Official Site: http://www.terraria.org/index2.html
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/105600/
Source: Youtube Channel demilogic
After 100+ hours, everything that could be done seemed to have been done. And then a huge update was talked about all year long and people got excited. I wasn't going to be excited until it was downloaded onto my computer and I was already playing it. I would have never guessed how much time I was going to spend playing Terraria or how much fun I was going to have when I first bought it. Along with all the free updates that the developers keep giving to the players, it's perhaps one of the best purchases I have ever made on Steam. With the new 1.2 update launching last night at 12AM EST, many players got to re-experience Terraria in a totally new way. Besides having new weapons, biomes, enemies, items, bosses, etc., there also has been changes in game mechanics and world creation details that improves the game even further. Backgrounds have been redone to look nicer but have been optimized so that it doesn't lag the game anymore. There's seriously a LOT of new changes and improvements. It's no wonder so many people were excited about this. I barely scratched the surface of what has been changed and added from the 3 hours I played last night.
Terraria is an open-world Action-Adventure game that can be played online with friends if someone creates a server for it. There is no particular goal, but there is plenty to explore and a lot to do. It's $9.99 on Steam and a really good deal for what is offered.
Showing posts with label Sandbox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandbox. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
GameLight - Edge of Space
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/238240/
Source: Youtube Channel gamezplay
There are plenty of things to wait for this month: Steam Summer Sales, Terraria Update, the release of "Dynasty Warriors 8" and "Time and Eternity". For the Sandbox game players, Terraria is the big thing everyone's waiting for until Starbound is released. Unknown to me, another game similar to Starbound was being developed call "Edge of Space" and has passed Steam Greenlight and is undergoing Early Access Beta phase. At a reduced price of $11.99 from it final price of $14.99, I felt tempted to try it out. Even if I didn't particularly like it, I thought my contribution would help the developers out a little for those who will enjoy it.
Edge of Space is a Sandbox, Action-Adventure RPG experience where gameplay is non-linear and has no set goals in mind for the player. It is much like Terraria in that it's a 2D exploration game that allows players to gather materials, build structures, and craft items to further explore more dangerous parts of the world. Worlds are randomly generated and so will have a different experience with each world created. The game simply provides the tools for the player to use with no real goals in mind and lets the player set their own objectives.
I was aware of having to be logged in to their servers and not having multiplayer when I bought the game, so I didn't think too much of it when I started up the game. After an hour of playing, I was able to build a wall around me with no backwall and doors for a house. Other than that, I created two weapons to help me fight enemies. In other words, I was completely lost and confused. The user-interface isn't as simple compared to Terraria, but I do have to say that it's more organized with a window menu system rather than having one long list. The exploration is a lot more massive with huge elevations and long drops throughout the world. The player gets a jet pack at the start of the game, but easily runs out of energy when making contact with space jellyfishes or when using it up. Overall, I think I can eventually enjoy the game to an extent and I believe the developers will continually improve the game, but I think Starbound will provide a better affordance in terms of user-interface and tools for playing the game.
Edge of Space has a confusing crafting system despite having a better organization in the menu system and the graphics of the tiles blend in too well together and make it look muddled. The graphics do look more realistic, but they don't work well with the rest of the game's mechanics. But the game is still in its beta and one that can continue to improve even after an official release much like Terraria did. If you would like to help the developers make Edge of Space a better experience and one step closer to an official release, you can purchase access to the beta and get the full release with it on Steam at the link on top. By playing the game and giving feedback to the developers, bugs can be fixed and aspects of the game can be added and improved. At the moment, multiplayer has been disabled and will be available again in the future. The early access beta phase is requiring players to be online and logged into their servers in order to play. So keep these in mind before you purchase the game.
There are plenty of things to wait for this month: Steam Summer Sales, Terraria Update, the release of "Dynasty Warriors 8" and "Time and Eternity". For the Sandbox game players, Terraria is the big thing everyone's waiting for until Starbound is released. Unknown to me, another game similar to Starbound was being developed call "Edge of Space" and has passed Steam Greenlight and is undergoing Early Access Beta phase. At a reduced price of $11.99 from it final price of $14.99, I felt tempted to try it out. Even if I didn't particularly like it, I thought my contribution would help the developers out a little for those who will enjoy it.
Edge of Space is a Sandbox, Action-Adventure RPG experience where gameplay is non-linear and has no set goals in mind for the player. It is much like Terraria in that it's a 2D exploration game that allows players to gather materials, build structures, and craft items to further explore more dangerous parts of the world. Worlds are randomly generated and so will have a different experience with each world created. The game simply provides the tools for the player to use with no real goals in mind and lets the player set their own objectives.
