The Last of Us - Review

In growing older, I've come to appreciate the father / daughter bond that forges over time.  While I don't understand the full complexities of it just yet, I do recognize that there's something very special and unique about it.  The Last of Us explores this bond in a post zombie apocalypse, because when's better to establish a relationship?

Quality Time

You play the game as Joel, a once regular guy who had lost everything to an infected outbreak 20 years prior. Through a deal for survival, he must escort a teenage girl named Ellen Paige Ellie to a renegade group's drop off point for unknown reasons.  Naturally, things don't go as planned, and we bear witness to the relationship between the two grow and change over time.

Gameplay is essentially a third person action title that encourages sneaking and tactics versus direct confrontation.  There's lots of cover and the game provides ample bottles and bricks to use as distractions and stuns to get through nearly everything quietly.  Yes, you can fight your way through the entire game, but you'll often find yourself with minimal resources for doing so.

Inventory control is important, and only allows you instant access to a few items at the same time.  Over the course of scavenging,  you'll find new weapons and a variety of objects in which you can make med kits, Molotov cocktails, shivs, and a few other useful things that make getting through a little easier.  Other upgrades you find allow you to modify weapons, inventory slots, and your own abilities like hearing and health.

So I can kill somebody with my bare hands, but bricks only stun people?  Got it.

Dealing with enemies is the most emphasized aspect in the game.  Moving from area to area, players will find themselves interacting with other factions in the game world including infected and other groups of survivalists.  Typically "interacting with" is framed as "killing", but there are parts that you can easily sneak by.  Where it gets disappointing is that with the rare exception these encounters are basically the same thing over and over again, just in a slightly different environment.  A store front with toppled over shelves instead of a ransacked house or a dilapidated sewer.  Too soon does the game become "Crouch and listen, position yourself to sneak up on somebody, take them down with a choke hold, move on."

Most games look to place the player as the hero, or at least central character of the story.  To prove this point, think about how you talk about playing a game.  "I can't make this jump", not "Mario can't make this jump".  Games fulfill an escape where the player is the star, the one who gets to save the princess, or defeat the alien invaders.  This is where Last of Us fails.  Joel takes actions and acts in ways that a normal person would not.  There is a very good reason for this, it's because Joel has lived through a 20 year span of time doing whatever he had to do to survive.  The problem is that this is not expressed enough to the player.  The player never gets that connection with the character to make them understand why he does the things that he does throughout the game, specifically at the end.  Because of this, it is not your story, it is not you making the jump.  It's Joel's story, and he acts this way without anything that you can do about it, you have to do it Joel's way.  Without the sympathy and understanding that is associated with it, it becomes meaningless.

That's my problem with the game, and it took me weeks to put my finger on it.  Because the player cannot possibly understand the emotions and reason of thinking that is behind Joel's story,  the key relationships that are forged throughout the game become meaningless. Major characters die and naught a tear is shed for them. 

Concept Art of things that DON'T happen during the game

The Last of Us, at it's heart, is trying to tell the story of a what a father and daughter have to do to get through a terrible tragedy and become closer for doing so.  They work together and overcome obstacles, people that would stop them, and nightmares that haunt them.  The game is about the journey from start to finish, but there's large chunks of road missing, and the bridges they use to gap the story and emotions together are flimsy at best.  But they do make it across, and the package as a whole has some pretty great moments.  This is definitely worth your time, but you may find yourself to be an outsider watching the events unfold instead of being a part of it yourself

Defending Microsoft's E3 (as best as we can)

E3 2013 happened this week, and if you're even remotely connected to any one of the numerous gaming forums, blogs, and news sites, you pretty well know what happened.  For those of you who don't have their pulse on the gaming world, Sony more or less completely invalidated Microsoft's strategy and were declared the winner of next generation before it's even happened.

Friends know me as a Sony supporter, and I have been for the last year or so, turning when they offered the Instant Game Collection (IGC) at last year's E3, so this news has made me happy.  But what I want to do here is play devil's advocate for Microsoft and try to explain why they're doing what they're doing, and maybe throw in a Simpsons reference along the way.

Yep, that'll do nicely.

