Failure of Mechanics: The Hype machine and The Difference Between a Solid Game and a Broken Game

Phew...been a crazy week.  Still, I am doing my damndest to keep up with my promise and update at least once a week.  I have a full article written from a few weeks ago, polished, and ready for your perusal.  Next week, probably another Creator Spotlight.  Enjoy.

 

           Let's talk a bit about the games media hype machine and the general misconceptions of the gaming public.  Now, I know this sounds a bit bland, but...just follow me on this for a second.  I mentioned in my earlier reflections on the previous console generation that the hype machine is a big problem.  It creates unrealistic expectations of a game that will almost always be disappointing to gamers because the reality cannot live up to the hype.  The big problem with this, however, is that it creates misconceptions.  You see, too often gamers don't understand the difference between a solid title that, whether you like it or not, is at least a game that works, as opposed to a title that is broken on a fundamental level but which is still looked upon fondly because of the hype machine.

Yeah, the game's media hype machine promised us this broken pile of excrement would be awesome right up until release...no wonder people were pissed off when it failed so hare.

            Let me start this discussion by talking about Final Fantasy 4: After Years, for the Wii.  This game is REVILED by the gaming public.  Partially, I think, because of the hype machine.  The game was advertised on Kotaku and other gaming media outlets as the next great Final Fantasy game, the sequel to the landmarked Final Fantasy 4.  So...was the game great?  Well, no, not really.  However, that didn't make it an unplayable, unsaveable, or even a bad game.  What was Final Fantasy 4: After Years?  It was a decent little RPG that was originally developed as a cell phone title.  It used the same basic battle system as Final Fantasy 4, the active time battle system, however it added a few new features to the mix.  There was a combo system that allowed different characters to work together to create new attacks that were both unique and allowed for a bit of graphical flair in what was ostensibly a 16-bit throwback, there was a system with phases of the moon which affected combat, and there were extra dungeons unique for each character to play through that relied on their unique abilities to survive.  New characters were added to the roster from the Final Fantasy 4 cast and there was a new take on the story that had begun in Final Fantasy 4.  The game was, by and large, fully functional and had several interesting features.  The story featured the return of Golbez, the son of Cecil and Rosa, expanded on the mythos of the crystals, and added a few easter eggs from previous Final Fantasy games.  However, this game is hated by the Final Fantasy community, by and large.  Declared the worst in the series by many.  Worse than FF13.  Worse than Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.  Worse than Final Fantasy 14 at it's broken launch.  But was it?

The irony is that for all the shit FF4: After Years gets, if it had been released in 1995, it would have been a mega smash hit and remembered as a classic.

             No.  I stand firm and declare that while Final Fantasy 4: After years did have several flaws, namely that it was a bit too nostalgic and loved revisiting locations from Final Fantasy 4, it was originally a cell phone game so was sold piecemeal when first released, and that the story deviated from the basic tone of the original Final Fantasy 4, it was not a bad game.  The game was, from a mechanical standpoint, relatively sound.  There were some issues with the delivery of the game, as it was sold in individual episodes before being collected, but the battle system, the music, the graphics, everything that made the game "a game" worked and it worked well.  So, argue for whether or not this is a good game all you want, but don't decry it as the worst game ever, because like it or not, it is playable.  It certainly isn't Final Fantasy: All the Bravest, which is not only broken on a mechanical level for the purpose of squeezing money out of gamers or Final Fantasy 14 at it's initial launch which was nigh on unplayable.

At least Final Fantasy 4: After Years wasn't THIS.

            This is my problem with the hype machine.  It often overlooks the nuts and bolts of a game and creates misconceptions in the gaming community on what is really important.  No matter how much you hype a game, no matter how great it looks, no matter how awesome it may seem to play, it needs to be solid on a mechanical level.  The hype machine billed Final Fantasy 4: After Years as the return of one of the greatest Final Fantasy games of all time.  Was that unfair?  I'd say so.  However, the game was not ultimately broken or unplayable.  Or even all that bad.  Now, I'd like to examine another game which does not receive nearly as much crap as Final Fantasy 4: After Years, but which I personally was unable to finish specifically because of these mechanical issues.

This screenshot doesn't do it justice, but imagine the text about 3 times smaller for me when I was playing Darksiders 2 and you'll understand my anger with broken game mechanics.