I was aware of having to be logged in to their servers and not having multiplayer when I bought the game, so I didn't think too much of it when I started up the game. After an hour of playing, I was able to build a wall around me with no backwall and doors for a house. Other than that, I created two weapons to help me fight enemies. In other words, I was completely lost and confused. The user-interface isn't as simple compared to Terraria, but I do have to say that it's more organized with a window menu system rather than having one long list. The exploration is a lot more massive with huge elevations and long drops throughout the world. The player gets a jet pack at the start of the game, but easily runs out of energy when making contact with space jellyfishes or when using it up. Overall, I think I can eventually enjoy the game to an extent and I believe the developers will continually improve the game, but I think Starbound will provide a better affordance in terms of user-interface and tools for playing the game.
Edge of Space has a confusing crafting system despite having a better organization in the menu system and the graphics of the tiles blend in too well together and make it look muddled. The graphics do look more realistic, but they don't work well with the rest of the game's mechanics. But the game is still in its beta and one that can continue to improve even after an official release much like Terraria did. If you would like to help the developers make Edge of Space a better experience and one step closer to an official release, you can purchase access to the beta and get the full release with it on Steam at the link on top. By playing the game and giving feedback to the developers, bugs can be fixed and aspects of the game can be added and improved. At the moment, multiplayer has been disabled and will be available again in the future. The early access beta phase is requiring players to be online and logged into their servers in order to play. So keep these in mind before you purchase the game.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
GameLight - Cube World
Official Site: https://picroma.com/cubeworld
Source: Youtube Channel WollayFX
My friend messaged me today to take a look at this game. At first, it just looked like Minecraft. But then I start seeing classes, the combat, skill trees, dungeons and the like and I was sucked into the whole concept that the developers tried to make. What really baffled and impressed me most was that the game is developed by only two people: a guy and his wife in Germany. For only two people working for 3 years, there is a whole lot of content and it looks incredible. The alpha was on sale today until the servers went down due to the amount of people purchasing the game. This is one game for open-world Action-RPG fans to look out for as the game makes its way to beta.
Source: Youtube Channel WollayFX
My friend messaged me today to take a look at this game. At first, it just looked like Minecraft. But then I start seeing classes, the combat, skill trees, dungeons and the like and I was sucked into the whole concept that the developers tried to make. What really baffled and impressed me most was that the game is developed by only two people: a guy and his wife in Germany. For only two people working for 3 years, there is a whole lot of content and it looks incredible. The alpha was on sale today until the servers went down due to the amount of people purchasing the game. This is one game for open-world Action-RPG fans to look out for as the game makes its way to beta.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
GameLight Review - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Official Site: http://www.elderscrolls.com/skyrim/
Source: Youtube Channel BethesdaSoftworksUK
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: November 11, 2011
Genre: Action-RPG
Pros:
-The simplification of equipment and leveling up makes much more sense and gives the game a better flow
-Changes from its predecessors has been done so to contribute to the gameplay as well as immersion
-The game is so relaxing but also has its surprises and challenges pop out to keep the player interested
-Open world gameplay is still a prominent factor and provides an infinite amount of gameplay (unlimit. quests)
-Character customization is still versatile enough to please all sorts of playstyles
Cons:
-Textures and models don't look that great upon taking a closer look
-Bugs and glitches exist and causes problems during gameplay
-Fans of the last two Elder Scrolls game might be disappointed at how much customization has been stripped
-It's one of those games that make you go "is it already that late? Maybe one more area..."
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is like a traditional painting: pointing out all the little aspects and their problems will only make you see the flaws and inconsistency; however, if you step back and take it all in, you realize what a masterpiece it is. That's the best analogy I can give this amazing open world Action-RPG that I had no interest in buying from the beginning until it released and felt the urge to get a more relaxing sort of game among all my other action-intensive orientated games. Do not be fooled when hearing the word "Action" in front of "RPG" as the game's genre as it is very much an RPG than anything else (much like Fallout 3 when a lot of people described it as a First-Person Shooter). So if you're one who's worried that the RPG aspect might be dumbed down to favor the Action game players, rest assured that the experience is still very much there with the Action. Whenever I play the game, I'm not worried about finishing the game or looking for a definitive purpose. When I play, I let myself take part in the world laid out for me and journey around and take on the challenges I find along the way. Skyrim is one of those games that will keep you up late nights and back the next night and coming back even after finishing the game just to try out a different play-style or to mess around in the world by doing things you wouldn't have before. If you're looking for a relaxing game to play, then Skyrim would be your best bet.
