What I’m Missing Out On

I was originally going to post about the NXE, but there’s lots about it already on the web, and I don’t think I have much original to add. In short, I like it, haven’t had trouble with it, and I approve of Microsoft’s changes. Moving on…

Like many people, this Fall/holiday season I’ve been conflicted over what games will get my attention. I’ve really been feeling this pinch the last few days since I’ve been playing Fallout 3 for a few weeks now and don’t show signs of finishing for at least another. As a result I decided that I would post about the “honourable mentions” of sort which I have my eye on, but I won’t be getting for a little while. I thought I’d outline briefly why I’m interested in the game, what reservations I have for getting it, and bottom-line it as to my final intentions. Here they are in no particular order:

Far Cry 2
Why I’m Curious: I enjoy shooters, and I’m a sucker for open-world games. The extra touches like weapons that degrade and actual mending of your body intrigue me, not to mention the map editor. Since the first day I saw anything about it I thought that Far Cry 2 is the kind of game I can sink tons of time in.
Reservations: The only reason I didn’t buy it on launch was money and timing. I simply couldn’t afford this with the other stuff I was looking for. Since its release I’ve heard a few negative things about some of the AI and I’m not sure if perhaps a fast-travel feature could have been included.
Bottom Line: This game is still on my list to buy. The reservations don’t hold much weight and I’m sure I’ll have fun with it. It just needs to wait until I’m looking to run and gun a bit before I pick it up.

Mirror’s Edge
Why I’m Curious: Lots has been written about the innovation in this game, so I won’t rattle it all off again. I played the demo and I think it’s definitely a game I’d have fun playing. It just feels different in the right ways, and that’s what I’m looking for.
Reservations: Many reviews complain about the combat towards the end, which I agree was a weak point in the demo, and that the game is kind of short. Can I really afford to pay $60 for a short game when there’s still open-world stuff out there for me?
Bottom Line: I’m going to end up waiting on this one. Not that I don’t want it, but I’m willing to wait for it. There are simply other games in line ahead, but I’ll keep it on the list.

Tomb Raider: Underworld
Why I’m Curious: I loved Tomb Raider: Legend and I like the demo. I like Lara Croft, and I’m curious about the story (it seems to pick up from the sudden end of Legend). It’s pretty and filled with lots of puzzles. Looks like lots of fun.
Reservations: The combat is not that good, though that’s not why I’m getting the game. I just worry it will be a frustration. The demo also suffered from camera issues, as do many third-person titles.
Bottom Line: I will have this one. The reservations may kill this game for others, but not me. Unfortunately it will have to wait until I get through some other games, and probably a replay of Legend. This game may be one that I get after the price drops a little.

The Last Remnant
Why I’m Curious: It’s been a little while since I played a Square JRPG, and this one looks not bad. The graphics look pretty, and the combat is turn-based (a must-have for me and a reason I avoided Tales of Vesperia and Infinite Undiscovery).
Reservations: Apparently there’s framerate issues. Being so driven on narrative, I get easily frustrated with problems like that. I’m also thinking that the combat/organization may get a little overwhelming since you deal with large numbers of characters.
Bottom Line: I’m thinking I’ll wait on this one. We’ll see what happens, but right now it may get a rent somewhere down the line before it becomes a buy.

Dead Space
Why I’m Curious: Honestly, I’m curious about Dead Space because I haven’t had some good sci-fi in a while. The narrative here seems cool, and the world they use is one I deem worth exploring. That and dismemberment. Awesome.
Reservations: I don’t like horror. I think this could be okay, because horror fans gave this game a hard time for not being scary enough, but I just want to have a good time with the game, not pee myself.
Bottom Line: This game is on the short list. I’ll probably see the animated movie before I get the game, but it’s on there.