Microsoft Didn't Make This Decision Lightly

When major corporations make decisions about the future of their company, there's quite a bit of research and industry knowledge that goes into it.  What they have is a Vision that is backed by a Road Map.  What their Vision is is anybody's guess, but it seems to follow their original strategy of becoming the one box in your living room that controls all of your entertainment needs.  Sure, right now it needs to be hooked up to a cable box to get full use out of it, but what if it didn't?  What if you could plug a coax cable right into the Xbox and let it handle everything?  Maybe not this generation, but last generation could barely handle TV.  The Xbox One is the natural progression to their goal of controlling the living room.

But gamers want games, not TV!  Well, take a look at the data that was collected on you while you used your Xbox these past 8 years.

All of these things are just like the others...

We told Microsoft that we use the Xbox 360 for watching Netflix when we're not playing the latest big release, so they enhanced those features.  Since there's only a handful of major titles that release in a year, Microsoft analyzed how we're utilizing our consoles and developed features to accommodate our perceived wants that meshed with their vision.  Win - Win in MS's eyes.

The Steam Approach

Years ago, Valve debuted Steam which we all know turned out to be a massive success that PC gamers tend to love.  What many have forgotten, however, is that when it first came out it was universally reviled by PC gamers because of the always online, DRM supported, can't sell or trade games away product that they were offered.  It took some tweaks to its presentation, and some time aided by massive discounts via Steam Sales, but it eventually became the greatness that it is today.

Microsoft may be setting themselves up to do something similar.  If they are, they're playing their hands close to their chest and may give gamers a reason to want to subscribe to such a model.  Time will tell on this one.

Making Money for Investors (because they're legally obligated to)

Take a look at This Article from The Motley Fool stating the following:

In what alternate universe did this happen?

From a business standpoint, they're not wrong.  Microsoft as a publicly traded company has a legal obligation to protect its finances and make its investors a return on money they've put into the company.  At and around E3, Microsoft let its investors know how they're protecting publishers and a few ways that they will be making a profit. 

This is, of course, a short sighted approach.  For at least a short time Microsoft will be profitable and backed by Wall Street because of the business decisions they have made protecting their investments.  Sony on the other hand is not making as much money as they could be, instead shooting for a long term investment in its customers.  It's hard to say which one will be more beneficial, but quick money is always seen as better.

A Possible Trick Up Their Sleeves

 

In pure speculation, Microsoft likely has plans that involve their always online component and DRM system that will benefit and be embraced by their player base, but isn't ready to show them to the public (or their competition) yet.  As we have seen how other companies have mismanaged their customer's expectations (looking at you Blizzard and EA), it's hard to picture how this could be a good thing. 

If Microsoft can make this service not only palatable, but down right demanded, they're going to be dominating control of the living room.  They're not done yet.  Years from now we may look back on these announcements and realize how in control Microsoft was the entire time.

E3 Predictions - 2013 Edition

E3 2013 is upon us, and we've got some predictions what the Big Three will be talking about this time around the block.

Current Gen

First off, this will be the last we see of the current generation of consoles.  There will likely be a couple of gems hidden in there.  Many consoles have that one game that was released towards the end of its lifespan that people didn't pick up because newer things were being released.  There's a really good chance we'll see those gems being shown here.  Every publisher has things in the pipe that they want to get finished up and out the door so they can turn their attention to the XBone, PS4, and Wii U.

Wii U

Nintendo, in its death throes, will remain mostly silent this year at E3 having cancelled their E3 stage presentation.  Instead, Best Buys across the country will host events that will allow its fans to come in and same some of their upcoming products.  This is a pretty neat idea, but doesn't feel well put together.  There'll be some announcements after the show for sure, and don't count big announcements from Ubisoft and other big publishers (maybe not EA...).  The Wii U is about to face the competition that will begin killing it off in the next couple years.  However, fortunately for Nintendo, a wild card has been thrown onto the table in a move that nobody saw coming...

  Xbox One

In a series of astonishingly bad decisions, Microsoft leaped after the drowning Wii U system to show everyone how to really screw up a system launch.  DRM, nearly always online connectivity requirements, a bundled Kinect sensor that is always on listening to you, and a big used game sale debacle makes Nintendo look like they actually know what they're doing.  Microsoft had the chance to take their Live service and bring it to the same level as the PlayStation Plus service and decided to put all their energy into any kind of entertainment that didn't involve video games. 

