deKay's Gaming Diary

This is a big game, isn’t it? I mean, long. Huge. Hours. I’ve plugged over 20 hours (offline) and at least 3 (online) into it so far, and I’ve only just started the 3* offline quests and have barely touched the online quests – let alone go back to previous quests to complete the subquests I’ve missed.

For the first 10 hours or so I was totally lost. Everything was confusing, from inventory management, to farming, the way online works, quests and hunting, combining items, forging armour and weapons, upgrades, skills… the lot. After every quest or two the game threw in another thing to cope with (I can send fishing fleets off? There’s a chef? I can trade commodities?!), and even at 20 hours I’m still learning. How do I even work the bowgun? Why is the Switch Axe useless? Where on earth do I get all these items I need to upgrade stuff?

But it’s excellent. It should be repetitive, mundane, and full of grinding. But somehow, it isn’t. It’s fun, frantic (in places), sedate (in others) and has an OCD Factor 5 hook to keep playing. And who doesn’t like smashing dinosaurs the size of buildings in the face with swords as long as telegraph poles?

It’s the only thing I’ve played since my last post (well, aside from the usual iPhone trio of Words with Friends, Carcassonne, and THPS2), and somehow over the weekend and today I plugged enough hours into it in order to finish it last night.  I was convinced there was only an hour or two left, so started at 8:30 this evening and – well – it was almost midnight when I’d read the end credits.

As with CiNG’s other titles (e.g. the original Another Code and Hotel Dusk), the game’s “win” is in the story. Particularly in this case, the pacing of the story – how little side stories end up becoming parts of other stories, how bits of information are dropped here and there throughout the course of the game, and how some connections are just left to you to make yourself. The “game” is secondary to the plot, and it kind of shows in that it consists of little more than a few puzzles. Very few puzzles, when you think about it – especially since it took 16 hours to play through.

Some of those puzzles are great, though. The starting-the-clock-tower one was an excellent, more traditional, puzzle, whereas the item-in-the-box puzzle from the game’s final chapter was outside-the-box genius. The TAS door lock puzzles, however, started to grate near the end of the game (especially since the last few hours has so damn many of them), and when they started needing you to rotate the Wii remote in addition to button presses, they just got frustrating rather than hard.

As I said though, story is everything here, and it really makes you want to progress. Just don’t be afraid of a lot of reading!

Before I rushed back into Super Mario Galaxy 2 to get a load more stars, I decided to play something else I’ve had on my To Do list for ages. Something a bit different to Bioshock 2 and Mario.  So I chose point-and-clicker Another Code:R for the Wii.

I played, loved, and completed the original on the DS what seems like ages ago. Oh, it was – just over 5 years ago! Good lord.

5 years in real life have passed but only 3 in Ashley’s world. The intro and some of the first flashbacks helped remind me of what happened in the first game, which was very helpful as (ironically, given the plot) I’d forgotten most of it. Actually, it seems so had Ashley. Silly girl.

I’ve put almost two and a half hours into it so far, but there’s very little story yet, despite the masses and masses of dialogue I’ve read through. I suppose so some people that would be annoying – it is very chatty – but I’m taking it as an interactive book, like the original, so it’s fine.

Slightly disappointed there haven’t really been any puzzles so far though. The only difficulties have been how to use the controller to do something (like moving a door – that was a pain), but then, I am only half way through Chapter 2 so it’s still in-game-tutorial territory.

I’ve been playing this since completing Bioshock 2 the other week, and last night I claimed my 70th Star, beat Bowser, saw the credits roll, then played for another couple of stars afterwards.

And I got this message on my Wii:

Obviously, the game is excellent. And yes, I’ll be returning to get the rest of the stars. It’s also at least as good as the first game, with the “hub world” being much better to navigate. However, I’m surprised at how easy the game has been (so far). With all the reviews suggesting it’s much harder than the original, I’m wondering why I’ve not found a single tricky level so far. And every single boss has been beaten first time – most without even taking a hit.

Maybe I’m just ace?

How can so many amazing ideas be crammed into one game? Some levels in Super Mario Galaxy 2 have more fantastic, original, gameplay ideas than most entire games. Even more amazing, is how they managed this even after already filling an entire game with them!