Graphics
If you've already played the game and wondered why plants look flat, items' models look blocky, and textures sort of pixelated, it's probably for the sake of optimization. The analogy I used to describe the game can be applied to the graphics of the game too. If you look at every individual object, they probably look pretty ugly. But if you pull back and look at everything around you, it's a pretty convincing open world environment. The models for NPCs is...different (I don't want to say an improvement since I kinda like the quirky looks on people's faces in Oblivion) from the last Elder Scrolls. NPC interactions and AI is somewhat more reasonable, but they still perform some odd animations sometimes. One huge improvement in graphics would be the animations and effects for spells. They're a lot more dynamic as spells can be streamed now (meaning that instead of each spell being cast between intervals, it is continuously flowed out like a flamethrower). I think what design did with the graphics is that objects and models that mattered has more details while smaller things that didn't matter as much has a lower polygon count with lower-resolution textures. This ensures that the game can still run smoothly despite having all those movable objects around with effects, shadows, textures, polygons and animations running all at the same time. Still, frame skipping and the very rare case of freezing for a while does still happen. It's quite a spectacle looking at mountains from far range, flashy spells that explode in a flurry of fury, and humongous dragons circling over you. Even though it was evident to the developers that many players liked to play in 3rd-person, combat is still best played in first-person. The animations for the player's character is somewhat better in walking and running but still very awkward in jumping. The models and textures for the character itself isn't that pretty either with the hair all clumpy and faces that barely gives enough versatility in customizing the look. But I guess it's not entirely important as the game was meant to be played in first-person and so the player wouldn't be looking at their character as often. There's a lot to be said in both the good and bad, but it narrows down to that the graphics in the game were created in its most efficient state for aesthetics and performance and works really well. Graphics: 9/10
Audio
It was a very smart move to bring back Jeremy Soule (who composed the music for Morrowind and Oblivion) to do the music and re-work the main theme for the Elder Scrolls series with the crew to create an inspiring and appropriate rendition of Soule's original composition from Morrowind. Much like the other Elder Scroll games, the musical scores are of the greatest quality though not necessarily memorable other than the main theme itself. This doesn't seem to bother a lot of music critics as the most highly regarded musical scores are usually ones I don't remember what they sound like. The same is with Skyrim. I remember that they were good while I was playing, but I have no idea what they sound like if you ask me to hum it out. The sound effects has quite a bit of improvement, but it still feels and sounds like I'm hitting a rock when using a melee weapon against an enemy like in the last two games. The voice acting is also an improvement as veterans in acting contribute to some of the voices in the game. There are some inconsistency with recordings and the tone that NPCs speak in. This is most likely due to having many recording sessions as settings on the audio panel or a large break between lines are recorded in are changed. I still notice accents fading in and out of dialogue for certain NPCs, but at least it was still the same voice actor (I still find it hilarious in Oblivion when one of the NPCs I spoke to had three different accents and voices within one conversation). One of the highlights for me was having Christopher Plummer (among many other celebrities) be the voice of Arngeir. Audio: 8/10
Gameplay
Skyrim is what I had hoped for (and possibly more) when I decided to buy the game since I didn't in the beginning. The thing was that I'm still playing Oblivion at the moment and was willing to wait until I finished before I decided to purchase Skyrim. But the game looked so tempting and so different that I couldn't help it and got it anyways. At first, I was shocked at how much of the customization was cut out from the last two games; however, all the selections for customization made so much more sense. Even with all the customization in the past games, the main categories was being Aggressive (Warrior-like), being stealthy (Thief-like), or being spell driven (Caster-like). With that in mind, the player starts off from those three points and improves their abilities along the way through means of training and usage of skills. The game starts out similar to Oblivion and perhaps even Morrowind in that you're a nameless prisoner and eventually finds out that there's something special about yourself later which drives the story forward. Navigating seems a bit easier than Oblivion and much more easier than Morrowind, so getting around wasn't too big of a problem. For me, controls took some time to getting used to (about 2-3 hours) as I fumbled around trying bring out my weapon and attacking the first enemy since I was playing the PS3 version when I'm so used to play The Elder Scrolls series on a computer. The controls are different for the PC for Skyrim from Oblivion from what I heard, but I'm not sure for certain. In any case, the controls are mapped pretty well as I had a pretty easy time bringing out my weapon and interacting with things. It is bothersome when I get into a fight and accidentally press down on L3 which goes into sneak mode making me move slower or having to leave the right analog stick when jumping. The inventory system is still atrocious and makes going through it a pain. Thankfully, the developers implemented a favorites menu system which lets the player tag their