Games
I wanted to make a brief post regarding a couple of games I've been playing. Normally, I don't put too much stock into overly-hyped games (though there are certainly exceptions) as I tend to ignore critics' opinions and gravitate toward a rather eclectic selection of titles, some of which are probably best classified as being cult favorites, rather than anything else. Recently, there have been two games that I'd heard lots of talk about and ended up taking a chance on.
The first is one that I really wasn't sure how I'd like it - Assassin's Creed. It was one that I was interested in, but I didn't really know what to expect going into it. I picked it up because I got it on sale for $20 off, and I quickly became addicted to it. One of the main criticisms I hear about the game is that the information gathering tasks become repetitive - and while I can see where people are coming from with this, honestly, it hasn't even been something that I've noticed. I don't think, "Man, now I have to do this, this and this before I can do the next assassination." For me, it's more like, "I want to make sure I do absolutely everything so I'm prepared for the assassination mission." And really, there's just something satisfying about the things you can do in that game - whether it's jumping from rooftop to rooftop to take out a guard who might blow your cover, or emerging victorious from a swordfight with Templars who far outnumbered you - and the story is really gripping. The "duality" of the plot does a really great job of drawing you into it all...
The second one, which is one I actually HAVE been interested in for a while, is Mass Effect. It's from BioWare, the creator of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, and is based on the same sprawling sort of traditional D&D style interface. And wow, just wow. I can't begin to say enough good things about this game. It's quickly gone from "game I wanted but worried I wouldn't get around to playing" to "game I was having a fun time with" to "game I'm really addicted to". Being a huge fan of pen & paper RPGs, games like this that play out like a massive campaign really appeal to me, and BioWare has completely outdone themselves on this one. I've spent about 7-8 hours with the game so far, and have ended up getting sidetracked by subplots and side quests so much that I get genuinely intrigued by and am compelled to follow through to completion. Branching dialogue and story choices based on your attitude and responses toward NPCs is something I've always loved, and BioWare's definitely refined their system for it and come up with a UI for it that is about as close to perfect as I've ever seen. They did a great job of really letting you step into the shoes of the main character. For example, I began to undertake one particular side quest and had it nearly completed before I ran into another NPC who had another side quest. After speaking with him, it turned out that all was not as it seemed with the person I'd gotten my original side quest from. From here, the game gave me a plethora of options. Did I want to ignore the second NPC's warnings and continue with my original side quest? Did I want to ask the first NPC for more answers? Or did I want to confront him about his deceit and eliminate him outright? Would I stand up for what I perceived to be "right", or would I let myself be bought off to simply look the other way?
I know not everyone might share the same tastes as I do, because I know I certainly don't share the tastes of a lot of other people. But these are definitely games I think are worth at least a rental!
The first is one that I really wasn't sure how I'd like it - Assassin's Creed. It was one that I was interested in, but I didn't really know what to expect going into it. I picked it up because I got it on sale for $20 off, and I quickly became addicted to it. One of the main criticisms I hear about the game is that the information gathering tasks become repetitive - and while I can see where people are coming from with this, honestly, it hasn't even been something that I've noticed. I don't think, "Man, now I have to do this, this and this before I can do the next assassination." For me, it's more like, "I want to make sure I do absolutely everything so I'm prepared for the assassination mission." And really, there's just something satisfying about the things you can do in that game - whether it's jumping from rooftop to rooftop to take out a guard who might blow your cover, or emerging victorious from a swordfight with Templars who far outnumbered you - and the story is really gripping. The "duality" of the plot does a really great job of drawing you into it all...
The second one, which is one I actually HAVE been interested in for a while, is Mass Effect. It's from BioWare, the creator of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, and is based on the same sprawling sort of traditional D&D style interface. And wow, just wow. I can't begin to say enough good things about this game. It's quickly gone from "game I wanted but worried I wouldn't get around to playing" to "game I was having a fun time with" to "game I'm really addicted to". Being a huge fan of pen & paper RPGs, games like this that play out like a massive campaign really appeal to me, and BioWare has completely outdone themselves on this one. I've spent about 7-8 hours with the game so far, and have ended up getting sidetracked by subplots and side quests so much that I get genuinely intrigued by and am compelled to follow through to completion. Branching dialogue and story choices based on your attitude and responses toward NPCs is something I've always loved, and BioWare's definitely refined their system for it and come up with a UI for it that is about as close to perfect as I've ever seen. They did a great job of really letting you step into the shoes of the main character. For example, I began to undertake one particular side quest and had it nearly completed before I ran into another NPC who had another side quest. After speaking with him, it turned out that all was not as it seemed with the person I'd gotten my original side quest from. From here, the game gave me a plethora of options. Did I want to ignore the second NPC's warnings and continue with my original side quest? Did I want to ask the first NPC for more answers? Or did I want to confront him about his deceit and eliminate him outright? Would I stand up for what I perceived to be "right", or would I let myself be bought off to simply look the other way?
I know not everyone might share the same tastes as I do, because I know I certainly don't share the tastes of a lot of other people. But these are definitely games I think are worth at least a rental!