I’m now up to 24 stars collected, on the 3rd “World” (you can’t really have worlds containing galaxies, can you?), and really loving it. It’s still very easy though – easier than the original was at this stage, I think. Even the Prankster Comet that I’ve done was pretty simple, and I’ve only died three times in total so far.

For just one level. For a reason.

I have my daughter to thank for buying me the game, which ordinarily I’d have had to have waited months and months for, since it’d take an age to drop in price to below my self-imposed £20 limit.

But that level? Glorious. Blue skies, happy music, bopping Goombas, bright colours and everything lovely about great games. Hurrah!

I got internet access back at home this week, finally, just in time for the release of Bit.Trip Runner. I’d played one of the previous Bit.Trip games – Beat – a while back, but found it way too hard. Although I liked the style, I didn’t bother with Core and Void as I thought they’d be too hard too.

With Runner, however, I couldn’t resist. I knew it was going to play like a “big” version of games like Run! on the iPhone and Canabalt, both of which I love. And Runner, too, is amazing.

And hard.

It took me about 40 minutes to clear levels 1-1 to 1-10. Then it took a whole hour to finish 1-11! Now I’m on the boss, who is also hard.

Thing is, the instant-restart (you don’t press anything – you just begin the level again immediately upon death) really pushes the just-one-more-go factor, pretty much forcing you to play again, so it was quite difficult to stop!

I played a little bit of this last week, but have managed a few more hours on it over the last few days.

And I’m enjoying it less and less. A couple of days ago, I had to catch a fish. Which was fine, except it then took almost an hour figuring out that I wasn’t supposed to pick the fish up, but turn into the wolf and sniff it. Obviously. Then yesterday there was an awful snowboarding section. Yes, snowboarding. In Zelda.

Today? Crate puzzles. Yes – Irritating and Unnecessary Gaming Cliché #2. Joy.

Hmm. I’m now over 11 hours in. I’ve just got all the tears from Lake Hylia. And it still doesn’t feel like Zelda. It has the right place names, and the right characters, and the right music and sound effects, but it doesn’t play like a Zelda game.

I really, really, dislike the wolf bits. And they’ve made up more than half the game so far. And after 11 hours I’ve still only had 2 dungeons? It’s just not right.

Utterly, utterly compelling. Excellent script, brilliant story, and some amazing set pieces and twists. The end of Level 9 is a complete shocker too.

I’m always impressed by great story and pacing in games, and Dead Space: Extraction stands as one of the best examples of how to implement a story into a game.

Once again, like many games I’ve played recently, it’s a crying shame that nobody bothered buying this. In fact, on the back of it, I’m tempted to buy the 360 game even though it’s a FPS and I hated the demo. I’m that into the story now.

Taken as a shooty game, Dead Space: Extraction isn’t especially special. It’s pretty and everything, but there’s little variety in the baddies. It has some nice weapons, but once I obtained the line gun I found I didn’t need anything else (aside from the rivet gun for, er, the riveting bits).

However, taken as an interactive film, Dead Space: Extraction is fantastic. A plot to out-do many SciFi flicks, mostly excellent voice acting (although some of the accents do drop in and out a bit), and superb storytelling. With shooting!

In many ways, it feels like a cross between Aliens and Left 4 Dead. And it really makes me want to keep playing just to find out what’s going to happen next. Oh! And the unlockable comics are well worth playing for too.

Hard.

Very, very hard.

That is all.

I hated the Dead Space demo on the 360. Mainly because I found the controls impossible and the game far too hard. However, on the recommendation of virtually everyone in existence following me playing Ghost Squad and House of the Dead: Swearathon, I decided to pick up the Wii prequel.

And I’m glad I did, because it’s more than a bit ace.

I’ve only done the first two levels so far, but each was a good 45 minutes or so long. It’s a pretty (but PRETTY) standard on-rails shooter, but the story is great – gripping and plot-twisty already.

And did I mention it was pretty? The graphics are outstanding.