Chrono Trigger DS
Why I’m Curious: Threw you off hunh? It’s been over a year since I dusted off my DS (original, not Lite), but my love for Chrono Trigger knows no bounds. Let’s just say that it’s the JRPG that got me into JRPG’s, and it was the first one I finished. I was young and I fell in love with the characters. This game gives me the warm and fuzzies.
Reservations: There’s a reason I don’t have a DS Lite. I just can’t bring myself to game on my handheld when I have a console right there, and I don’t game outside the home often if at all. I still have Final Fantasy III that I haven’t really started. How can I get a new game in good conscience?
Bottom Line: Totally conflicted. I will loose sleep. I’ll probably buy it in a moment of weakness and never play it. I am an awful person.

Sonic Unleashed
Why I’m Curious: I never really liked the original Sonic games, but this one looks kind of cool. It’s been a while since I played a genuinely fun kid-friendly platformer. This game might be good for that. I LIKE THE LOOK OF SONIC THE WEREHOG.
Reservations: If this game is like the original sonic games, as they’ve been saying, I may not like it. I’m also worried that there might not be enough content here to merit the pricetag.
Bottom Line: I’m watching this. We’ll see what happens. Perhaps a rent before I make any more moves.

Penny-Arcade Adventures: On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness Episode 2
Why I’m Curious: I love Penny-Arcade, and I really enjoyed the first episode. I was quite relieved when I found out that I wouldn’t have to wait three years for the next installment. Simply put: for all the reasons I loved the first one.
Reservations: Just time and money again. This game launched when I already had an overflowing plate, and since it’s purchased with Microsoft Points I get screwed on the exchange rate again. The result is I won’t impulse buy this one but rather seek it out.
Bottom Line: Oh, I will get this one, but probably not until I’ve played through a few of the others on this list. I’m sure when I do get to it I’ll love every moment, but for now it’ll have to wait.

I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I can think of now. That list was quite helpful. I hadn’t really prioritized these titles until now. What games are you waiting for?

A Slight Delay

Unfortunately due to real-world circumstances I’ve been prevented from posting my usual Sunday time. I’ll be posting today (only one day late), so tune in this evening for the real deal. My apologies. I feel great shame.

What if Your 360 Begged to Play On?

I’m afraid I’ve been out of town for three days and am very sleep deprived with many hours of driving under my belt, so this is going to be a bit of a quick post.

I’ve been experimenting with 360voice.com over the last little while. Essentially they take public information from your gamer profile and make an automated blog written from the perspective of your 360 (here’s mine). I tried it out really just to see what kind of posts it generated, but it didn’t take long for me to get hooked.

The text of the blog isn’t terribly inventive, and it can get kind of repetitive. It does help to realize exactly how little of your information is made public. For instance, it never mentions when I watch DVD’s on my 360, and if you play two minutes or two hours it counts it as equal play. The only really notable difference is whether or not you get achievements, but so far I have no proof of the 360 pushing you to boost your gamerscore. Instead it just seems happy to have me play, even if I’m doing the same level over and over because I can’t quite finish it. I have read that if you don’t play for long enough your 360 will send you e-mails asking you to play more. This feature reminded me of an old radio piece I heard about AI once: how will technology change when your VCR begs you to not be turned off? I find that interesting.

What really has me caught, however, is the badge system. These are similar to achievements (and you know how much I like collecting those), but instead you get these based on how happy your 360 is, what your completion ratio (of achievements) is on games, and streaks of days played. You can also get them for playing a large number of games in certain genres, but that requires you play the specific games on their lists. It’s the streak badge that I’m gunning for though. I was up to 32 days before I had to leave town, and my 360 behind. I don’t think before this I ever did a 32 day streak though, and I know I’ll beat it because I have this handy little reminder of just how far I can go. Plus, there’s a badge for a 100 day streak, and I want that badboy.

All in all it’s a neat little site, and the service is free. You might be interested in this if you’re looking for something to keep you committed to your 360 beyond your regular habits, or perhaps you just want someone to tell you how awesome you are for those four achievements you got on one day.

Equal Gaming for the Great White North?

I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, and I decided it’s time to post. Being a Canadian gamer I think it’s fair to say that we miss out on a lot of gaming by virtue of not being in the U.S. Some of this is because Microsoft is very U.S. focussed, and some has to do with our own rules regarding games. In any event, I thought I’d outline a few of the issues that crop up being a gamer in Canada.