So what's Microsoft going to do at E3?  Well, there's two real options here.  They've lately made a series of very bad announcements as to the requirements for the system, so they're either getting those out of the way so we can talk nothing but good stuff at E3, or they truly don't see anything wrong with what they're doing and we're going to get more of it at E3.  With the news that Microsoft has cancelled after E3 round table meetings, our guess it the latter.

Edit 6/10 10:45am - This is in before the Microsoft conference at 11:30, but I want to predict that Microsoft will attempt to steal the show with a $99 subscription based price point on the XBOne at a $15/month rate, making the actual price point of the system $459.

PlayStation 4

Sony's been relatively quiet about their system since the initial announcement.  They have sent some elbows Microsoft's way for bungling their announcement, and have responded to fans who made the #NoDRM Twitter movement happen with enthusiasm, but much is still secretive about exactly how things will work with the system.  

At E3, we're going to see the console, we're going to see lots of games, a price, and they're either going to counter Microsoft's mistakes, or spin them a different way.  PS+ is rolling along great and there will probably be no further changes with it minus the announced new Instant Game Collection and how many games their subscribers have received for free since it's announcement last year.  

This is Sony's E3 to lose, and will set the first shots of the next gen console war.  Microsoft isn't looking good with their position, and Nintendo has a niche carved out by their loyal customers.  So long as Sony recognizes what the other systems did wrong and actively telling us how they're doing it right, the next generation will belong to the PS4.

Bioshock: Infinite - Review

If you haven't played Bioshock: Infinite by the time you're reading my review, would you kindly stop.  Go get the game, pop it in, and explore the world that is Columbia.  You don't need any knowledge of the first two games to enjoy it, and you'll be doing yourself a disservice by spending one more minute reading about the game instead of experiencing it.  It's that good, and is a heavy contender choice of Game of the Year.

Go On, I'll wait

Ok, everybody reading from this point should have finished the game or is curious about what I thought before purchasing it for themselves.  There seems to be two camps divided between how people feel the game is.  In one camp, it was a fantastic experience, and in the other a confusing muddling of what the hell was that.  VG30 sits shakily in the fantastic experience camp, because the ending doesn't answer a lot of questions that come up during the game.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it makes you think about what it was you just played, and communities have come together to discuss what particular pieces mean and why things happened the way that they did.  It can be very confusing, and you don't understand that phrase until you reach the end of the game. 

Major points occur in the story that surprised me.  In an early event, I literally looked at the screen and said "Oh, THAT's what kind of world this is."  They're not unwelcome, and are very indicative to the time period.  Based on some light research I did after completing the game, I found that many groups found issue with different aspects of the world.  I found those aspects to be somewhat shocking, but true to history.  If you want to be angry with things in the game, there's plenty of ammo for you here, but it's allowed because it's art and it tells a story.

One of the less spoiler-y items

The story is well presented, compelling, and hidden throughout the game.  There's a lot more going on than what is presented to you directly, and this is found in recordings scattered throughout the game.  These recordings divulge the secrets of the inhabitants of Columbia, and if you're playing for story should be sought after.  The extra information gleamed through them adds much life to the story.

Gameplay is extremely well crafted.  Many players were worried about having a character they would have to escort through the world, but those fears are completely unfounded.  Elizabeth is a welcome addition, oozes character, and saved my butt more times than I could count.  Elizabeth searches the area for ammo, health, salt (effectively magic), and money and tosses it to you when it's helpful, and she's very good at making sure you get what you need when you need it.

Combat forces you to adopt a select group of powers and skills.  In sharing experiences with friends, I found that one went with a full melee build where they were able to one shot most enemies with the brutal skyhook weapon, and another picked up dropped weapons and swapped them out as he ran out of ammo.  I personally found chain lightning and a shotgun to be the most effective, so I would zap a group, run up and kill one with a shotgun, causing everyone around him to be stunned again, rinse and repeat.  There is some problem in that there's just not enough money in the game to explore more than a couple routes until near the end of the game, and by then you're pretty well vested in your strategy.

