I love fighting games, I'm not great at the genre, but I enjoy the time I invest in them. In the last three years the fighting genre has been rejuvenated with the success of Street Fighter IV. Since then, a handful of old franchises have been resurrected or rebooted, the most recent being Marvel VS Capcom 3, while two other well decorated franchises did what most dreamed about and combined forces ( Street Fighter X Tekken and Tekken X Street Fighter). In general these past few years have been more than wonderful for this once faded genre, but amongst these great times, there is only one game that I roll my eyes at with every itteration and scoff whenever it's mentioned; that game is Mortal Kombat.
Last year a trailer for the new Mortal Kombat was shown and since then I've asked myself a question over and over again. "Why does this reboot bother me, out of all theother fighting games that have been released in the last couple of years, why does this one bug me the most? Unfortunately, I couldn't articulate or organize a reasonable argument to match my overwhelming irritation for the series and then I heard Jack Devries, an editor for IGN say something on a podcast and it clicked. "When it comes down to it Mortal Kombat is a gimmick fighter." It all made sense. Take away the blood and fatalities and what a person was left with was a really bad fighting game. I suddenly remembered why I never quite grasped the idea that MK was fun. The animation was like the fighting, stiff. The button combinations to perform a set of combos/ fatalities were ludicrous at times, which resulted in me becoming fusterated and a desire to never touch another installment again. In the end it was never worth it.
To me Mk has always been a "me too" series, a B movie of fighter. It played the way it looked, cheap and from MK 4 on it only solidifies my claim. While the Street Fighter series was evolving to to benefit their players with more options, MK instead gave players more gimmicks. An example of this is in Street Fighter III introduced the "Parry System" and MK64 gave you a weapon. Super Street Fighter II Turbo gave their players more characters to master tighter controls and several speed settings, MK 2 introduced "friendship" and "babalities." While one was about performance and thinking ahead to the tournament players the other, as stated before was about gimmicks. with every itteration that MK introduced, the ideas and quality became increasingly laughable, the most recent being MK vs DC, which left the DC heroes without fatalities, sub-par controls and once again character animations were stiff. Have other fighting game stooped to laughable concepts. Yes, the Tekken series had a guy who had a head of a tiger, you could choose to fight as a panda bear or as a wooden figure, but the fighting mechanics were solid, they never strayed away from what made the series great and it was a game about skill and not about ripping a man's spine out. The graphics for the rebooted MK look great and the fighting looks promising, but to sum up the series a phrase comes to mind. "You can put lipstick on a pig to make it look pretty, but it's still a pig."
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Monday, October 25, 2010
Medal of Honor Review By Chris Moxon
BOOM...that's nice. BANG...ok. Another cut scene that has my character on the floor looking around because he was hit by a grenade, only to be saved by his brother in arms...seen it. Nothing about this is wrong, but it has been done many times over in just about every military first person shooter (FPS) title. The difference this time is that Medal of Honor does it just to do it without reason. Everything about this game feels uninspired and rushed.
As I fired up the game, the first thing I noticed were the load times when switching from multiplayer and campaign. The load times could last up to several minutes (this is after installing the game onto my hard drive). The load times in general are bad in this game. There was more than one occasion that the in-game loading resulted in either the screen freezing completely with the in-game action still going on, leaving me to play catch up. and the game began to have heavy lagging problems which in return the music would cut in and out, non-playable characters (NPCs) began to lag and the sound effects brifely didn't exist. As annoying as this sounds, this was the least of my complaints.
The dialog seemed to be full of itself. I always felt like I was either watching a cheesy 80's action movie or the militay chatter between the NPCs seemed clich'e. I don't mind profanity, especially when it comes to military games, it bring a certain reality, but whenever profanity was used it seemed forced and more for shock value. As far as the story goes, it makes Modern Warfare 2 look like it could be nominated for an Oscar, because it doesn't have one. It's just the player going from one battlefield to the next without explaning what you are doing and why you are doing it.
The developers stressed in every interview that they were focusing on being the most realistic military shooter around, and in some ways they succeeded. The sounds of the gun fire (when it worked) was incredible. The guns felt like they had weight and power; but for every technical achievement, it fell behind on three other things. For example, the details. If I'm on a night mission why is my partner wearing sunglasses? If I'm on a sneaking mission why am I riding an ATV, the loudest vehicle possible? Again, if I'm on a night mission and I'm told to switch to night vision why are none of my squad members wearing them when I put them on?