favorite items, spells, and equipment so that they can bring it up in the midst of battle without having to fumble through their inventory and spells. Still, going through the favorites menu can still be a drag when the favorites are disorganized and made into a large list. Talking to NPCs isn't quite as enjoyable or humorous as Bioware games, but it's the relaxing part of the game that I like doing. To travel around a town or stroll past a wandering farmer and be able to interact with them is one of the RPG aspects that I like about Skyrim. Combat has some changes to them from past Elder Scrolls games. For melee combat, it seems like you can perform finishing moves. I've seen it, but I have yet to do it myself (playing as a Caster focusing on destruction and restoration magic). I'm not sure if there's any difference to ranged combat, but impact on enemies sound a bit different. Magic has surely changed as spells are used in a continuous stream rather than small short bursts. It was because of this that I decided to play a spell casting character (that and I always opt for a warrior or thief like build every time). Some enemies are very simplistic and will give chase until you're out of range or can't be reached. Others will use ranged attacks or spells before drawing out their melee weapons to attack you. I still don't like how melee weapons feel like your hitting cardboard or rocks instead of flesh and blood. I think part of this has to do with the sound effects used. To give an example, Medieval Action-RPG Mount & Blade has some of the cheesiest and fake resounding sound effects yet the sound you hear when cutting through an enemy with metal, flesh and blood with such prominence gives such a satisfying feeling. I don't get that satisfaction when using a melee weapon and perhaps that's why finishing moves were added. I think I'll like it a lot more when I finish playing with my caster and make a spell sword build character and stick my blade into an enemy with a finishing move. I like the exploration and finding pockets of bandits who are so sure of themselves get burned in a fury of ice and fire by my caster as well as speaking to NPCs and reading books to become even more familiar with the world of Tamriel. The game is said to have an infinite amount of quests, though I find some of the quests still confusing like its predecessors. I do like the fact that there will always be dragons to slay (or so I hear) though as "I've come to slay dragons!" The complaints I have and flaws I've pointed out is easily overshadowed by the amount of pure "fun" I've had with the game thus far and plan to have for "hopefully" years to come. One of the best parts of Skyrim is that it's so different from Oblivion that I wouldn't mind continue playing Oblivion even now. I can enjoy both! Gameplay: 9/10
Overall
I feel the need to just finish a game or pushing the story along for a lot of games. But with Skyrim, I feel at ease and am able to play at a much slower pace and enjoy the game. Skyrim delivers a good balance of relaxing gameplay with challenging action that sucks me right into the world and lets me enjoy the game without worrying about getting stuck from the game being too difficult or being lost and finding out where I need go next (though that can be frustrating if I really am trying to fulfill a quest). The game should be quite a treat for RPG players and a welcome start for anyone new to the series. This is one of the very fews games where I felt paying full price for was well worth it as the game will probably last me quite a while. Overall: 8.7/10
Source: Youtube Channel BethesdaSoftworksUK
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: November 11, 2011
Genre: Action-RPG
Pros:
-The simplification of equipment and leveling up makes much more sense and gives the game a better flow
-Changes from its predecessors has been done so to contribute to the gameplay as well as immersion
-The game is so relaxing but also has its surprises and challenges pop out to keep the player interested
-Open world gameplay is still a prominent factor and provides an infinite amount of gameplay (unlimit. quests)
-Character customization is still versatile enough to please all sorts of playstyles
Cons:
-Textures and models don't look that great upon taking a closer look
-Bugs and glitches exist and causes problems during gameplay
-Fans of the last two Elder Scrolls game might be disappointed at how much customization has been stripped
-It's one of those games that make you go "is it already that late? Maybe one more area..."
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is like a traditional painting: pointing out all the little aspects and their problems will only make you see the flaws and inconsistency; however, if you step back and take it all in, you realize what a masterpiece it is. That's the best analogy I can give this amazing open world Action-RPG that I had no interest in buying from the beginning until it released and felt the urge to get a more relaxing sort of game among all my other action-intensive orientated games. Do not be fooled when hearing the word "Action" in front of "RPG" as the game's genre as it is very much an RPG than anything else (much like Fallout 3 when a lot of people described it as a First-Person Shooter). So if you're one who's worried that the RPG aspect might be dumbed down to favor the Action game players, rest assured that the experience is still very much there with the Action. Whenever I play the game, I'm not worried about finishing the game or looking for a definitive purpose. When I play, I let myself take part in the world laid out for me and journey around and take on the challenges I find along the way. Skyrim is one of those games that will keep you up late nights and back the next night and coming back even after finishing the game just to try out a different play-style or to mess around in the world by doing things you wouldn't have before. If you're looking for a relaxing game to play, then Skyrim would be your best bet.
