Installation Screen
Some time ago I signed up for the closed beta for Diablo III but didn’t really expect to get an invitation to participate. Well, I got the invitation and am currently installing it as I type this. I’m pretty excited and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on the game with you all. With the hectic schedule I keep I don’t know how often I’ll be able to play, but I’ll definitely be posting more here as I go.
Aliens Vs. Predator is a lot of fun despite being an older game (having been released in 1999).
I was recently given a copy of Aliens Versus Predator by a friend. We still haven’t gotten to play it together but I played through all three of the single player campaigns. Each campaign is based on the perspective of one of the three major players in the story – Alien, Predator, and Marine.
By far one of the most enjoyable aspects of this game is the continuity of the story line between the campaigns. Pieces of the overarching story line come together as you play. I frequently found myself having “A-Ha” moments as various events I ran across in one campaign were explained in another. For example in the Predator campaign you discover the Alien queen has been destroyed it is only when you play as the Marine that you discover the why and how of her demise.
There really isn’t much more to be said about the game that hasn’t already been said. I found that I enjoyed playing as the Predator much more than either of the other two character types. Each species has advantages and disadvantages… the Marine has some pretty bad ass weapons, but is pretty much screwed if he runs out of ammo. The Predator has three vision modes, cloaking ability, and some pretty sweet weapons but the weapons take time to recharge and the cloaking doesn’t work if you’re standing in water. The Alien has the ability to walk on the walls and ceilings. I found this ability to be problematic as the constant shift in perspective caused me to feel motion sickness. That said the Alien is also the simplest to play since it only has teeth and claws for weapons. Additionally, it can take advantage of open ventilation shafts for a quick getaway when in trouble.
Overall I really enjoyed the game a lot more than I expected to. I’ve always loved the Alien and Predator movie franchises so it was a lot of fun to be able to immerse myself in the universe.
“Two decades have passed since the demonic lords, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal, set out across the world of Sanctuary on a vicious rampage, twisting humanity to their unholy will. Yet for those who battled the Prime Evils, the memory fades slowly.
When Deckard Cain returns to the ruins of Tristram Cathedral seeking clues to defeat new stirrings of evil, a fiery harbinger of doom falls from the heavens, striking the very ground where Diablo once entered the world. This fire from the sky reawakens ancient evils and calls the heroes of Sanctuary to defend the mortal world against the rising powers of the Burning Hells once again.” – Diablo 3 Official Site
I am uncertain that there is a game title more anticipated than the upcoming Diablo 3 (release date yet to be determined). That said there are a lot of things about the game that look pretty exciting based on what I’ve seen from the screen shots on the official web site. Originally, I wasn’t planning on writing anything about it because there really isn’t much to tell. We don’t know when it’s going to be released, we know very little about the game play, and currently there isn’t even a playable demo available.
Screenshot of the user interface... very similar to Diablo and Diablo 2
That said, I read a couple of articles over on Ars Technica that got me intrigued enough to write about it. First off, Blizzard will be allowing players to buy and sell in game items for real world money. This is huge for them because traditionally they haven’t allowed those kinds of shenanigans. I can’t help but wonder if they’re using this as a test bed to see if it is something they might want to implement in other games like World of Warcraft. My own opinion is (and has always been) that it is silly to spend real world money on virtual property, but I can get behind this (to a degree) if the system works, doesn’t take away from the overall experience of the game, and proceeds from the auction fees go to real world applications like server maintenance.
Speaking of server maintenance, another article I read talks about how the game will require a network connection to play. Character information will be stored up in the Battle Net cloud and no offline version will be available. In the current age of persistent network connections (cable, DSL, etc) I’m not sure this is really a huge drawback for the game unless you happen to live in an area that only has Dial-Up available (which seems like it should be pretty rare these days) or the servers on Blizzard’s end turn out to be unreliable. It seems the latter scenario is unlikely unless they get greater than anticipated demand, which seems unlikely. Given the overall hype and excitement surrounding this particular title, it seems reasonable to assume Blizzard will anticipate a large demand and prepare accordingly.
Visiting a vendor...
I’m looking forward to Diablo 3 coming out. I played through Diablo 2 and part of the original Diablo (I kept getting stuck at The Butcher and eventually gave up). I love that these games have a pretty solid story behind them but don’t really require that you’ve played the previous games to get into them. Hopefully Blizzard will release a playable demo soon. I’ve watched the cinematics they’ve released and am eager to try it out for myself. If Diablo 3 turns out to be even half as awesome as it’s predecessors it will be a very good game indeed.
This is the starting screen for Terraria.
Terraria, the break out title from indie developers Re-Logic, boasts a deceptively simple interface and game play that is surprisingly both fun and addictive.
On first glance Terraria looks like a reject from the old school NES days. Lacking in flashy 3D graphics and seat of your pants action, this side scrolling game immerses the player in a world where (almost) anything is possible. Everything the player needs can be obtained through crafting and much of the game is spent digging, chopping, mining, and otherwise obtaining the materials necessary to succeed. Indeed, much of the game’s appeal lies in the ability to mold the game environment however the player wants. The world is randomly generated which guarantees no two game experiences will be the same.
The Guide's a nice guy, even if not especially helpful!
That said, some players might find the lack of tutorials or online help to be a bit frustrating. When the game first starts the player is dropped in the world with only an axe, pick, and sword to start with. Everything after that must be crafted off the land. Unfortunately this crafting process is not terribly intuitive and the Guide NPC that shows up as you progress is not much help. Fortunately the game has a very nice wiki page with a very helpful guide on getting started which almost makes up for the lack of in game help.
Despite the lack of tutorials, once the game mechanics are understood the game takes on a life of its own. Game play alternates between “day” and “night”. The daytime sees relatively minor monsters to fight and allows the player the opportunity to explore the upper world with minimal opposition, venture underground and the player faces more challenging foes. Likewise, venturing out at night means facing hordes of zombies and demon eyes (among other enemies). How well you survive depends largely on how well you’ve prepared yourself through crafting better items, weapons, and armor.
Oh, so this is what the Guide is good for... leaving the damn door open so the zombies can get inside the house.
Overall the game is a lot of fun and while it doesn’t have the fun 3D feel of Minecraft, it still has enough charm to be a contender in the relatively new sandbox game genre. There is a rather lengthy list of changes to come in the next patch and beyond which should be a marked improvement and keep the game fresh, however it remains to be seen whether or not this 2D side scrolling adventure can hold player’s attention in light of similar games with flashier 3D graphics.
I’m still getting things set up here so the site’s look and feel will likely be changing as I get things settled. In the mean time I already have a game to review and should have that posted in the next couple of days. The plan is to post at least weekly (probably on Saturday morning) but the exact schedule will be ironed out based on my availability and how much content I have to post.
In the mean time sit back, relax, and enjoy embarking on this adventure with me. I think it’s going to be fun!