If I had something to complain about in the game, it would probably be the ending.  It is a complicated ending if you want to get everything possible from it.  I would have liked to see the developers spell it out a little bit more to leave some of the guesswork out, but then people wouldn't necessarily be talking about it as much as they are.  If you're part of a gaming community, avoid it until you finish the game, because there's sure to be a lot of conversation going on. 

In most games that I play I look for a "moment".  It's the time when you're playing the game, and something awesome is said or happens or an event that ties everything together.  Bioshock had this moment.  Bioshock 2, eh, not so much.  Bioshock: Infinite doesn't have this moment, but rather it is the moment, and the worst parts of the game are the segments that join the moment together across the entire game.  That's the worst thing I've got to say about it.  It's got to be a hell of a year to beat this for Game of the Year.

Kickstarter 20 Wrapup

In February we took a look at 20 projects on Kickstarter, where they were at, and what kind of problems they were having.  It's been a month, let's take a look at where everyone is at now.

The Order of the Stick Reprint Drive - We received a new work-o-meter detailing what he's been doing, a new comic, and Rich fulfilled a promise to go several days straight in the regular comic.

Seven Sisters - Already complete

Viva Java - Already complete

Double Fine Adventure Game - New update videos, looks like they're going to be going through at least September, almost a year from initial projection

Agents of Smersh - Already complete, seeking feedback for an expansion

Wasteland 2 - Lengthy updates with game play videos, still on time.

FTL - Already complete

Random Dungeon Generator - Final promised goal delivered on March 30

Escape from the Temple Curse - Updated printing information, scheduled to begin shipping of expansion in June, almost a year from initial projection

Mobile Frame Zero - Books printed, decals moved to a new printer, creator asking for voluntary pledges to ship books, selling books at conventions to cover costs of shipping increase in January.  If you're a backer and not going to one of the Cons they're at, you're out of luck for the time being.  Currently almost a year from initial projection.

V!C! (see, I used it again) - Shipping updates to July 15th, almost a year for initial projection

Shadowrun Returns - Game play videos (!), more updates, and the ability to up backer levels.  Currently 3 months past due date.

Zombicide - Expansion figures on track to be shipping this month.  On time.

Tammany Hall - Already complete, shipping anger has died down

Goblins Drool, Fairies Rule! - Shipping update to May, 6 months from initial projection

Killer Bunnies Quest Deluxe - ZERO UPDATES, 4 months from initial projection.  Backers have received their deluxe copies, but those of us who just went in for the Omega card have gotten zilch.

Boss Monster - Updated shipping to May, 3 months from initial projection

Dungeon Heroes - Update on meeples, an unboxing, and possible early shipping date.  On time.

Guilds of Cadwallon - Unboxing, updated shipping to April.  One month from initial projection.

Kingdom Death: Monster - Sculpt updates and pledge manager.  On Time.


So what can we learn from all of this?  The easy lesson is that games take a long time to get published because of the countless ways that they can be delayed.  Printers take two week holidays, decal makers can't figure out how to cut your sheets, and containers get caught in customs and this happens ALL.  THE.  TIME.  I think it's amazing that video game publishers are able to keep the schedules that they do while board game manufacturers have so much extra to deal with. 

The harder lesson is that customers are typically very understanding when you are open and honest with them.  The Queen games outrage was diffused with a simple post explaining where everything was at and the time table that they were looking at, information that people had been asking for but being denied.  The Mobile Frame Zero guys are working their butts off right now to scrape together enough funding to get everything shipped and because they were open about the situation they were in, parts of the community have come in and helped.  Communication is key, and a great example of this is the ever so simple game Dungeon Roll.  The creator was EXTREMELY open about how the process worked, and at what levels he could add new additions to the game, broke it down in updates with math, stated exactly what it was he was getting out of the project and where he wanted it to go and people LOVED it.  On the flipside, you see Playroom Entertainment that hasn't answered comments on their threads or provided backers with updates in a month and a half.  I know which company I'm going to back again.

So to all those that are looking to back for the first time or create their own projects, take a lesson from these 20.  Watch how they work, and what works and what doesn't.  And by all means have patience.  Answers will come.