The one that started this all for me has to do with MS Points in Xbox Marketplace. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Microsoft uses MS Points rather than actual currency pricing to make it simpler to define things regionally. A theme may be 200 points everywhere, but 200 points can be sold in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, or Euros. I get that. What I don’t get is why I, as a Canadian, have to pay more for points, which are essentially non-nationalistic currency, ALL THE TIME. We went through a fairly decent period of having a stronger currency than the U.S. and a lot of pricing was corrected for it. In fact, many retailers would sell books at the U.S. price rather than the Canadian one (a big no-no when you consider that much of that inflation in price is to account for freight). But MS Points didn’t change cost at all, and there’s not even any hard goods to them. Printed, real currency changed value but not Microsoft’s made-up points? Not cool.

Another con which I was recently frustrated by has to do with release dates. If you state that your game is out on a particular day in North America, why do I have to wait up to another week for it to hit my shelves? This conundrum is especially insulting when you find that many games have no problem hitting Canadian shelves on the right day. I got Fallout 3 on the launch day, why couldn’t I get Spider-Man: Web of Shadows or Far Cry 2 (which was made less than three hours drive from my house)? It’s antics like these which make me feel like Canada is an afterthought for many publishers. I do confess that I realize Canadian region games have to have bilingual instructions, and that kind of a special order means more time may be required. I buy that up to a point, but when Spider-Man: Web of Shadows has a case and an instruction booklet which have tri-lingual (English, French, and Spanish) text, it seems to me that laziness is what creates more work for other titles (we call that irony kids).

And while we’re talking about content issues, let’s remember distribution rights. Netflix won’t be on my NXE dashboard, and I really wish it was. Why? Because Netflix doesn’t exist in Canada and doesn’t have distribution rights for content to Canada. Issues like these often cause Canadian gamers to just ignore that part of the sales message, but I for one wish we caused a bit more fuss. Do you think there’s a guy at Microsoft who lifted his hand up in the Netflix meeting and asked if there would be any solutions coming down the pipe for Canadian 360 owners? I’m not saying I need a solution on day one, but it would be nice for there to be some concern and a growing effort to break down these distribution blockages.

My final bone of contention lies with contests. I used to subscribe to Nintendo Power, and I would enter these contests by filling out consumer info and sending it off to them each month. The contest was open to people living in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Québec. The prizes were almost always larger than a game (often packages with movies and apparel). I understand that Québec is most likely excluded because the contest isn’t printed in French, and I feel bad for the largely Anglophone population in Montréal who end up being excluded. The rest of Canada, however, is fair game. In the last three weeks I’ve been excluded from more than three contests, all because I’m not a U.S. resident. The only explanation I got from any of them had to do with freight costs, which seems like a bit of a cop-out if you ask me. You’ll give away $150 in swag but won’t pay more than $2 to ship it? Weak. I’m waiting for the magazine or website that realizes that with a little extra work you could create some solid reader loyalty by including another nation in your contests.

All this being said, I’m really just venting about the few issues I’ve found. Being a gamer in Canada isn’t just full of negatives (we get some cool Canadian content U.S. users don’t), and I should feel lucky to be a gamer at all. Nevertheless I wish that there was a little less exclusion from U.S. media sources.

Fallout 3 – First Impressions

I have a little rant brewing in the back of my head, but since I’ve been playing Fallout 3 all week I thought I’d post my first impressions, just like I did for Web of Shadows, and let the rant simmer a little longer. I also intend on posting some more thoughts on Spider-Man: Web of Shadows in the future. Unlike Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, I was able to secure a copy of Fallout 3 on release day, but I’m still just scratching the surface of this awesome game.

I confess that I haven’t played Bethesda’s predecessor: Oblivion. I didn’t avoid it for any reason, it’s just that I bought my 360 further along the lifecycle and there were a bunch of other games already waiting for me (like Bioshock). It bears keeping in mind that I’m not comparing Fallout 3 to Oblivion. In fact, my ruler of awesome for this game would have to be the original Fallout, which blew my mind back in the day.