            Darksiders 2.  Darksiders 2 had a lot to prove at launch as the original Darksiders, while fun in my opinion, was a bit derivative of the Legend of Zelda.  Darksiders 2 set out to change that.  There was less brawling and more acrobatics, more free roaming, loot based drops...not all of this set well with me, however the mechanics in place still worked.  The game wasn't unplayable or broken or even all that unfun.  However, there is a problem with Darksiders 2.  Namely, that there was a problem with the text size on the screen.  On a decent sized television of say 20-30 inches, the text in the game, from the flavor text on weapons or items, to descriptions of abilities, to text spoken by characters, was so tiny that it was nigh unreadable.  Now, Darksiders 2 received positive hype, after all you are playing as one of the four horsemen, Death, however this aspect was completely overlooked by the games media and by gamers alike.  This is a problem on a fundamental mechanical level.  It makes games for someone like me, who has decent eye sight but a small TV, almost unplayable...I had to fight the game every step of the way to try and enjoy it.  And for a while, I did enjoy it.  However, after about ten hours, I was just fed up with the broken visual mechanics of the game.  I put Darksiders 2 down and never looked back.  In my opinion, while solid for the most part, the game has some broken mechanics.  Apparently, this is only true of the console version, as the PC port works fine.  Nevertheless, it is a flaw for the PS3 version I played and shouldn't have been ignored by the gaming press.  Dead Rising had similarly tiny text and even Dark Souls to an extent has small text, though Dark Souls's text is nowhere near as cripplingly bad as Dead Rising or Darksiders 2.  This is a flaw in the game's mechanics, because it prevents players from actually...well...playing the game.  It is a small flaw, mind, but for me it stuck out in Darksiders 2.  For the most part it is a very fun, mechanically solid game.  However, even fun games, even games we love, need to be recognized for their flaws.  A game's flaws need to be mentioned and held up by the gaming media rather than being brushed under the rug, either intentionally or just because of an innocent mistake.  Let the individual decide whether or not it's something they will enjoy, rather than convincing them the game will be awesome, when it turns out that it might well be unplayable for them.

Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2.  Other fun games with writing two sizes too small.

            This is something I think gets overlooked too often.  In games that are blatantly flawed on a mechanical level, like Guise of the Wolf or Ride to Hell, the flaws will be held up for full scrutiny.  However, in more popular games, like Saint's row 4 or Xcom: Enemy Unknown, they tend to get overlooked.  Even if the issue is small, that doesn't make it any less of a flaw.  People will clamber against Ride to Hell's clunky, broken gameplay, but will not say a thing against Skyrims occasional glitch or bug.

It's easy to dump on Ride to Hell...

 

But no one wants to point their finger at Skyrim for it's broken mechanics.

            This is especially true of high profile games, like Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.  I freely admit that I have issues with this game.  It has some very fun moments, impressive graphics, sound design, and some new takes on the classic Zelda fair.  However, it is what I would call a broken game.  Why?  Because the controls fail on a basic level.  The wiimote waggling works for the most part...however when flying on your bird in the sky sections, the motion controls are nigh on unplayable...and they're all you've got.  On the whole, the motion controls are a major chore.  And in combat, when you are fighting enemies with a shield, the delay in the controls hurt enjoyment immensely.  You see, while the idea of being able to strike from different angles to get around the shield is cool, because of the delay in the motion controls, 99% of the time, you will just hit the shield and waste your time.  This is especially frustrating when dealing with enemies who have shields, which, if you hit them, you take damage.  I have issues with the game, even though it does have a lot of fun moments.  Is it a good game?  Yeah, it is.  However it is also a broken game.  Mechanically, it isn't solid.  It's flawed.

Get used to this image, because with the broken motion controls, you'll be seeing it alot

