Game Review – FTL: Faster Than Light

September 12, 2014September 17, 2014 / pfomega / Leave a comment

Game review – FTL: Faster Than Light (Advanced Edition)
Platform – PC, Mac, Linux, iOS
Developer – Subset Games

Rating – 9/10

You will never experience a more gratifying sense of vengeful fury.

One thing you will find about me is that I am a big sucker for sci-fi. I don’t even take sides when it comes to Star Wars and Star Trek — I love them both (Ok, I tend to lean towards Lightsabers, but don’t tell Picard). However, it seems that Star Wars has always received far better treatment in the past when it comes to games emulating universes. Not only is there an assortment of great licensed content (KOTOR, Shadows of the Empire and Jedi Academy/Outcast, just to name a few), but some truly inspired works of sci-fi worthy to be called successors. Hell, Wing Commander even featured Mark Hamill.

But when it comes to Trek, it’s mostly been a long line of disappointment.

So, naturally, when a space game comes along featuring strategic crew and ship command over FPS blasting, fantasy-style RPGs, and balls-to-the-wall dogfighting (not that any of those things are particularly bad, just often overused), I perk up in the hopes that perhaps, some sci-fi fans have created a game favouring tactics and decision making (aka, the role of a ship captain). FTL not only does exactly that, but does it in a way that is fun, exciting and effectively resurrects the idea that a good game needn’t be long if it ecstatically invites you to play it over and over again.

Extingushing flames while running out of oxygen is just a day in the life. FIRE THE LASERS.

Don’t be fooled by its visual simplicity. It’s a game developed by a two man team, and its graphical appeal doesn’t stray past flash-based browser games, but it more than makes up for it with raw content and game-play. There is a significant variety of ships with multiple configurations each (many of which are unlocked by completing the game under varying conditions), as well as a wide array of upgrades, weapons, and crew randomly dropped in your path as you progress.

Combat is real-time, and involves making all kinds of decisions like which doors to open and close, which weapons to fire, where to send crew and which damaged systems to repair, all the while trying to prevent your enemy from escaping (unless if course, you’re the one trying to get the fuck out). Thankfully, they let you pause combat to take a breath and survey the horror which has been laid upon you.

While the story is quite linear and you only get to pick one ship per play, no two plays are ever alike, even if you consistently play the same ship and configuration.

Half the fun is picking your ship at the beginning.

The linear progression seems like it would get repetitive, but it doesn’t. The randomly generated maps and star charts consistently give you new experiences as well as the ability to choose your path to the end. Plus, the enemy is chasing you the whole way, giving you a sense of urgency. You don’t have time to linger and explore the whole area. You must be decisive, and that’s one of the little things really going for it.

It's kinda like reading a book where you know how it starts and how it ends, but everything in the middle is up to you.

At the same time, the game is completely unforgiving. It’s hard. Really hard. Even if you do everything right, there’s no guarantee you’ll make it to the end with what you need to beat the big boss. Half the challenge of the game is ensuring you upgrade your ship adequately along the way. You’ll need enough weapons to defend yourself, enough technology to endure the journey, and the crew to run everything. Sometimes, you’re happy just to get to sector 8 alive — because If your ship blows, you start again from the beginning. Even on Easy mode, one careless move means you’re back to the title screen. For me, this gives the game a level of rewarding and satisfying play unmatched by the trend of die-res-die-res repetition found in many so-called “AAA” titles. A real sense of loss gives the game a real sense of challenge and an even better sense of accomplishment when you get to the end.

Can it be frustrating sometimes? Absolutely. But we also feel most passionately about the things we enjoy most, even if it sometimes comes out a little… hostile.

And he recommends it.

FTL provides more hours of game-play in a compact package than many $60 games with a massive budget and graphics engine. They even threw in a free expansion which not only provided more reason to play again, but managed to significantly improved on an already dynamic and diverse experience. I really can’t say enough about how much I enjoy this little game. I find myself drawn back to it again and again because there aren’t many other games like it. It’s found itself in a unique position of filling a gap left by many and attempted by few. It may not be perfect, but I anticipating it inspiring more games like it in the future, while making its mark in history as having done so.

Bravo, Subset Games.

/gameon

P.S. Mods are fun.

Game Review – Mario Kart 8

September 11, 2014September 17, 2014 / pfomega / Leave a comment

Game review – Mario Kart 8
Platform – Wii U (exclusive)
Developer – Nintendo

Rating – 9.5/10

Vengeance, thy name is Luigi.

Mario Kart is one of those legacy franchises that has become ubiquitous with the Nintendo brand, and I am no stranger to its siren call. I’ve played every single one since the original nearly 25 years ago on the SNES, and own nearly all of them as well. I’m also very good. And by good, I mean comes-in-first-online-consistantly good. In Mario Kart 7, I beat all circuits on all difficulties with a 3 star rating on the first play through. I have to warn people I play with, because I’m just going to win nearly ever time. It’s not a brag, it’s simply that Mario Kart is my game. I know the tracks, I know the tricks, and if I had the opportunity to play the game professionally, I would.

So when I tell you that Mario Kart 8 is the culmination of everything I could possibly expect from such a title, you will fully understand my sentiment.

Kart took a cue from Galaxy and it paid off.

How can such an old series simply continue to shine in the way only Nintendo seems to be able to pull off? Well, it starts by paying attention to what the fans like. It has the most customizability of any Kart game in the franchise, and that really gives you the most sense of individuality of any of them so far. You can even upload your own Mii. It allows you to cater to your own style of racing in a way that lets you feel the road as you like, but without overwhelming you with options which have you tweaking for hours. It’s a well balanced system that leaves nothing feeling particularly over or underpowered.