FPSs in general are a linear experience. Great developers decieve the player by making him or her believe that they are choosing their own route. Medal of Honor instead streamlines the experience giving the player an extremely point A to point B level design which results in this so called realistic shooter feeling less like an FPS and more like a shooting gallery. Medal of Honor's A.I. doesn't help much either. The A.I. in general is clumsy on both sides. The few times I died was because of my own mistakes (cooking a grenade for too long, miscalculating a grenade throw, etc.) which was even on it's hardest difficulty.
There aren't that many redeeming qualities about Medal of Honor. It has many glitches, the draw distance is laughable, character design is uninspired along with the script and their big set pieces. The only aspect of this game that was decent, was their multiplayer that was developed by DICE (who created the Battlefield Bad Company series). Even though it has small problems like spawning points, the maturity of DICE as a developer is present throughout this mode. The multiplayer alone saves this game from earning its spot in the bargin bin any time soon.
Over All Grade: C
As I fired up the game, the first thing I noticed were the load times when switching from multiplayer and campaign. The load times could last up to several minutes (this is after installing the game onto my hard drive). The load times in general are bad in this game. There was more than one occasion that the in-game loading resulted in either the screen freezing completely with the in-game action still going on, leaving me to play catch up. and the game began to have heavy lagging problems which in return the music would cut in and out, non-playable characters (NPCs) began to lag and the sound effects brifely didn't exist. As annoying as this sounds, this was the least of my complaints.
The dialog seemed to be full of itself. I always felt like I was either watching a cheesy 80's action movie or the militay chatter between the NPCs seemed clich'e. I don't mind profanity, especially when it comes to military games, it bring a certain reality, but whenever profanity was used it seemed forced and more for shock value. As far as the story goes, it makes Modern Warfare 2 look like it could be nominated for an Oscar, because it doesn't have one. It's just the player going from one battlefield to the next without explaning what you are doing and why you are doing it.
The developers stressed in every interview that they were focusing on being the most realistic military shooter around, and in some ways they succeeded. The sounds of the gun fire (when it worked) was incredible. The guns felt like they had weight and power; but for every technical achievement, it fell behind on three other things. For example, the details. If I'm on a night mission why is my partner wearing sunglasses? If I'm on a sneaking mission why am I riding an ATV, the loudest vehicle possible? Again, if I'm on a night mission and I'm told to switch to night vision why are none of my squad members wearing them when I put them on?
FPSs in general are a linear experience. Great developers decieve the player by making him or her believe that they are choosing their own route. Medal of Honor instead streamlines the experience giving the player an extremely point A to point B level design which results in this so called realistic shooter feeling less like an FPS and more like a shooting gallery. Medal of Honor's A.I. doesn't help much either. The A.I. in general is clumsy on both sides. The few times I died was because of my own mistakes (cooking a grenade for too long, miscalculating a grenade throw, etc.) which was even on it's hardest difficulty.
There aren't that many redeeming qualities about Medal of Honor. It has many glitches, the draw distance is laughable, character design is uninspired along with the script and their big set pieces. The only aspect of this game that was decent, was their multiplayer that was developed by DICE (who created the Battlefield Bad Company series). Even though it has small problems like spawning points, the maturity of DICE as a developer is present throughout this mode. The multiplayer alone saves this game from earning its spot in the bargin bin any time soon.
Over All Grade: C
Monday, August 23, 2010
Not You Again By Chris Moxon
Every console has them, companies needs them, and everyone hates them. Who could cause such loathing and needing all at the same time; Fanboys. These ill informed, borderline illiterate morons spread their obnoxious thoughts through online message boards and countless forums. No matter what the topic is on the result is unfailing; " I'm smarter than you even if my thoughts are narrow minded and I can barely speel...I mean spell." Even though their existence is detested they are still a valuable part of the video game industry.
The earliest fanboy rants could be found between Sega and Nintendo, mainly the fueds stemmed from their mascots ( Sonic and Mario) and how may bits each console had. The commercials and other factors between the two companies began the console war and in turn spawned the " Fanboy" which lead to numerous debates in school lunch rooms and recesses. Unfortunately, what once started as a harmless dispute eventually assumed the form of the ill-tempered, modern day, baseless "Fanboy."
What the "Fanboy" provides is an unwaivering support to a console, pc, and franchises. In other words they are "guaranteed" money. If the fanboy loves Sony, he or she will buy Sony's first party titles and hardware. If a fanboy loves Halo, then he or she will buy Halo products. So, because the fanboy is willing to go out of their way to buy software, books, hardware, and subscribe to various magazines, they are in return keeping their favorite products and studios successful and most of the time guaranteeing themselves more of what they want.