While the game style which Bethesda is using is different from the turn-based top-down action of the original Fallout and Fallout 2, they have kept a lot of the original world. In fact, you’ll find a lot of the original weapon and character designs from the previous games inculcated in this one. What I mean is that the SMG which was so much a staple of my original Fallout experience is present and looks almost exactly the same here. At the same time, Bethesda has really crafted a completely different location to explore.

To me, the real uniqueness of Fallout can best be described as the freedom of choice (well outlined in this article at GameSetWatch). You can be a nice guy and help out your fellow survivors, you can be an ass and take advantage of the weak, or you can be just plain evil and run them over. But it’s not just mere moral choices that this game allows. Fallout 3 creates a vast world of car husks and shattered overpasses. When I walk about Fallout 3’s environs I really feel like I’m exploring, and each new discovery is different. You’re free to rummage about in any direction you like, and so far I’ve been able to avoid anything too time-sensitive. In addition to all the distinction of free-roaming, there’s also a certain amount of randomness with respect to incidents you may encounter.

A good example of random encounters is this experience: I was roaming about the countryside when I happened upon a bounty hunter of some sort fighting a bunch of raiders. I killed the raiders handily, but the bounty hunter then shot me in the face and I had to load from my (thankful) save just around the previous corner. When I came back I discovered that instead I was encountering a number of raiders harassing some hunters who were trying to kill a large beast. After killing the beast and the raiders I was able to trade with the one hunter which remained. I decided that this scenario was a welcome change.

All of your other customizability from the first Fallout remains intact. They still use the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system to map your initial attributes, then give you various strengths in skills, and you get to add perks to augment different parts of your character. The perks will demand some serious decision making, but it’s well worth it. You also have a certain amount of karma, which you can gain or loose depending on how wholesome an individual you are (this time through I’m going for the nice guy, evil next time).

So far I haven’t done a lot of quests, but I have done enough to know that some quests are simple (find and repair three leaking pipes) and some become incredibly complicated (what do you do when the family you’re delivering a message to are killed?). The breadth of questing is something I think is greatly improved since the original Fallout.

Just a few days before I bought the game I read the review printed in the December issue of the Official Xbox Magazine. In the review they mention how they didn’t like to get up to leave for meals or to finish at the end of the day. I figured this was hyperbole. How wrong I was. I think part of the reason that I don’t want to set the controller down is the same reason I keep forgetting to save: the world is awfully engrossing. They really do a great job of making you “feel” like you’re in a wasteland, from the scorched playground slide in the shape of a UFO to the desolate remains of a gas station you find in your first ruins outside the vault. When I turn off my console I don’t think about what achievement I should try for next, but rather how I’m going to go about surviving in that world the next time around.

Something I also wanted to bring attention to is the Pip Boy. Many people have described this wrist-pda already, but I wanted to note that the pip boy is not just necessary for this game, but it’s incredibly well designed. It has all your stats, your inventory, and your quests/notes/maps all in one place. Not only is it all there, but it navigates fluidly, something that a lot of other games can learn. The transition to your pip boy is not jarring, and really doesn’t pull me out of the experience like the standard inventory screen. I’m really impressed with how natural it feels to use the pip boy interface.

I suppose by this time you can figure out that I agree with most of the reviews out there. There are always a few things you can nitpick about, but it’s not really worth it for Fallout 3. If you’re interested in an FPS RPG with literally tons of hours of single-player experience, this is a great choice. If you’re looking to pick something up and quickly start shooting everything in sight, this probably isn’t the game for you. It’s definitely not a run and gun, but for a guy who wasn’t impressed with Gears of War this seems just right.

I’ll post some more opinions after I’ve had some more time with the game. I’ve only crafted one item so far and I haven’t done that much in the quests so far. Like I mentioned before, I do have some more to say about Web of Shadows, but I’ll save that for later. Until next week…