Six and a half hours in. Now, don’t hit me, but I’m not actually enjoying it. I’ve never completed a 3D Zelda before, but it’s not because I’ve not enjoyed them – it’s just because I’ve…stopped. But this? It’s not bad by any means, but I don’t really like it. In true deKay fashion, lets list the faults, yes?

1) It’s Not Zelda

Well, the Link-as-Link bits are. But since more than half of the game has been Link-as-a-dog, that’s not good enough. Linkwolf’s need to dig everywhere and the stupid using Midna to jump (but only in fixed, predetermined places) is rubbish. The grow-a-circle to kill the baddies attack is a pain in the arse too.

2) My eyes! My beautiful eyes!

As Link, everywhere looks lovely. A bit below what I’m used to for Wii games now, but this is a 4 year old game so it’s excused. However, the purple colour scheme when you’re a wolf in the twilight makes my eyes bleed real blood. It’s even worse when you then switch to Senses mode.

3) Nosenses.

If only. Having to swap every 17 seconds to check for ground to dig or invisible insects or to listen to spirits is crap.

4) “We’ve lost lock-on!”

Either my Z button is broken, or the game is. It seems impossible to stay locked on to any baddie for more than one attack.

5) Wagglelaggle

There’s too big a gap between shake and smack. Which made the Epona vs Warthog Head-On Smashup bit virtually impossible to time, so I had to rely on luck.

6) Camer-where?

If only there was a button to centre the camera behind Link. You know, like tapping Z is supposed to. All too often, when fighting something, I’ve ended up against a wall, or in a corner, and haven’t a clue where what I’m fighting is. Or I’ve entered an area, killed something straight away, then carried on walking only to realise I’ve come out the way I went in because the camera flipped round without me noticing. Gah!

7) Remute

Too many noises from the remote’s speaker, so off it went.

I have to say though, I did like the Forest Temple dungeon. As that’s proper Zelda’ing that is. And revisiting areas as Link/Dog does make me think of Minish Cap (which is a good thing). But as it is, I’m not lovin’ it lovin’ it lovin’ it. Yet at least.

2D Zelda >>>> 3D Zelda.

Many moons ago, when the Wii came out, Twilight Princess was released. And I bought it. Even though I knew I probably would never complete it, as despite my best intentions, I’ve never managed to finish a 3D Zelda game. 2D – fo’ sho. But 3D? For some reason I just… stop playing.

With Twilight Princess, I stopped at an hour in. Not for any real reason – I just never went back. Until now.

I played it, from the start again, tonight. And reached about 10 minutes past the point I’d previously reached, having just saved the little girl (boy?) and the monkey from a cage outside what looks suspiciously like the Deku Tree. Hmm…

BWAAAAAAAAAH!

Today I went through the few remaining levels, picking up the final huge XL item – an entire actual plane. Which didn’t really fit properly in the sewers. And then there was the last cow-stealing level, and it was back to the rubbish pile and off to the moooooooooon!

I really enjoyed Rabbids Go Home. Even though it kept crashing. The levels are varied enough to stay interesting, even if some are graphically repeats of previous levels, and the only real complaint I have is that it’s a bit easy.  I suppose the challenge is in getting all 400 items on every stage, but that’s not going to happen for me as searching every nook and cranny on every level would get tedious – especially if you miss any, as most levels don’t let you go back through the level, so you’d have to start again.

Blimey. What a lot of Wii games I’ve completed this year.

With just one level left, I soon finished this off. The final level was FULL of mutants. Really – every turn, every door, threw another 6 or more at me. I’m glad I’d swapped away from the Magnum and only the SMG, as although it reduces your accuracy and power, it at least allows you to fend off large numbers of mutants without having to reload before you’ve even dazed them.

Still, was pretty hard and I grabbed virtually none of the golden BRANES as it was just so frantic.

The final boss was pretty easy, if a bit time consuming. And disgusting. And what happens after you beat… it?…even more so. Blurgh.

Before – and after – the credits, it clearly shows a sequel is planned. Sadly, since (like The Conduit and MadWorld) HOTD:O only sold three copies, I can’t see it happening, which is a big shame. It’s hilarious, and more is needed!

With Ghost Squad finally out of the way, it was time to turn to working through Sega’s other meatier, lightgun shooter.