Graphics
If you've already played the game and wondered why plants look flat, items' models look blocky, and textures sort of pixelated, it's probably for the sake of optimization. The analogy I used to describe the game can be applied to the graphics of the game too. If you look at every individual object, they probably look pretty ugly. But if you pull back and look at everything around you, it's a pretty convincing open world environment. The models for NPCs is...different (I don't want to say an improvement since I kinda like the quirky looks on people's faces in Oblivion) from the last Elder Scrolls. NPC interactions and AI is somewhat more reasonable, but they still perform some odd animations sometimes. One huge improvement in graphics would be the animations and effects for spells. They're a lot more dynamic as spells can be streamed now (meaning that instead of each spell being cast between intervals, it is continuously flowed out like a flamethrower). I think what design did with the graphics is that objects and models that mattered has more details while smaller things that didn't matter as much has a lower polygon count with lower-resolution textures. This ensures that the game can still run smoothly despite having all those movable objects around with effects, shadows, textures, polygons and animations running all at the same time. Still, frame skipping and the very rare case of freezing for a while does still happen. It's quite a spectacle looking at mountains from far range, flashy spells that explode in a flurry of fury, and humongous dragons circling over you. Even though it was evident to the developers that many players liked to play in 3rd-person, combat is still best played in first-person. The animations for the player's character is somewhat better in walking and running but still very awkward in jumping. The models and textures for the character itself isn't that pretty either with the hair all clumpy and faces that barely gives enough versatility in customizing the look. But I guess it's not entirely important as the game was meant to be played in first-person and so the player wouldn't be looking at their character as often. There's a lot to be said in both the good and bad, but it narrows down to that the graphics in the game were created in its most efficient state for aesthetics and performance and works really well. Graphics: 9/10
Audio
It was a very smart move to bring back Jeremy Soule (who composed the music for Morrowind and Oblivion) to do the music and re-work the main theme for the Elder Scrolls series with the crew to create an inspiring and appropriate rendition of Soule's original composition from Morrowind. Much like the other Elder Scroll games, the musical scores are of the greatest quality though not necessarily memorable other than the main theme itself. This doesn't seem to bother a lot of music critics as the most highly regarded musical scores are usually ones I don't remember what they sound like. The same is with Skyrim. I remember that they were good while I was playing, but I have no idea what they sound like if you ask me to hum it out. The sound effects has quite a bit of improvement, but it still feels and sounds like I'm hitting a rock when using a melee weapon against an enemy like in the last two games. The voice acting is also an improvement as veterans in acting contribute to some of the voices in the game. There are some inconsistency with recordings and the tone that NPCs speak in. This is most likely due to having many recording sessions as settings on the audio panel or a large break between lines are recorded in are changed. I still notice accents fading in and out of dialogue for certain NPCs, but at least it was still the same voice actor (I still find it hilarious in Oblivion when one of the NPCs I spoke to had three different accents and voices within one conversation). One of the highlights for me was having Christopher Plummer (among many other celebrities) be the voice of Arngeir. Audio: 8/10
Gameplay
Skyrim is what I had hoped for (and possibly more) when I decided to buy the game since I didn't in the beginning. The thing was that I'm still playing Oblivion at the moment and was willing to wait until I finished before I decided to purchase Skyrim. But the game looked so tempting and so different that I couldn't help it and got it anyways. At first, I was shocked at how much of the customization was cut out from the last two games; however, all the selections for customization made so much more sense. Even with all the customization in the past games, the main categories was being Aggressive (Warrior-like), being stealthy (Thief-like), or being spell driven (Caster-like). With that in mind, the player starts off from those three points and improves their abilities along the way through means of training and usage of skills. The game starts out similar to Oblivion and perhaps even Morrowind in that you're a nameless prisoner and eventually finds out that there's something special about yourself later which drives the story forward. Navigating seems a bit easier than Oblivion and much more easier than Morrowind, so getting around wasn't too big of a problem. For me, controls took some time to getting used to (about 2-3 hours) as I fumbled around trying bring out my weapon and attacking the first enemy since I was playing the PS3 version when I'm so used to play The Elder Scrolls series on a computer. The controls are different for the PC for Skyrim from Oblivion from what I heard, but I'm not sure for certain. In any case, the controls are mapped pretty well as I had a pretty easy time bringing out my weapon and interacting with things. It is bothersome when I get into a fight and accidentally press down on L3 which goes into sneak mode making me move slower or having to leave the right analog stick when jumping. The inventory system is still atrocious and makes going through it a pain. Thankfully, the developers implemented a favorites menu system which lets the player tag their favorite items, spells, and equipment so that they can bring it up in the midst of battle without having to fumble through their inventory and spells. Still, going through the favorites menu can still be a drag when the favorites are disorganized and made into a large list. Talking to NPCs isn't quite as enjoyable or humorous as Bioware games, but it's the relaxing part of the game that I like doing. To travel around a town or stroll past a wandering farmer and be able to interact with them is one of the RPG aspects that I like about Skyrim. Combat has some changes to them from past Elder Scrolls games. For melee combat, it seems like you can perform finishing moves. I've seen it, but I have yet to do it myself (playing as a Caster focusing on destruction and restoration magic). I'm not sure if there's any difference to ranged combat, but impact on enemies sound a bit different. Magic has surely changed as spells are used in a continuous stream rather than small short bursts. It was because of this that I decided to play a spell casting character (that and I always opt for a warrior or thief like build every time). Some enemies are very simplistic and will give chase until you're out of range or can't