Halo… and other games

Welcome to the Resolution Podcast. This month Greg Giddens, Steve Peacock, Mike Hirst, and a very quiet Brendan Caldwell talk about the latest gaming related topics. This month also has much better sound quality.

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Discussions and link dump:

Dead Rising 2

Blade Kitten

Halo Reach

Metroid Other M

Spiderman Shattered Dimensions

Enslaved Demo

Team Ninja/ Ninja Theory confusion

New Devil May Cry

Risen

Castlevania Lords of Shadow

Dead Rising 2: Case 0

Halo 3: ODST

Mass Effect 2

Dragon Age: Origins

Over the coming week or so, various Resolution writers will be looking back on their favourite games of the year.  The rules: original reviews and scores don’t matter; personal preference is key.  Greg’s up first, delighting in a quirky RPG that scored only 6/10 here at Resolution, and split opinion more than almost any other title in 2009.

It’s through perseverance and sacrifice that one earns one’s prize. The completion of Risen was my goal, and through sweat, blood and tears, I earned it.

The first hour or so of Risen is a journey of realisation. “Life is hard,” you may have heard people sigh, but have you ever wondered, “compared to what?” Well, that can be finally answered, as Risen’s harsh experience is comparable to life. Before you adapt, Risen mirrors the quirks of the real world remarkably well.

You may have heard that Risen is too uncompromising, that it’s visually plain, that the story is run-of-the-mill and that the interface is unintuitive and unnecessarily complex. Well, those who have told you that are spot on. Risen is all those things, and because of that it has a very distinct personality – one that, for me, made it one of this year’s most impressive and enjoyable games.

The aforementioned faults craft a world not too dissimilar to our own, and as such the experience becomes hugely immersive. Once you’ve been immersed long enough to accept that experience for what it is, it almost feels comfortable, which is an impressive accomplishment. NPCs initially treat you with distrust, coming across as semi-aggressive, but with time and effort on your part their trust can be earned. Once again, it mirrors reality – and it’s these links to the real world that makes Risen so engaging. The voice acting is fairly impressive, the script is believable, and if you can approach Risen in the same manner as you may approach similar situations in life, you’ll find the harsh conditions of the game easier to deal with or avoid.

Though such similarities are prevalent, Risen’s world is firmly rooted in fantasy, filled with magic and creatures that set our world and Risen’s apart. What’s impressive about this universe is the attention to detail involved with each and every aspect, from the distinct personalities of the individuals you meet, to the design of the many caves and tunnels forming dungeons throughout the island. It’s a small place with an equally small population, but despite this you’ll find more than 50 hours’ worth of enjoyment bundled in with it; the phrase “good things come in small packages” has never felt so true. It’s nothing short of impressive that a developer can pack so much into such a small area, making you wonder what they could do with a world on the scale of Oblivion or Fallout 3.

Comparisons with those games are inevitable, even though Risen’s roots predate both.  All share the same open-world RPG setup, but Risen doesn’t have the same wide appeal the others have, and the audience in mind is different. Risen appeals to those looking for a harsher experience, and the uncompromising environment and mountains of dialogue make it an acquired taste, but it’s one I’ll be happy to take a bite of time and time again. For me, it is a remarkable RPG, touching on the personal criteria I have for the perfect role-playing experience. And although I certainly see why others weren’t quite so taken, I hope that enough people try it and give it the opportunity to open their eyes to a new world.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

//Batman: Arkham Asylum (Review – 9/10)
The majority of Superhero games released over the past few years have set up shop in the realm of open-world environments, and it suits them well, allowing you to be your chosen superheros in their respective environments doing what they do best. Batman, however, returns to the mostly linear action-adventure genre, and is one of the most impressive superhero games to date, with its fantastic graphics, sound and level design, as well as an interesting and appealing narrative, bringing together fans from all corners of the Batman spectrum, from both the new and old films, cartoon series and comics. Best! Episode! Ever!

//Battlefield 1943 (Review – 8/10)
Battlefield 1943 saw the triumphant return of the pinnacle of online, team-based FPS action. The overused setting of World War 2 somehow feels brand new with this latest instalment, thanks to its absolutely wonderful design. Battlefield 1943 is unpretentious, providing hours of enjoyment from a simple premise fully realised. What it lacks slightly in quantity, with only a few maps, it more than makes up for in the quality of the overall experience. Battlefield 1943 could prove to be one of the reasons for the turning point in quality of XBLA and PSN games, and I quite simply can’t stop playing it.