            Anyway, let me conclude with what I believe to be one of the most unfairly maligned game of the previous console generation.  Bioshock 2.  This game has been held as one of the most disappointing sequels of this generation, if not of all console generations.  And really, that's quite unfair.  Looking at Bioshock 2 from a strictly mechanical perspective, everything works perfectly.  The visual style is similar to, but improved from the previous game.  There are no glitches with it or hang ups that make the mechanics broken or flawed.  The music and sound design likewise works very well, with solid voice acting, a lack of errors on the music or sound effects, and a consistent tone throughout.  The gameplay is easily the best part of the game, as it is greatly improved from the original Bioshock, allowing players to wield weapons and their plasmid powers at the same time, for smoother controls and an overall improved experience.  The game is solid.  It works on a mechanical level and...generally...it didn't have anything about the gameplay that might lessen its value other than it was already done once before.  The hype machine, however, billed this as the return to Bioshock as a big daddy.  And there were some interesting design choices, like the option to turn off Vita chambers for a harder game or an overlay on the screen to make it seem like you are literally in a diver's helmet as big daddies often are.  But what people were expecting, I believe, was to go into Bioshock 2 as a walking tank, like the big daddies they fought, and feel powerful, strong, nigh on unstoppable, etc.  That wasn't what happened.  The gameplay was very similar to Bioshock.  It was improved, to be sure, but it wasn't what the audience was expecting.  In my opinion, this is why the game is so often heralded as a disappointment.  Bioshock 2 is not a bad game by any means.  I'd even go so far as to say it's one of the best shooters of the last generation.  However the audience was expecting something different from Bioshock.  They wanted to be a tank...but instead, they were a man and a father...thus, the disappointment set in.  And no matter how mechanically sound, people still bash it because of that.

In spite of how good Bioshock 2 is, both on a mechanical and a storytelling level, people lob hate it at constantly.  This is NOT a broken game...it's actually pretty damn awesome.  But the hype machine promised something that this game isn't, so...

            While I heartily disagree with this idea, I too am guilty of it.  I hate Legend of Grimrock.  I started playing it, enjoyed it, but at some point, around level 5 or 6, I began to despise the game.  Everything from the mechanics to the weak story bugged me.  Now...I don't necessarily think that's a problem.  If a game is not to your taste, it is fine to dislike it and be verbal about it.  I do believe there is too much vitriol in the world, but others may share your view and want to be warned off a game they may not like.  However, using blanket statements like "Biggest disappointment of 2012" or what have you is unfair.  Saying "This disappointed me the most in 2012" is perfectly acceptable, because that just says it's your disappointment.  You own it.  It isn't a blanket statement on the quality of the game, but on your experience of the game.  That's something I can get behind.

I don't like Legend of Grimrock...at all.  However, the mechanics work perfectly.  It is NOT a broken game.  I may not like the mechanics, but for what it is, they work flawlessly.  There's a difference between not liking the mechanics and the mechanics just not working.

            Now, I started this discussion to both hold up games that are mechanically sound, even if I or others don't like them, while bashing games which are heralded as great but which are mechanically broken.  A failure of mechanics is the biggest indicator of a flawed or terrible game and I would like people to recognize it as an issue.  For starters, don't be lured in by the hype machine.  Don't overlook mechanical issues just because you like a game and by that same token, recognize that even if you hate a game, it can still be mechanically sound.  I freely admit to hating Legend of Grimrock.  However, I'm not the desired audience.  While I think the mechanics are clunky at times, they aren't broken.  They still work on all levels.  It is a solid game.  I don't like it, but I recognize that I'm not necessarily the audience.  Skyward Sword, however, I really wanted to enjoy...but I don't feel bad bashing it because it fought me every step of the way with it's broken motion controls

I may not like Xenoblade Chronicles, but I can't say it's a broken game.  The mechanics work as intended, even if I hate them.

            The best thing that gamers can do is be aware of the hype machine and not buy into it.  Not be taken in by all the supposed features or ways the game is supposed to be and instead see it for what it is and whether they like it or not rather than whether it is arbitrarily good or bad, a disappointment or a classic, etc. then I think the game industry and media as a whole will be better for it.  Recognize the game for its mechanics.  Or failure thereof.  A solid game may not necessarily be a good game, but it is still playable, at least.  A broken game, however, no matter how great the graphics, how strong the license, or how nostalgic the subject matter, is going to fight you and hinder your enjoyment every step of the way.  Recognize that.  If you can get over it, great, but still recognize that the problem is there.

            Functional does not make it good, however being good does not excuse a lack of functionality. 

Creator Spotlight: Amon26

            Okay...so, in an attempt to provide more content in less time, as well as a chance to branch out and try to discuss things not as terribly depressing as the state of the games industry, I want to talk about creators.  Game developers, composers, programmers, what have you, who I think need more exposure.  I don't know who reads my blog or who even cares, but...this is me paying my respects.

            I had originally planned to start with a fantastic composer, one of the only ones to ever make me cry, but instead I want to talk about horror.  Delicious, fun, soul chilling horror.  Believe me, this is going to be good.  This is Amon26.

Pretty amazing developer overall.  I have no idea why more people don't know him.