be reached. Others will use ranged attacks or spells before drawing out their melee weapons to attack you. I still don't like how melee weapons feel like your hitting cardboard or rocks instead of flesh and blood. I think part of this has to do with the sound effects used. To give an example, Medieval Action-RPG Mount & Blade has some of the cheesiest and fake resounding sound effects yet the sound you hear when cutting through an enemy with metal, flesh and blood with such prominence gives such a satisfying feeling. I don't get that satisfaction when using a melee weapon and perhaps that's why finishing moves were added. I think I'll like it a lot more when I finish playing with my caster and make a spell sword build character and stick my blade into an enemy with a finishing move. I like the exploration and finding pockets of bandits who are so sure of themselves get burned in a fury of ice and fire by my caster as well as speaking to NPCs and reading books to become even more familiar with the world of Tamriel. The game is said to have an infinite amount of quests, though I find some of the quests still confusing like its predecessors. I do like the fact that there will always be dragons to slay (or so I hear) though as "I've come to slay dragons!" The complaints I have and flaws I've pointed out is easily overshadowed by the amount of pure "fun" I've had with the game thus far and plan to have for "hopefully" years to come. One of the best parts of Skyrim is that it's so different from Oblivion that I wouldn't mind continue playing Oblivion even now. I can enjoy both! Gameplay: 9/10
Overall
I feel the need to just finish a game or pushing the story along for a lot of games. But with Skyrim, I feel at ease and am able to play at a much slower pace and enjoy the game. Skyrim delivers a good balance of relaxing gameplay with challenging action that sucks me right into the world and lets me enjoy the game without worrying about getting stuck from the game being too difficult or being lost and finding out where I need go next (though that can be frustrating if I really am trying to fulfill a quest). The game should be quite a treat for RPG players and a welcome start for anyone new to the series. This is one of the very fews games where I felt paying full price for was well worth it as the game will probably last me quite a while. Overall: 8.7/10
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
GameLight - MineCraft 1.8 Adventure Mode to be added soon
Official Site: http://www.minecraft.net/
Source: Youtube Channel GrynarGaming
I've played the demo of Minecraft and knew I would like it and spend hours and hours on it, which is exactly why I didn't buy it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend a lot of time building something and then call it quits afterwards, but with multiplayer capabilities, an adventure mode being added, and tons of mods by the community being added, I can't help but feel that it's perhaps worth my time and money. Adventure Mode will have a stronger focus on an Action RPG aspect rather than a sand-box builder with randomly generated dungeons, more monsters, maybe some quests, an experience system, and weapons. This is mainly what would get me to start playing it. It was one of the main reasons I was attracted to Terraria with the ability to adventure around the world rather than just pure building stuff. Minecraft is still in its pre-purchase beta phase, and so players can still buy it for $15 before it's official and completed (which will then be sold for $20). If you're not sure about the game, try out the free demo at the official website up on top.
Source: Youtube Channel GrynarGaming
I've played the demo of Minecraft and knew I would like it and spend hours and hours on it, which is exactly why I didn't buy it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend a lot of time building something and then call it quits afterwards, but with multiplayer capabilities, an adventure mode being added, and tons of mods by the community being added, I can't help but feel that it's perhaps worth my time and money. Adventure Mode will have a stronger focus on an Action RPG aspect rather than a sand-box builder with randomly generated dungeons, more monsters, maybe some quests, an experience system, and weapons. This is mainly what would get me to start playing it. It was one of the main reasons I was attracted to Terraria with the ability to adventure around the world rather than just pure building stuff. Minecraft is still in its pre-purchase beta phase, and so players can still buy it for $15 before it's official and completed (which will then be sold for $20). If you're not sure about the game, try out the free demo at the official website up on top.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
GameLight - The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim
Despite turmoil within the gaming community due to Bethesda's claim of trademark infringement, I am still very excited about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Source: Youtube Channel babypazuzu
I can't say that I'm an avid fan of the series since I've never touched any of them until just this summer I bought TESIV: Oblivion, but I really like these types of open world, non-linear Action RPGs and really like the series because of that. What I didn't know is that you can get the first and 2nd TES games for free now. They look so old and archaic, but it's hard to imagine a non-linear, free-roaming Action RPG back then. I probably wouldn't even be able to stand playing games like those back then since I was so impatient. Still, the original 2 games piques my interest and I think I might try them out in the near future just to see what they were like. Looking at them and then back on the video for Skyrim, we've have come a long way in PC gaming. There's the other hard part. When the game finally does come out, I have the decision to get it on Playstation 3 or PC. In all honesty, I think games such as these were meant to be played on PC. They just feel...right. The problem is that I'm still playing on a laptop (not a bad one though, but not great either) and I don't know when I'll finally decide to invest in creating a new tower. Oblivion runs fine on my laptop, but I have to lower the beautiful graphics down in order to play without lag. Then there's also the problem with the game frequently crashing. By buying it on a console, I'm hoping that I don't have to worry about crashing, and incompatibility as much. The thing is, it sounds awkward to play the game with a controller. This is a decision I'm eventually going to make. When I finally get the game, I have to decide what sort of path I'll be going down in terms of "class type". In oblivion, I'm going for a blade user/marksman with stealth skills and some magic. So I'm mostly going for an assassin sort of class (custom made). It might be fun to try out a beefy fighter class or a crazy strong magic class when I finally start playing Skyrim (probably not going to get it on the first day, but will eventually get it). Ah, so many good games coming out this last half year. I just hope Nintendo joins in and has 3rd Party companies develop some good games for the 3DS and Wii U.
