YouTube MUSIC: Cruising the Dubstep

When it comes to chilling out on the computer, most people enjoy to listen to music. I like to call this action as 'cruising', similar to that when people take casual drives in their car. Recently I stumbled into two YouTube channels that I found, which provides the appropriate pace when on the comp. Those channels are EpicNetworkMusic and Going Quantum. Many view the genre of dubstep, electro etc as harsh and diabolic. Although this may be true when it comes to something like hardstyle, the music that the two channels provide are fluid and a more pleasant mix. Whether it be gaming, drawing or just surfing the web, I recommend giving EpicNetworkMusic and Going Quantam a listen.

PRODUCT DESIGN: Lighting

I recently discovered a wonderful architecture and design website, by the name of InDesignLive. As I was breifly flickering through the design products, I was drawn to two lighting installations instantly. The first was a cloth light titled IN-EI (shadow, shadiness in japanese) by Issey Miyake, which illustrate the same skillful artistry as origami, and the second was Estiluz Balloon Lamps by Spanish duo Crous & Calogero.   

 

What drew me to these lights was that one portrays and manipulates shadow with an organic flowing material, whereas the other portrays illumination in a simplistic and solid balloon form. What both products succeeds in is the emotional influence it brings to a space. The IN-EI lights portrays elegance and complexity, as the viewer can observe, analyse and question how such a complex form was made. Whereas, on the opposite spectrum the Estiluz Balloon Lamps immit bright light that turns a dark, serious space into a cheerful and child-like atmosphere. The simplistic balloon shape becomes a feature that reminds the occupants of the innocence and cheerfulness that children portray.

 

Both products illustrate the influence lighting or the manipulation of shadow can affect the atmosphere and pyschological mind set of its occupants. Additionally, it is usually the subtle-ness in a room that difines its character and spirit.  

GAMING NEWS: XNA is Dead + BASTION Review

Casually surfing the Game Informers website, I come upon an interesting report, titled: "XNA is Dead". Being quite noobish and technological inept, I was curious by what is XNA? It seems that the Microsoft XNA development platform is being discontinued, as reported by Game Informer's Joe Juba. Unaware of the consequences that discontinuation would cause, the report explains that this toolset enabled brilliant indie games such as Fex and Baastion to be made. Right then did this short report post caught my full intention. 

 

Far from being a hardcore gamer, knowing that the technology and toolset that made Bastion is discontinued made me slightly anxious. Bastion was an amazing game, which I can confidently say is a memorable and a highly recommended game.

 

THE GOOD

 

Narration  + Art style:

The moment you hear the first few words of the narrator as you move, the deep and husky voice resonates through your body. Combining the wonderful watercolour/cartoonish art style and power of the narrators words, will make the duration and ending to your journey meaningful.

 

Gameplay:

Simplistic, arcadic yet complex. The combat mechanics are filled with potential combos as you are given several different weapons and perks. The variety of weapons, will certainly enable you to itch your beserk-like nature or your sniping urge.

 

Length:

Being a relatively short game, would usually be a negative, however I found that the game's length is quite appropriate. It is short enough to remain replayable with harder difficulties and additional mini-games, while not being terribly long, that the emotional effects that you endure disappears.

 

THE BAD

 

It has been sometime since I've completed Bastion, which makes finding negative aspects difficult as I seem to clearly remember the good parts. However, I can make assumptions that may be seen as negatives.

 

Replability:

Due to the short campaign, some may find that even with the ability to level up all wepaons and skills, there isnt enough incentive to replay as the major factor of this game, which is the emotional journey is no longer present.

 

Nevertheless, I found Bastion to be a pretty balanced and harmonious game, which triple A titles do not seem to provide. A powerful narrator, wonderful gameplay and layout design made this small indie game a highly recommended game to play.

YouTube REVIEW: The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour

Wanting a quick comedy sketch to watch when your bored?
The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour can fix that itch.