            I can tell you that I've never met Amon26 or even had contact with him, yet his work has been one of the most brilliant I've ever seen in the medium of Flash.  Amon26 typically works in flash games, but they...they have more polish, beauty, and mad genius than many AAA titles.

            For those who only play console games or only play games on Steam, there is a world of free games on Newgrounds, Kongregate, or any other number of flash game websites.  People create and share, for no other reason than to get experience, get their name out there, or to make others happy.  This is how Amon26 introduced himself to the gaming world at large.  He may have begun tinkering in game design around 2009, but Amon26 got his first major hit, and well deserved recognition, with Gyossait on Newgrounds in 2011.

Prepare for a beautiful nightmare.

            Gyossait is a game that is...difficult to describe at the best of times.  It has very little exposition and while Amon26 did give a cheat sheet on the story after many requests, it's best played first without it, then with it...because the experience is different each time.  Basically, the player appears, bled out of the skull of a fallen god, and begins a journey.  However something or someone is haunting him.  Trees full of blades, with flowers of blood are your waypoints and as you die, you are rebirthed to suffer, again and again until you persevere.  This is not mercy.  This is torture.  The one hounding you wishes to peel of your skin and wear it as a mantle to keep them warm at night.  All this, in the first minute or two of the game, told through only a few lines of text and the games visuals and playstyle.

Are you afraid yet?  ...you should be.

            This is why I wanted to spotlight Amon26.  His games are a perfect marriage of aesthetics and gameplay to create organic storytelling.  True, there are cryptic snippets of text that appear on the screen, but they do not exposit.  They are more like conversations half finished...things that you need to know, but you have no context for.  The true story is told through the world and how you interact with it.  At the start, you cannot kill.  You only have a shield and your wits to overcome enemies and puzzles.  However, one puzzle inadvertently kills someone...and from then on, you are allowed to kill.  You are given a gun, but never told to use it.  You can, at points, return to only your shield.  How you play with this affects both the ending and your experience.  Are you a destroyer, who will take the easy way out, or have you learned the value of life through your mistake?  These deep ideas are what a little organic storytelling can create.

This is about all the exposition you're gonna get before Gyossait starts.

This is about all the exposition you'll get in game.  Tell me that's not unsettling.  I dare you.

            However, let's talk about the visuals for a second.  Amon26, in an interview with Indiegamemag.com, spoke of how he had nightmares, vivid dreams of creatures half formed, believing themselves to be human, or perhaps jealous of our own humanity, and wishing to take it by force.  Monsters birthed not from some unspeakable Lovecraftian pit, but from the human mind...and these nightmares are the source for much of Amon26's visuals.  Gyossait is a ruined world, on the verge of collapse.  Monsters roam the streets, the bleakness is like a nightmare made manifest, and the first time you meet your "host," after she kills you only to taunt you and revive you for more suffering, you will understand horror.  It is not an adrenaline rush from a quick jump scare.  It is the knowledge that your life is in another's hands...they hate you...but they don't want you to die...they want you to suffer.  The world hates you and this hate is heaped upon you like a leaden net to weigh you down.  It is this atmosphere that makes playing Gyossait distinctly uncomfortable, but also engrossing.  Because you're not alone and being hunted.  You are in a living, breathing world that is apathetic at best and at its worst, cruel to a fault.

Nightmare fuel.  Delicious, beautiful nightmare fuel.

            I don't intend to spoil Gyossait's plot or endings, but this game is how I was introduced to Amon26.  His previous titles, All of Our Friends are Dead, a shooting game that had no story, but piled on the unsettling atmosphere in such a way that it felt like a nightmarish fever dream, and Au Sable, following a girl in a red hood, journeying into a deep dark forest, in search of her sister and finding the remnants of what once was human hunting, taunting, and crying, are equally unsettling.  Amon26 has a talent for creating stories that only need a little exposition before allowing the game design and visuals to take you on a journey.  I'd even go so far as to call him video gaming's Edgar Allen Poe.  Not widely appreciated in his time, but amazing in what he has done with so little.

All of Our Friends Are Dead.  True terror lies not in graphics, gore, or music, but in the unsettling nightmares we make for ourselves.  If a developer gives you the pen, you know you've got good horror.

          Ironically, Amon26's games aren't all grim or bleak.  His current project, Shomia Teaf, focuses on a fairy in a colorful world and seems far more lighthearted...however, there is an undertone of something being very wrong, as the violence in the game suggests.  Let's Win Forever is another game that is bright and colorful, but...feels distinctly off.  I can't even describe this thing.