//Prototype (Review – 9/10)
What most impresses me about Prototype is how it takes the open-world formula and mixes narrative and pacing successfully. The story is designed to take full advantage of the style imposed by non-linear play, allowing you to do what you please in between uncovering the depths of the plot. Also, there is no real moral choice – you’re no longer human, you’re a sentient virus, and as such you’re no longer bound by the concept of right or wrong. So your reasons for running around the city of New York killing creatures and humans alike are completely acceptable. Where else can you find that?

By Lewis Denby

Around 20 hours into Risen, I realised I’d not been having as much fun as I thought.

Not for the last while, at least.  It had started better, more emphatically.  Dropped on the shore of a mysterious island, with no knowledge of my location or the quirks of this factionalised land, I’d felt a deep fascination with what was to come.  It didn’t last.  Not really, anyway.  For all Risen’s ambition, for all its gentle introductions combined with bravely harsh challenges, there’s something barely tangible that somehow, subsequently, fell to pieces.

The problem is that, even now, I’m worried I’ve got it wrong, or that it was all my own fault.

I once had a conversation about games reviewing with a friend.  The debated question was: to what extent should critics be able to develop an intrinsic connection with each game; to what level should they automatically engage with a product, and be able to report with some confidence on their findings?  Should every review emerge with the same amount of conviction?  Essentially, should every review be so certain?

Playing Risen for the past couple of weeks has left me totally unsure.  Is this a good game?  Is it worthy of a purchase?  Is it going to lead to further discussion?  Is it reasonable to not know what I think of it?

And no, none of this is rhetorical.  I’m really curious.  Maybe, if you play it, you could help me out a little here.

//Washed away
Rewind.  There’s been a terrible storm, my boat’s sunk, and I’m now on the shore of a hostile island.  It’s probably a few hundred years ago, or the fantasy equivalent, and I’m probably somewhere near Italy, only not in this universe.  Everyone’s been washed up on this same beach, and most people are dead.  I can steal their equipment, and I can speak with one other lucky survivor.

That’s how Risen opens.  This isn’t playing around.  This isn’t a harrowing opening that leads to an immediately friendlier game.  That’s Risen’s mood throughout.  Your situation is absolutely shit.  It makes no bones about that.

You snap off a branch and ready it as a weapon.  Some wild beasts are attacking, and you’ve to put them in their place.  Quickly, you’ll find a path that leads to a house, and some food, and then you’ll follow it some more and find another house, this one occupied by a cagey and suspicious gentleman.  You’ll talk to him, and convince him you’re no threat.  He’ll heal you up, give you a proper sword, and guide you on your way.

Risen’s primary aim is to create a world that responds to your own choices.  Your first one is now, some fifteen minutes into the game, and it’s intimidating.  You’re advised to join up with the Don’s men, a group of fighters and guards who have set up their own rebellious camp in the swamp.  They’re rough and ready, but seem kind-hearted enough when they’re not snarling at you, which is most of the time.  Or you could make your way over to Harbour Town, from where the Don’s men emerged – a once prosperous but now dwindling population, watched over by the Orwellian eye of the Inquisition.  The choice is yours, but it’ll affect how the rest of the game pans out.  No one ever makes it clear who’s the best to side with.

Rewind even further.  Open-world RPGs aren’t a new thing, and there’s an established formula that each seems to stick to.  Bethesda have pioneered this.  The game, almost invariably, starts with some terrible unfriendliness, but quickly allows you to create bonds with characters, with places, with the world itself.  From there, you carve your own path, but essentially stick fairly rigidly to the main story.

Risen rejects this.  For all its similarities with… well, let’s face it, with Oblivion, it deviates hugely from the trodden path.  Risen starts unfriendly, and continues unfriendly.  In two weeks, I’ve not met a single person I fully trust.  What’s most striking about this tempestuous game is how utterly horrible everything is.  This is a game in which, when you meet someone who only swears at you three times and threatens to beat the living daylights out of you twice, you feel relatively at ease.  You’re an outsider, a terrible foreigner, and pretty much everyone is going to make sure you know where you stand.  And those who are friendlier are downtrodden, scared and depressed.

The first time I played, I followed the house-gentelman’s advice and joined up with the Don’s clan.  I accepted a quest to go and retrive some money – a simple enough task – and got the shit kicked out of me.  I went back to my makeshift boss, and he laughed, and told me I should wisen up.

[Continues...]