It’s hilarious. Really. Not just Isaac’s constant swearing, but the dialogue, the cutscenes, and the fact you steal an ice cream van. Oh yes.

I’m up to what would appear, from the level select screen, to be the final level now.

Finally! I’ve played this over and over and over (it’s very short) since getting it, but haven’t once managed to successfully complete all three missions in the same sitting. It was usually Mission 2′s “single headshot” finale which scuppered me, but today, I was victorious!

Firstly, I should come clean and say that I completed Mega Man 10 on it’s first-for-a-Mega Man-game Easy Mode. It adds barriers to stop you falling down some holes and removes some of the enemies.

Not that it was a walk in the park. There were still a few difficult bosses, tricky sections with spikes to avoid, and some pixel-perfect jumps to manage, but still – it was waaaay easier than Mega Man 9, which I never did complete.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Mega Man 10 was released on Wii Ware yesterday, and having loved the new-retro MM9, I leapt on it. Unsurprisingly, it’s more of the same stuff Mega Man 1 to 9 gave us, but that matters not. It’s great old fashioned platforming, the sort you don’t get any more. Er, except for 9, of course. And Castlevania Rebirth. Um.

After completing it, I went and tried some of the challenges (complete special stages with certain weapons, or with limitations on your abilities), then started the game again as the slightly gimped Proto Man.

I started this a month or so ago, and although it was great, it seemed to crash a lot via the USB Loader I was using. And Mass Effect and Batman came along. And other stuff.

Went back to it this week. It’s a surprisingly long game, actually. Although each level is pretty short (some are longer than others, however), there are LOADS of them. I’ve done about 20 so far, and I’m not even half way to the moon yet.

I’m a little disappointed they’ve started reusing the same level themes (hospital, shopping mall, office, etc.), but thankfully things are pretty varied in terms of how each plays.

Some have said this game is rubbish. They are wrong.

It’s not fantastic, and it has its faults, but it’s a perfectly competent, technically proficient (for the Wii), excellent to control FPS. And I enjoyed it from start to (somewhat sooner than expected) finish, unlike say… Halo, which I hated.

It’s a little short, suffers a bit from room repetition (nowhere near as badlyas Halo though), and the final level feels like there’s a boss fight missing, but the ASE scanning, organic door locks and hidden secrets add enough to the game to bring it above the usual SciFi FPS mire.

I played it online the other day, and although it was fun, some guy called DMX had an invincibility cheat one, which ruined it a bit. Oh well.

3/5 overall, I think!

This is how I want new additions to old 8 and 16-bit game serieses to be made. As if they’re for 8 and 8-bit consoles. Like Megaman 9 was.

Rebirth is a remake (or rather, complete rewrite borrowing nothing but the plot) of The Castlevania Adventure for the Game Boy. A game I played, and completed, almost exactly three years ago. It was rubbish. Rebirth, is not.

It looks like a SNES game, only with more detailed sprites. It plays like a NES Castlevania, only with more responsive, less fiddly controls. And it’s BRILLIANT.

So much so, I started and completed it today. I had it on pause for several hours, as there’s no save, save-state, password, or continue system (except I found later – there is: hold right on the menu screen) so it’s all-in-one-go or nothing. Just like 16-bit games!

More games like this please. Oh, if only Sonic 4 was taking this approach. Cry!

So I’ve completed this seven thousand times now. Or something like that. This time with Knuckles.

But it’s ACE, so that’s OK!

And that’s the 5-part series over and done. Sam & Max Season 2 can’t come soon enough!

Although the final part was great (as always) in terms of story, it was horribly broken in terms of graphics. Many people have commented that the Wii ports of Monkey Island have all been affected by bugs, stuttering, poor sound, and so on, but aside from a bit of judder on Chapter 1 when changing scene, I’d not noticed. In this one, however, it was awful. The first time I went through the rift (as a zombie) onto LeChuck’s ship, I was entirely invisible – aside from my hook. The second time, as a full human, I was visible, but my hook was visible along with the hand it was supposed to be replacing! And the jerking! Stuttering! Pausing! Gah!

Thankfully, it was only cosmetic and didn’t really spoil my enjoyment. An excellent series, overall. More, please!