The videos by Jeff Lewis (Vork from the popular web show, The Guild) makes absolutely hilarious 5 minute comedic sketches. Episode 1, titled "Tag" made me suffocate and cry with laughter, as the episode illustrates the dying tradition of outdoor games to a very console dominate generation.

Additionally, the relatability and amazing comedic acting made episode 1, memorable and more importantly repeatable. After watching this episode more than 5 times, I still found it amusing and entertaining. This could be due to Jeff Lewis' crude vocabulary, expresions and mannerism that makes each replay enjoyable.

The only negative remark that I can make is that there isnt enough! 'Nough said.

MOVIE REVIEW: WRECK-IT-RALPH, 2012

Recently given the spotlight by buying the Star Wars name, Disney releases a movie about gaming. Fortunately, Disney was able to give a gaming movie, which was not a pile of tacked on gaming references. 

GOOD

1.       Gaming + Disney

Combining Disney’s undeniably masterful animation skills with gaming, produces a movie that many productions could not do. Make an actual good gaming movie. The main reason to why Wreck-It-Ralph succeeds, where others fail was simply due to the medium. Games are made through animations, so naturally an animated movie on games would be great. Additionally, Disney went all out on the gaming references with appearances of iconic characters, ranging from Pacman to Ryu. Disney integrated gaming culture so effectively, that one bad thing that can be said is that there simply wasn’t enough time to see it all. (Making the movie a must buy on disc!)

2.       Emotional Investment

Although Wreck-It-Ralph is animated, Disney did not fail to ensure that the audience develop emotions throughout the movie. A clear and easy to understand moral is portrayed as in the end, you are left with the lesson that looks and labelling others are deceiving. 

BAD

1.       Voice Acting

The only bad thing that may be an issue is the voice acting. I personally do not find anything wrong; however I would imagine that the high pitch voice of the main female role (Sarah Silverman) can be irritating to others. Nevertheless, I personally found that the voice acting was great; one in particular was of Jane Lynch (Gym teacher from Glee), as she brought extra comedic relief. 

Ultimately, I can confidently recommend this movie to everyone, as it represents how gaming related content can be entertaining. On a final note, I personally believe that Disney has the experience and skill to produce great movies and that Star Wars are in capable hands. (Lets be honest, LucasArts have not done that great so far.)

GAME REVIEW: Hitman Absolution (PC)

Once again you play as the great hitman, Agent 47. Forced to eliminate your former handler, Diana, you are left protecting a young girl targeted by The Agency, called Victoria. Hitman: Absolution brings a new layout to the franchise in a more linear storyline and arcade-like competitive modes.

GOOD

1.       Replay Value

Hitman: Absolution introduces a more arcade layout by providing a scoring system and in-game achievements that can be completed during each level. The many achievements available and score rankings allows for great replay value, as you compete against other players in your country and the entire world. 

Additionally, the ‘multiplayer’ aspect consists of player-made contracts. These individually made contracts enable the player to set their own targets and methods of assassination, which can then be completed by other players. 

2.       Shooting Mechanics

The bullet time mechanic is integrated into the ‘instinct’ meter that allows you to mark out multiple targets for a few seconds as the ‘instinct’ meter depletes. This makes for quick and easy assassinations, when outnumbered.  Additionally, the cover system enables fluent movement between cover and the wide shooting range while leaning, makes taking the stealthier solutions more enjoyable. 

3.       AI Response 

The A.I demonstrates responsive noise and motion detection, as they actively search and follow you, if detected or under suspicion. The responsive-ness of the A.I further encourages the stealth approach of the game. 

BAD

1.       Storyline

Due to the arcade-like layout of the game, the storyline is abruptly interrupted as every mission ends with a menu. This menu displays overall score, unlocks, achievements, and the option to replay the mission. Having played a little of the previous Hitman games, I found that this new edition is quite different and regrettably less fun, in terms of embracing the freedom to make your own fun. 