Fanboys also create opportunities. For example, suppose that a fanboy enjoys the software that EA publishes, that fanboy is willing to put forth money to venture out of his comfort zone to try new products from that publisher. If the fanboy feels that he or she benefitted from the new experience they become a loyal consumer for that studio.
Without the "Fanboy" franchises would never happen, sequels would never try to out due the last, there would be no exclusives. Everything would be neutral and video games would never be as exciting as they are now, and being a gamer would be an absolute bore. As much as people hate the fanboy; these people should be thanked for their loyalty to whatever flag they wave
The earliest fanboy rants could be found between Sega and Nintendo, mainly the fueds stemmed from their mascots ( Sonic and Mario) and how may bits each console had. The commercials and other factors between the two companies began the console war and in turn spawned the " Fanboy" which lead to numerous debates in school lunch rooms and recesses. Unfortunately, what once started as a harmless dispute eventually assumed the form of the ill-tempered, modern day, baseless "Fanboy."
What the "Fanboy" provides is an unwaivering support to a console, pc, and franchises. In other words they are "guaranteed" money. If the fanboy loves Sony, he or she will buy Sony's first party titles and hardware. If a fanboy loves Halo, then he or she will buy Halo products. So, because the fanboy is willing to go out of their way to buy software, books, hardware, and subscribe to various magazines, they are in return keeping their favorite products and studios successful and most of the time guaranteeing themselves more of what they want.
Fanboys also create opportunities. For example, suppose that a fanboy enjoys the software that EA publishes, that fanboy is willing to put forth money to venture out of his comfort zone to try new products from that publisher. If the fanboy feels that he or she benefitted from the new experience they become a loyal consumer for that studio.
Without the "Fanboy" franchises would never happen, sequels would never try to out due the last, there would be no exclusives. Everything would be neutral and video games would never be as exciting as they are now, and being a gamer would be an absolute bore. As much as people hate the fanboy; these people should be thanked for their loyalty to whatever flag they wave
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow CE
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Collector's Edition was annouced today at GamesCom. For $79.99 the collector's edition for the U.S will include the game, the original soundtrack, and an artbook. The Europe edition will include the game, the original soundtrack, and the God Mask. Any thoughts?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.
Today at Gamescon the new Castlevania game developed by Mercury Steam and Kojima, was given an official release date. October 5th 2010 is when players can grab there whip, some holy water and take on The Lords of Shadow.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Jewel Spinner: By Chris Moxon
Jewel Spinner is a flash game created by Dream Forge Games. The premise is simple, match the colored jewels on the manually directed spinner to the other colored jewels that are on the lanes. If the player becomes stuck they can tap on the center of the spinner to find a selection of jewels that better suit the situation. Now that the idea of the game is laid out let's begin to discuss the game.
Jewel Spinner is a good game that doesn't have many flaws. The gameplay is solid and the controls handle very well. The difficulty has a nice pace and it delivers a good sense of tension as the player progresses through the levels. As I played both verisons ( flash and iPod Touch) I found that the iPod had the better adaptation. Mainly, the spinner was easier to navigate on a touch screen then a mouse. The only gripe I have about this game is the music. The music never really changed throughout the levels, if it had the differences were very minute. In conclusion it's good game and for $2.99 on the Apps Store, it's a title that is well worth the download.
OVERALL GRADE: A
Jewel Spinner is a good game that doesn't have many flaws. The gameplay is solid and the controls handle very well. The difficulty has a nice pace and it delivers a good sense of tension as the player progresses through the levels. As I played both verisons ( flash and iPod Touch) I found that the iPod had the better adaptation. Mainly, the spinner was easier to navigate on a touch screen then a mouse. The only gripe I have about this game is the music. The music never really changed throughout the levels, if it had the differences were very minute. In conclusion it's good game and for $2.99 on the Apps Store, it's a title that is well worth the download.
OVERALL GRADE: A
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Why Have The Game Gods Forsaken Me By Chris Moxon
In recent years a new type of gamer has emerged, the casual gamer. Casual gaming itself has been around since the begining of video games, but it has never been more predominate than this console cycle, leaving the hardcore audience feeling left behind resulting in some consoles becoming nothing more than a dust collector or a living room ornament. This extreme group has now adopted a self fabricated outcome that video game companies do not care about those who have been loyal to their products. This E3 has not helped this situation either. Microsoft's conference was solely dedicated to "Kinect" (their new motion controller) which is targeted to the casual gamer. Sony's conference dedicated most of there time as well to their motion controller "Move" which showcased their casual titles. In many ways it seems that the hardcore have a legitimate gripe, but before this group can begin to think that the game gods have forsaken them, this casual gaming should be viewed in a different direction.
