Viewing entries tagged
mechanics
I'll be the first to admit that mechanics aren't the first thing I look for in a game, and many games I love have very light gameplay systems and mechanics at the end of the day. However, I'm not all about the stories and I still enjoy a fun challenge from a game that doesn't really care about story all that much, opting for fast and frantic combat as the main selling point from start to finish.
Sometimes a game comes along that you've never heard about, but thanks to its strong aesthetic and firm genre, you wonder how you could ever have let it pass you by. I love experiencing creations without any expectations or preconceptions, and when they turn out to be the kind of creation you've spent a long time looking for, the satisfaction could not be more palpable.
I often ask myself "how much game is enough game?", and I often come up with the same answer. In fact I don't think it's limited to games, but if you're trying to tell a story or deliver an experience, it needs to be as long as it needs to be. Can you make the point within an hour, or over a couple of pages? Maybe you need a rolling epic to clearly provide the perspective needed to appreciate a fable. Either way, I often find myself thinking that a game might have overstayed its welcome in one way or another.
There are some developers who always pique my interest thanks to their track record and Remedy Entertainment are no exception. While some studios can be known for a franchise or a singular gimmick, Remedy have what I like to call a recognisable signature to their games. As with other developers of their calibre, this underlying style manages to go a whole lot further than a franchise or mascot ever could.
Every now and then I read some article on some gaming web site that attempts to go in-depth on the notion that video games and movies have something in common. There's an ongoing discussion about whether the two mediums are able to be combined, or if they should ever cross paths at all. At the very least, I think many of us will have played a game that straddles the line between video game, and movie.
There once was a time where you'd be forgiven for thinking that "indie game" was synonymous with "small gimmick". At least, that's how it seemed for a while, when many successful little indie titles made a name for themselves for whatever unique mechanics they employed. Braid had the rewind-time thing, Super Meat Boy had the tight-controls-but-totally-difficult thing, even Minecraft had its procedurally-generated-blocky thing.
Oh how I love a good twin-stick shooter. The simplicity of the mechanics, the awe of the aesthetics, and the challenge of the moment-to-moment gameplay. All of these things make up one of the purest and most satisfying gaming experiences you can get, so why do people keep insisting on adding lore into the mix?!
It's very rare that I get to spend any amount of time with a game that focuses primarily on couch multiplayer. You might already know that I don't spend a lot of time playing multiplayer games in general, let alone local multiplayer. So I'm pretty stoked to be able to talk about Starwhal at all, let alone actually having played it.
After a relatively disappointing experience in Dirt Rally, I figured it might be worth getting back to the mainline series. Sure I might not be as talented as you need to be to succeed in a more 'hardcore' take on rally driving, but at least this one has difficulty levels. However, it turns out that difficulty isn't the only thing that can kill the series.
Sometimes it's worth remembering that when you've created something excellent, it needs to speak for itself. When you have a core set of compelling mechanics presented beautifully, there's no need to inflate the facts. Countless little indie treasures could learn from this, and She Remembered Caterpillars could as well.
Every now and then a game is released to mediocre reviews and practically non-existent hype, but I enjoy it all the same. The first Mirror's Edge was criticised for its empty world and bland story, while offering unique and compelling gameplay. It was short and sweet, but I loved everything about it, so the sequel must be right up my alley… right?
Across all forms of media, a reboot can be a risky undertaking. The good ones revitalise an idea and bring it up to date with modern techniques and technologies. While the bad ones leave fans of the original betrayed and wronged for having their beloved art bastardised into something else. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of reboots fall into the bad category, but I actually enjoy rebooted video games for a number of key reasons.
This won't be the first time I get excited about an odd concept finding its place within the technical world of gaming, and I hope it won't be the last. In fact, this game has spawned so many imitators that it's hard to keep track anymore. I mean, who would have ever thought that cooking games would become their own genre.
I wasn't going to say anything about this beloved 90s rhythm game for the Playstation, but then it got me thinking about how valuable nostalgia can be. In fact, after playing the train wreck that is the PaRappa The Rapper Remaster, I can only deduce that nostalgia goes a lot further than I had previously given it credit for.
The last month has been a bit of a wild ride, as I'm trying to complete some of the more time-heavy games from last year. I was hoping to have posted some more, but have been having too much fun finishing NieR:Automata, Divinity Original Sin 2, and today's "focus"… Horizon: Zero Dawn.