2.       Uninspiring Characters

The characters introduced throughout the game are quite poorly written as they seem tacked on with inefficient background story. Not having a justifiable reason to eliminate these villains simply makes them card-board cut-outs that needed to be eliminated. However, an exception is the main villainous cowboy that is wonderfully voiced and well written with devilish humour. 

3.       Strict Stealth-orientated

Accustomed to a more Rambo style, I initially was irritated as the game constantly refuses to let me divert from the stealth-orientated approach. If you choose to gun your way out of a situation, the game harshly punishes you by sending numerous, heavily armoured backup that almost guarantees you to die. Additionally, negative scores are clearly displayed if you choose to play anyway other than the stealthiest approach. However, when I finally accepted the stealth approach, the game became quite complex and exciting. Planning and waiting multiple approaches to eliminate your target becomes slightly addictive. 

Initially annoyed how the game harshly punishes me for diverting from the stealth-orientated gameplay, I soon appreciated the amount of fun and replay value that the game provides. Nevertheless, I do find myself slightly sad that Absolution decided to become more arcade-like, as it does not seem to be as fun as the previous games. However, as a game on its own, Hitman: Absolution does provide accessible replay value, which can be played at a more casual pace.

GAME REVIEW: Dishonored (PC)

“Winner of over 50 E3 awards”, Dishonored is the product of the collaboration between Arkane Studios and Bethesda and in my opinion one of the best games of 2012. Playing a former royal bodyguard, the main character is driven to become an assassin to seek revenge and rescue the next heir to the throne.

GOOD

1.       Setting

The alternative post-apocalyptic, steam punk inspired setting ravaged by the plague is a new and wonderful environment that makes roaming around a must. Players who do not enjoy finding nooks and crannies will have the urge to wander around simply due to the well-designed areas and the fact that the game allows you to go almost anywhere.

2.       Combat

Being in the first player perspective, the melee combat is surprisingly fluent and enjoyable. Combined with the various supernatural abilities available, ensures you can play however way you want. 

3.       Game freedom

A major factor that made me enjoy this game so much is that Dishonored truly does allow you to play however you want. Besides, providing moral pathways through various optional objectives, the types of weaponry enables you to choose how you want to seek your revenge as an assassin. You want to be the stealthiest and a non-lethal assassin? You can. Dishonored can be completed without killing a soul. For me though, it was equally as fun going hand to hand with enemies, one by one. Another mechanic that the game does to provide the sense of freedom is the use of the supernatural ability to blink from one spot to another at a certain distance (vertically and horizontally). This ability is available very early on and it encourages world exploration as you blink across roofs and into hard to reach windows. 

4.       Ending Scene + Credit

The ending surprised me, as I was left convinced experiencing the journey of a true assassin. Instead of being praised as the ‘hero of the land’ with grand parades, the game portrays a more realistic ending fit for a killer. The ending portrayed me as a ‘dark knight’, a protagonist that not necessarily brought a bright future, but a shadow that did the dirty deeds that needed to be done.  

BAD

1.       Graphics

This could be an instant good for some, but the water colour styled scenery and models was disappointing at first glance. Textures and other graphical options must be on high, as I found that anything less made environmental models, such as boats, simple blurred models. However, the artistic hand drawn style soon grew on me as I viewed the game as “paintings in motion”. 

2.       Voice acting

As a personal opinion, I initially found the voice acting slightly odd with the American accents, as I initially saw the world as a more Victorian London setting. Nevertheless, the voice of granny rag and the sound effects of the moaning weepers (those infected by the plague) honestly made my hairs straighten. The unexpected thrill down my spine, gave an extra layer of fun to the overall gameplay.

  

Even with the initial grimes towards the game, I soon was lost in the world with a grin on my face, as Dishonored truly gave an epic assassin experience. When it comes to making your own fun, Dishonored is a game that must be recommended to everyone.