Sources:
-Gamasutra: Bethesda Targets Mojang's Scrolls For Trademark Infringement
Source: Youtube Channel babypazuzu
I can't say that I'm an avid fan of the series since I've never touched any of them until just this summer I bought TESIV: Oblivion, but I really like these types of open world, non-linear Action RPGs and really like the series because of that. What I didn't know is that you can get the first and 2nd TES games for free now. They look so old and archaic, but it's hard to imagine a non-linear, free-roaming Action RPG back then. I probably wouldn't even be able to stand playing games like those back then since I was so impatient. Still, the original 2 games piques my interest and I think I might try them out in the near future just to see what they were like. Looking at them and then back on the video for Skyrim, we've have come a long way in PC gaming. There's the other hard part. When the game finally does come out, I have the decision to get it on Playstation 3 or PC. In all honesty, I think games such as these were meant to be played on PC. They just feel...right. The problem is that I'm still playing on a laptop (not a bad one though, but not great either) and I don't know when I'll finally decide to invest in creating a new tower. Oblivion runs fine on my laptop, but I have to lower the beautiful graphics down in order to play without lag. Then there's also the problem with the game frequently crashing. By buying it on a console, I'm hoping that I don't have to worry about crashing, and incompatibility as much. The thing is, it sounds awkward to play the game with a controller. This is a decision I'm eventually going to make. When I finally get the game, I have to decide what sort of path I'll be going down in terms of "class type". In oblivion, I'm going for a blade user/marksman with stealth skills and some magic. So I'm mostly going for an assassin sort of class (custom made). It might be fun to try out a beefy fighter class or a crazy strong magic class when I finally start playing Skyrim (probably not going to get it on the first day, but will eventually get it). Ah, so many good games coming out this last half year. I just hope Nintendo joins in and has 3rd Party companies develop some good games for the 3DS and Wii U.
Sources:
-Gamasutra: Bethesda Targets Mojang's Scrolls For Trademark Infringement
Friday, July 15, 2011
VGCulture - Terraria is a time eater
What's happening to me now with Terraria is exactly the reason why I stayed away from Minecraft: I can't stop! Minecraft was a bit easier to resist since I didn't know too many people who would play it along with me. For Terraria, I know one other friend who's played over 100 hours. And after reaching 12 hours of gameplay after one week, I am convinced that 100 hours is not enough.
Source: Youtube Channel demilogic
I was up pretty late last night playing Terraria, and I spent the first hour just tearing down my dirt wall since I realized that NPCs don't come into your house unless you have a stone wall or anything sturdier than that. I think what makes the game so captivating is that it's relaxing yet still challenging and fun. I don't have to deal with online players, competitive gameplay, or intense graphics to enjoy playing a game. It's also the exploration part of the game that's so compelling as the more deeper you go into the world, the more dangerous it becomes with the chance of more rewards. It's so satisfying to play at my own pace and participating a on-going time-frame that affects the gameplay. It reminds me a lot of the MMORPGs I used to play where I didn't have to go to a specific spot to do something or grind in an area for long durations. There is some grinding in terms of finding materials to craft items, but I've never been so excited about crafting new equipment in a game as this one (okay, that's a lie. I was super into forging new weapons in Demon's Souls). The game is even more fun playing with a friend and fighting bosses together and experiencing crazy shenanigans in caves. On Tuesday, I said that dying in the game didn't penalize you. But I was wrong. I found out that you lost half your money that you're carrying when you die. I like it more like that. It gives me more of a reason to stay alive and be more weary in combat. And of course, there's my obsession with weapons in this game. I don't have much except swords, a spear, and a bow. But later on, there's light sabers, shurikens, and firearms that you can use. Out of all the games I bought during the summer sale, Terraria was probably the best one and I'll probably get past 100 hours of gameplay sometime near the end of summer. If you haven't checked the game out yet, do it now (it's totally worth it!): http://store.steampowered.com/app/105600/
Things that add up to the time spent playing the game:
-Collecting
-Fighting
-Exploring
-Crafting
-Designing
-Experimenting (yup, lots to do in the game)
Source: Youtube Channel demilogic
I was up pretty late last night playing Terraria, and I spent the first hour just tearing down my dirt wall since I realized that NPCs don't come into your house unless you have a stone wall or anything sturdier than that. I think what makes the game so captivating is that it's relaxing yet still challenging and fun. I don't have to deal with online players, competitive gameplay, or intense graphics to enjoy playing a game. It's also the exploration part of the game that's so compelling as the more deeper you go into the world, the more dangerous it becomes with the chance of more rewards. It's so satisfying to play at my own pace and participating a on-going time-frame that affects the gameplay. It reminds me a lot of the MMORPGs I used to play where I didn't have to go to a specific spot to do something or grind in an area for long durations. There is some grinding in terms of finding materials to craft items, but I've never been so excited about crafting new equipment in a game as this one (okay, that's a lie. I was super into forging new weapons in Demon's Souls). The game is even more fun playing with a friend and fighting bosses together and experiencing crazy shenanigans in caves. On Tuesday, I said that dying in the game didn't penalize you. But I was wrong. I found out that you lost half your money that you're carrying when you die. I like it more like that. It gives me more of a reason to stay alive and be more weary in combat. And of course, there's my obsession with weapons in this game. I don't have much except swords, a spear, and a bow. But later on, there's light sabers, shurikens, and firearms that you can use. Out of all the games I bought during the summer sale, Terraria was probably the best one and I'll probably get past 100 hours of gameplay sometime near the end of summer. If you haven't checked the game out yet, do it now (it's totally worth it!): http://store.steampowered.com/app/105600/
