at the
younger crowd but even despite this it was a blast to play. Who knew
the Star Wars license still could be fun?

-----------------------
Whew! That's a good number of games! Well, I'm spent so now it turn it
over to you guys. So I'll sign off with my usual question:

What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011?

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What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2011-03-30 21:42 -0400
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? PW <emailaddyinsig@ifIremember.com> - 2011-03-30 21:42 -0600
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Ward Ruot <michealjamesbird@btinternet.com> - 2011-03-31 03:43 +0000
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Brunon Bluthgeld <brunon99@o2.pl> - 2011-03-31 08:25 +0200
    Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2011-03-31 21:22 -0400
      Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Brunon Bluthgeld <brunon99@o2.pl> - 2011-04-01 07:44 +0200
        Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? "Ayatollah of rock 'n' roller" <thisisf@lse.co.ck> - 2011-04-01 17:09 +0100
          Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Brunon Bluthgeld <brunon99@o2.pl> - 2011-04-04 08:18 +0200
        Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? PW <emailaddyinsig@ifIremember.com> - 2011-04-01 14:39 -0600
          Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Toby Newman <google@asktoby.com> - 2011-04-02 17:43 +0100
            Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Angus <angus@_ANTISPEM_angusm.demon.co.uk> - 2011-04-02 20:37 +0100
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? BrunoN Bluthgeld <brunon99@removethispart.o2.pl> - 2011-03-31 18:41 +0200
    Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Rin Stowleigh <rstowleigh@gmail.com> - 2011-04-26 19:19 -0400
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Michael <netterNachbar6@lycos.de> - 2011-03-23 00:36 +0100
    Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Georg <georg@rgv.cc> - 2011-04-05 01:07 +0000
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2011-03-31 21:34 -0400
    Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Toby Newman <google@asktoby.com> - 2011-04-02 17:45 +0100
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2011-03-31 21:39 -0400
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Sheldon England <sheldonengland@netscape.net> - 2011-04-01 14:00 -0700
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? mcp.andrew@DELETTHISgmail.com (Andrew MacPherson) - 2011-04-04 05:02 +0100
    Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? PW <emailaddyinsig@ifIremember.com> - 2011-04-03 22:18 -0600
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Etal <look@sig.bcause.this.is.invalid> - 2011-04-05 20:29 +0200
  Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? noman <no_m_an@zzzyahoo.yycom> - 2011-04-13 23:31 -0700
    Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? William McNee <wullie@hame.the.noo.invalid> - 2011-04-14 18:00 +0100
      Re: What have you been playing... IN MARCH 2011? Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2011-04-14 23:06 -0400

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