The pros of this new genre might not seem visually beneficial, but what the casual market creates is an opportunity for those who were confused, frightened, or unsure about the idea of utilizing more than two buttons and a directional pad . The payoff is the world of a gamer was no longer unfamiliar. It can be understood by appling a simplier control scheme and creating games that are accessible. Companies like Nintendo were able to experiment on products like Wii Fit, which became a absolute success spawning a sequel (Wii Fit Plus) and Wii Music which failed miserably. Without this genre, experiments like these would never happen. Regardless if these games are casual these casual gamers are buying both hardware and software and in turn they are supporting the indusrty that the hardcore embrace.
On the other hand this market has been handeld carelessly. For ever success like Wii Fit that is produced, there are hundreds of substandard titles like We Cheer, Wii Music, Kung Fu Funk, Ping Pong Pro: Frat Party Games and Hannah Montana: The Movie The Game . This genre is still young and can be promising, but the light at the end of the tunnel is hard to see when this market is being saturated with software that is less than satisfactory. The lack of quality has resulted in this type of entertainment being seen as nothing more than a joke from gamers and the media.
The key to solving this problem is rather simple. The first step is for Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony to focus their efforts on the hardcore crowd at every E3 conference. The odds of a casual gamer putting forth the effort and money to go to an E3 conference to see what casual games they will be looking foward too are dim. If a casual gamer were to attend this event he or she has already proven that they are not a casual gamer from the money they had to spend to get to the event thus, they themselves have become a hardcore gamer, so the idea that casual games should be shown at the major conferences is completely reduntant. The next and final step is quality control. Nintendo has created a grey area in their first party titles. With their attention to details and their expectations on projects they are able to keep a high standard for their major franchises. Mario in all aspects has been re-tooled to become more friendly to the casual crowd while still retaining the challenge of what die-hard Mario fans crave. What has emerged are games that compliment both demographics, so in order for this type of gaming to survive and not become a fad; quailty must be enforced.
Every gamer at one time was a casual player who eventually become a loyal consumer. By this market being created; support for this entertainment is growing in rapid numbers and in times like these were this type of entertainment is being misunderstood and scrutinized gamers need all the support they can get. When it all comes down to it gaming is for everyone no matter what age, gender, or type of gamer.
The pros of this new genre might not seem visually beneficial, but what the casual market creates is an opportunity for those who were confused, frightened, or unsure about the idea of utilizing more than two buttons and a directional pad . The payoff is the world of a gamer was no longer unfamiliar. It can be understood by appling a simplier control scheme and creating games that are accessible. Companies like Nintendo were able to experiment on products like Wii Fit, which became a absolute success spawning a sequel (Wii Fit Plus) and Wii Music which failed miserably. Without this genre, experiments like these would never happen. Regardless if these games are casual these casual gamers are buying both hardware and software and in turn they are supporting the indusrty that the hardcore embrace.
On the other hand this market has been handeld carelessly. For ever success like Wii Fit that is produced, there are hundreds of substandard titles like We Cheer, Wii Music, Kung Fu Funk, Ping Pong Pro: Frat Party Games and Hannah Montana: The Movie The Game . This genre is still young and can be promising, but the light at the end of the tunnel is hard to see when this market is being saturated with software that is less than satisfactory. The lack of quality has resulted in this type of entertainment being seen as nothing more than a joke from gamers and the media.
The key to solving this problem is rather simple. The first step is for Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony to focus their efforts on the hardcore crowd at every E3 conference. The odds of a casual gamer putting forth the effort and money to go to an E3 conference to see what casual games they will be looking foward too are dim. If a casual gamer were to attend this event he or she has already proven that they are not a casual gamer from the money they had to spend to get to the event thus, they themselves have become a hardcore gamer, so the idea that casual games should be shown at the major conferences is completely reduntant. The next and final step is quality control. Nintendo has created a grey area in their first party titles. With their attention to details and their expectations on projects they are able to keep a high standard for their major franchises. Mario in all aspects has been re-tooled to become more friendly to the casual crowd while still retaining the challenge of what die-hard Mario fans crave. What has emerged are games that compliment both demographics, so in order for this type of gaming to survive and not become a fad; quailty must be enforced.
Every gamer at one time was a casual player who eventually become a loyal consumer. By this market being created; support for this entertainment is growing in rapid numbers and in times like these were this type of entertainment is being misunderstood and scrutinized gamers need all the support they can get. When it all comes down to it gaming is for everyone no matter what age, gender, or type of gamer.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