Things that add up to the time spent playing the game:
-Collecting
-Fighting
-Exploring
-Crafting
-Designing
-Experimenting (yup, lots to do in the game)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
GameLight - Terraria
Official Site: http://www.terraria.org/
Source: Youtube Channel demilogic
Terraria is a game I HAVE to talk about. This was recently part of the Steam's Summer Sales and was featured on the last two days of the sale (if you scroll down, you can see them in the images). It's a phenomenal indie developed game that mixes the sandbox aspects of building with exploration and action/adventure of side-scrollers. To give (a possibly bad, but helpful) example, the game is like the new generation Castlevania series in that you can freely travel around the world within the game, but everything around you can be manipulated, gathered and recreated like in the indie developed game Minecraft (an equally fun and compelling game). Terraria is often compared to Minecraft as the "2D version", but I think the difference is drawn in that Minecraft has more of a building and social aspect while Terraria is more of exploration and combat. The game doesn't have a tutorial and pretty much plops the player right into the world that is randomly generated. I started off the game like I did in Minecraft and walked around while cutting down trees and picking up dirt blocks. I had to leave when I first started and came back only to find myself being at night in the game where everything is hard to see. Suddenly, I start seeing zombies and flying eyeballs close in on me and eat away my life while striking them only scratches a piece of their health off. I was in danger, I didn't have a strong weapon, and I didn't have shelter. I had died 6-7 times in the span of that one night in-game time, and that was enough to teach me my first lesson: build a shelter. Thinking about it, I could've built a barricade around me with dirt blocks and waited out the night. But I think that's something I like about the game: you learn how to play by learning from your mistakes and experiences (like in Demon's Souls!). Yes, the game can be a bit intimidating since everything seems kind of confusing, but it was the main attraction in that I could die as many times as I want and the most that will happen is that I get brought back to the spawn point (which is probably bad when playing on large planets). It made exploration fun and exciting. There is so much that can be experimented with. Later, I joined a friend and I started learning more about how the game works. There are deep caverns underneath that you can dig into and collect ores to craft items and equipment. I learned how to make a shelter and protect myself from the monsters at night and how to create weapons so that I have an easier time fighting when I need to. The combat can be anything from easy killings to insane challenges, especially the bosses:
Source: Youtube Channel NeptuneYT
If you like sandbox-like games where you have a lot of freedom of what you want to do as well as classic 2D action games, then you gotta check this game out: http://store.steampowered.com/app/105600/
Source: Youtube Channel demilogic
Terraria is a game I HAVE to talk about. This was recently part of the Steam's Summer Sales and was featured on the last two days of the sale (if you scroll down, you can see them in the images). It's a phenomenal indie developed game that mixes the sandbox aspects of building with exploration and action/adventure of side-scrollers. To give (a possibly bad, but helpful) example, the game is like the new generation Castlevania series in that you can freely travel around the world within the game, but everything around you can be manipulated, gathered and recreated like in the indie developed game Minecraft (an equally fun and compelling game). Terraria is often compared to Minecraft as the "2D version", but I think the difference is drawn in that Minecraft has more of a building and social aspect while Terraria is more of exploration and combat. The game doesn't have a tutorial and pretty much plops the player right into the world that is randomly generated. I started off the game like I did in Minecraft and walked around while cutting down trees and picking up dirt blocks. I had to leave when I first started and came back only to find myself being at night in the game where everything is hard to see. Suddenly, I start seeing zombies and flying eyeballs close in on me and eat away my life while striking them only scratches a piece of their health off. I was in danger, I didn't have a strong weapon, and I didn't have shelter. I had died 6-7 times in the span of that one night in-game time, and that was enough to teach me my first lesson: build a shelter. Thinking about it, I could've built a barricade around me with dirt blocks and waited out the night. But I think that's something I like about the game: you learn how to play by learning from your mistakes and experiences (like in Demon's Souls!). Yes, the game can be a bit intimidating since everything seems kind of confusing, but it was the main attraction in that I could die as many times as I want and the most that will happen is that I get brought back to the spawn point (which is probably bad when playing on large planets). It made exploration fun and exciting. There is so much that can be experimented with. Later, I joined a friend and I started learning more about how the game works. There are deep caverns underneath that you can dig into and collect ores to craft items and equipment. I learned how to make a shelter and protect myself from the monsters at night and how to create weapons so that I have an easier time fighting when I need to. The combat can be anything from easy killings to insane challenges, especially the bosses:
Source: Youtube Channel NeptuneYT
If you like sandbox-like games where you have a lot of freedom of what you want to do as well as classic 2D action games, then you gotta check this game out: http://store.steampowered.com/app/105600/
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