Anyone else just watch the Ubisoft E3 press conference? They showed a new game called Watch Dogs that actually looked pretty damn good. Definitely one to keep your eye on, hopefully it lives up to the impression it just gave.
Looks like a serious version of GTA. I haven't really paid attention to E3 this year, not too much I was really looking forward to. This looks sweet. Not much else has caught my eye. Feels like next year the big guns for next gen will role out. I honestly see don't Nintendo pulling another Wii with Wii U. Even with a head start I don't think they have what it takes.
3 new games were added to the Humble bundle 5: Braid, Super Meat Boy and Lone Survivor. Right now it comes to 1 game for $1 if you beat the average of $7.95 and the games are brilliant. You also get the soundtracks for the original 5 games.
I finally got around to watching this gameplayer trailer, and I have to say...it's the greatest teaser I have seen yet for a video game. While I usually don't care about this, the graphics are palpably life-like at times. The wind blowing through the streets was downright awe-inspiring. The game's execution looks flawless; it's a seamless combination of numerous ideas from several different games, including GTA and Assassin's Creed. (Which in games, is actually a GOOD thing; combining different interesting mechanics together often leads to even better results.) Outstanding video.
Things that jump out at me: The way the main character walks with a little bit of a swagger. The snappy dialogue. The first time that "violence probability" indicator popped up. This game's got personality. One to keep an eye out for.
i just watched the trailer for Watch Dogs and I just came. They fucking nailed Chicago perfectly. I can't believe how good that looked. I work 2 blocks away from the intersection they show at 47 seconds, oh and that building all the way on the left, was the primary building in Transformers 3. Fucking awesome shit.
It felt as if I was watching the lovechild of Deus Ex, Jason Bourne and Grand Theft Auto. That was outstanding.
I think you nailed it. It definitely has a tech/neo noir vibe, probably the best Ive seen in a game yet. Im very excited for this game. The fighting mechanics and environment controls look very smooth, and above all an interesting plot which is just as important as anything else.
I hope that's one of the traps they don't get caught in. I don't play games for "plots". I read books and movies for that. With games, it's about an exciting, tense experience playing it, not passively watching cutscenes. The lone cutscene was nice, and I hope that's the type of short, unobtrusive thing they go for. I'm excited about the ridiculously cool control of electricity, the information on subjects, the stealth mixed with action and FPS, the seamless movement, and the gorgeous visuals. I hope they concentrate their time and energy on perfecting that. Plot? For all I care, it can be "rescue princess from castle" or "kill evil bad guy".
Very few games can pull off not having much of a plot, or no plot at all. I agree that it shouldn't always be the main focus, and that gameplay and immersion should come first, but a plot that ties the entire experience together can really allow the gameplay and immersion to shine. It's the kind of thing that can help a good game become truly great.
I came come up with hundreds of games off the top of my head. It would include every good fighting game or side-scrolling beat em' up ever made (Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, Tekken, Streets of Rage), almost every good puzzle/strategy game (Tetris, Puzzle Fighter 2, Spectromancer), every good racing game (Need for Speed series, Project Gotham Racing), most of the good platformers (too many to list), most action/adventure and FPS games, etc, etc. In fact, I would ask if there has ever been a good game solely because of the plot. I believe the answer is no. It was good because of the parts that were actually a game were good! A game, by its very definition, is interactive, while plots are a passive thing. Plot and story is actually antithetical to the whole concept of a "game" when you think about it. To me, a plot in a game is about as important as music in a game. It's one of the bells and whistles that can make the experience a bit better, but doesn't make or break a game. In most cases, it has no effect either way.
Fair points, but it could be argued that while you can name hundreds of games that didn't require a plot to be enjoyable, that doesn't take into account the other hundreds of thousands of games that had one. Take it for what it's worth. Don't get me wrong here. A game can be plenty good without a plot, but for a game to be truly excellent, there has to be more than gameplay elements involved. I will concede that no game, save for Planescape: Torment, was made solely through plot. You win that argument, hands down. What I'm saying is that a solid plot, combined with the proper elements of gameplay, immersion, polish, etc, can elevate a mere game to untold heights. Music can also help in this achievement. Point is that all elements can be used to create a game, and should not be ignored. I'm certain you've played many games with a great plot that you've enjoyed, despite other shortcomings.
I was afraid someone would bring that up. I could go on a long rant about why "Heavy Rain" is total garbage, barely even a game, and my loathing for its pretentious dickwad of a creator, David Cage, who legitimately feels that any game that doesn't subscribe to his design philosophy is shit. This sums up my thoughts quite succinctly. To be objective, there is a market for that kind of title, and I'm aware that a lot of people like it. Just don't tell me that it's "groundbreaking" when it's essentially a Japanese visual novel, which have been around since the mid 90s at least. Visual novels are popular, but the jury is still out on whether they're actually a "game" or interactive fiction. There's only a small handful of games that I would say even have "decent" or "good" plots. You named my favorite one, actually, "Planescape: Torment". There's also "King's Quest", the original "Bioshock" and "Deus Ex", maybe "Cave Story" in a weird way...and after that, I'm already having trouble.
Metal.Gear.Solid. The original had a better average plot as far as plots go. But integrated into the gameplay better than any game I have ever played. As close to "playable movie" as I have ever played. MGS2 kind of went off the rails with cut scenes, I never played 3 or 4.
I didn't play Heavy Rain, but I did play its predecessor, Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy. It was shit. Canabalt has a more artfully conveyed story, and it's a one-button iPhone game. The very heart of videogames is interactivity. Interactivity is the only difference between a videogame and a really shitty movie.
Heavy Rain was ok. It was very much a Choose Your Own Adventure video game. Before it came out, it was being touted as the future of gaming and after seeing trailers it looked amazing. Then I played it and the clunky controls lost me- the best way I can describe it is DDR on your PS3 controller. If Heavy Rain is the future of gaming, I'll save myself $40 and get a movie.
I'm having a hard time agreeing with this sentiment, even though statistically you are correct: there are very few games that have a decent plot. Many of my most memorable gaming experiences entail a well-told story. Planescape: Torment, Fallout (1 & 2), Mafia 1, Max Payne 1 & 2, Deus Ex, Vampire: The Masquerade series - they are all infinitely better because of it. As for a game being good solely because of the plot, I'll nominate a recent one: Gemini Rue.