Next come the maps. I’m always hesitant to suggest that any developer is capable of reinventing their own formula, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that Nintendo has indeed done so, I cannot deny that the tracks are truly spectacular. All of the new circuits are gorgeous eye-candy, and extremely fun to boot. Even the classic tracks and circuits have received varying face-lifts (some are almost exactly the same, while others have taken some significant liberties that don’t seem much like their original predecessors at all), but in ways that only improve them. I was trying not to be overly impressed due to my long-term bias towards the franchise, but I simply couldn’t help myself. Every track has that vibrant charm only Nintendo can execute with such precise consistency.

Think you're good at Kart 64's Rainbow Road? Think again.

There’s nothing much revolutionary coming from items and powerups, but there are a few new ones that really stick out. There’s a boomerang and it is a lot of fun to fling around. There’s a “Super Horn” which creates a large area of effect shockwave around you capable of knocking out just about everything including that pesky Blue shell. But the new stand out item for me is the Piranha Plant, which both boosts you ahead faster, while also chomping on anything that gets in your way, including projectiles and other players. There’s also an 8 now, to replace the former Lucky 7, which has a similar effect.

The one thing particularly apparent about this game, however, is the challenge it presents in 150cc mode and online play. I was taken aback by the difficulty level, even with my experience, and that’s not a bad thing. You have to fight to get into first, and there’s no guarantee you will hold on, because the other racers are most certainly relentless in their pursuit.

I'm not saying 150cc is hard... I'm saying it's like trying to open a can of beans with a rusty spoon held between your butt-cheeks.

It’s fast, it’s difficult, and you will love every minute of it. But don’t take my word for it… Recent figures are showing over 1000% increase of Wii U sales since the release of Mario Kart 8, pushing it past the Xbox One and catching up to the PS4. This merely proves Nintendo’s commitment to first-party content, and this game is no anomaly in that department.

If you like Mario Kart games, get it. If you like racing games, get it. If you like Nintendo games, get it. If you like games with a real sense of challenge and replayability, get it. Hell, there’s almost no reason not to get it if you consider yourself a gamer, whether casual or hardcore, young or old. You will not be disappointed.

/gameon

P.S. Luigi will haunt your dreams.

Game Review – Divinity: Original Sin

September 10, 2014September 10, 2014 / pfomega / 2 Comments

Game review – Divinity: Original Sin
Platform – PC (exclusive)
Developer – Larian Studios

Rating – 10/10

This game review brought to by animals with more personality than your co-workers.

Since I want to give you some insight into the types of games I play, I’m going to start with some reviews for games I personally play a lot. Let’s start this off with a bang.

For all you Steam users out there, it’s no secret that Divinity: Original Sin has been a popular title for several weeks now, even while it was in Early Access. Since I have been a little too enthusiastic with my purchases of unfinished games in the past, I figured I would wait until official release of this one. Being the Steam junkie I am, I was also going to wait for it to go on sale as I often find games aren’t worth $40+. However, this game has been receiving nothing but high praise from the RPG community, and has been widely heralded as the Baldur’s Gate 3 fans have been waiting for. Then, a few weeks ago, I noticed my friends list filling up with people playing D:OS, including one of my close friends who was raving about it. I had to bite.

Was I ever not disappointed.

ffs... Two characters to create? I'm the kinda guy who spends an hour just molding the face.

Simply put, Divinity: Original Sin is a masterpiece. It’s hard to describe just how engaging and enthralling this title is. It doesn’t hold your hand, yet the world unfolds before you as if turning the pages of a book you can’t put down.

It is a role-playing game in the truest sense. Fans of the classic turn-based combat system will absolutely love it. It brings the environment and the elements into play in with intense, destructive, and decisive battles which will leave you feeling satisfied after almost every fight. I’m not talking about a few crumbling scenery pieces, either. You can set the whole map on fire, and put it out by making it rain until there are puddles. Then, you can freeze the puddles and cause those standing on the ice to slip and fall. Control of the elements becomes very important in combat as well as in solving puzzles and disarming traps.

One well-placed lightning bolt into a pool of water = a pile of stunned orcs. Don't have any of your own party in the water, though...

The overarching story is interesting without being invasive, and even pretty funny at times. The voice cast is clever and cheeky; full of colorful and memorable characters.

Such a tragic way to go.

While it’s not a grand departure from other RPG stories, it’s no less compelling. It nods to its predecessors, and then embraces its fans with a dense, sprawling world of seemingly endless exploration and discovery. There are monsters of every size and composition. You almost never know what to expect going into each new battle. Sometimes you reign victorious with ease. Other times, you feel like the game has unleashed a wrath of anger and torment upon you, completely changing your perception of battle or it may simply wipe out your entire party in a single, fuck-your-decision-making-skills moment.

Um... Shit.

Did I mention it’s dense? I’m talking, core-of-a-dying-star, dense. Trying to find and unlock every cave and crevasse in this game is an adventure unto itself. Just when you think you’ve carved a slice off of this game’s grandeur, it turns around and shows you it’s but a small chip off the corner. Character customization is endlessly diverse, and your bottomless inventory is merely a testament to the amount of collectables and crafting available.

Do I do good for the leadership bonus, or do I do evil for the sneaking bonus? Hmm....

If the value of a game is based on $ per hour played, then $40 for Divinity: Original Sin might be the best deal of your life. I’m 100 hours in, and I’m roughly halfway through to the end. I’m sure it has been completed in much less time… but I like to be thorough, what can I say? This game provides the environment in which one can enjoy being “he who must explore every corner,” and rewards you for it. Larian Studios has set the bar a little higher for the gaming industry.

/gameon