Let's Win Forever.  I don't even know, but something seems...off.

            Amon26 is a one man development group and despite numerous setbacks, continues working towards not wealth, but some semblance of happiness.  He enjoys what he does and believes in himself, but...for all that I've sold him as some dark, brooding, angsty, tosser, he's actually much more like Justin Carmical than you'd think.  Amon26 does suffer from some personal demons.  Don't we all.  However, despite that, he tends to focus on the positive.  In his interviews, he always encourages people to follow their own path.  If they don't know what they want to do, strike out and do anything.  Don't let others dictate who or what you should be and don't ever think you're not worth something.  Amon26 is an odd character whom I've never met, but would someday like to.  His games show more intelligent design than dozens of AAA titles I've ever played with their sole issue being their brevity.  Gyossait and Au Sable each are likely beatable in under an hour.  However, I don't want that to discourage people.  They are games I feel everyone should experience, both for their own nightmare fuel, but also because they really are fascinating looks at how a story is formed not necessarily by exposition, but by the actions of the player in an unusual situation.

Au Sable.  You go into the woods looking for Harmonia and find something inhuman...or perhaps too human.

            Here's where things get a little odd, though.  Yes, just here.  Shut up.  Amon26 is what many on the internet might call, a digital wayfarer or vagrant.  His only wiki is on the independent games wiki, which does not have links for many of his games and even though it gives links to websites or what have you, most are abandoned or reverted to their regular domain name owners.  The man is hard to pin down.  The best way to look into him, however, is probably through his twitter and his tumblr, both becoming outlets for personal discussion on his journey through life and on his games.  Amon26, though still a relative unknown in the game development community, is a person worth watching.  He hasn't published games to any widely known platforms however he continues to develop because it is what he loves.

            I would encourage everyone to at least give Amon26 and his games, particularly Gyossait, a look.  Support him if you can.  Spread word of his games.  Follow him on twitter or tumblr.  Look into his youtube account.  Check out his music on bandcamp.  If you wish to donate, he's given instructions here.  More than anything though, try his games, many of which even I haven't tried...yet...anyway, they all have his signature style.  So give them a look.  And, while still free on Newgrounds, Amon26 has assembled a deluxe edition of Gyossait for sale, including bonus content in the form of mp3s, Au Sable, All of Our Friends Are Dead, and a prequel to Au Sable, The Hunt, where you take on his imagined horrors in a first person, Doom-style, shooter.  You can purchase that here.

The Gyossait Deluxe Pack has tons of extra...the Hunt is a prequel to Au Sable and it's just as terrifying.

            In spite of my plugging, this is meant not as a publicity tool, but a sign of heartfelt respect for Amon26, as someone who likes a certain brand of horror...his brand.  The kind that doesn't beat you over the head with musical stings or overwrought exposition, but which is quiet, cerebral, tense, and unsettling.

            Wherever you are, Amon26, you've got at least one fan here.

I Has Opinions. You Has Them Too. That's A Good Thing

Before we jump right into a discussions on how we all have valid opinions on the internet...yes, really...I wanted to give a brief update on the direction of this blog.  First, I need to apologize.  I've neglected it just a tad.  But, that's going to change.  I'm going to make the attempt to update the blog at least once a week with new gaming tidbits.  I'm going ahead with a game spotlight section, which along with diminutive diatribes will be short enough for me to keep up with while I finish my longer articles.  I'm also going to add a developer spotlight section so that special developers or members of the gaming community get some real notice.  Think of the Justin Carmical memorial as one of those.

We can go more into that next week though.  For now, let's talk about opinions on the interwebs.

            Considering how much vitriol, anger, and criticism I dish out regularly, I'd like to take a moment to actually try and be positive for a change.  I'd like to discuss opinions a little bit here.  This is less to do with publishers or developers, but more the game industry as a whole and our growth overall.  See...our industry, our culture, is still relatively new in the eyes of the world at large.  And it shows.  While the internet, and internet culture, has allowed people from all walks of life to feel included or to find something they love that they can share, gamers sometimes have...a bit too much passion.  And they don't really take kindly to people expressing opinions or views that don't fall in line with their own.  Things that they feel might threaten the medium they love so much.  However...an opinion isn't an absolute truth.  It's not a law that needs to be changed.  It's not even a pressure against this medium they care about.  It is a thought.  An idea.  We all have them.  You have them.  I have them.  And truth be told, that's not a bad thing.

Opinions are important for the game industry.  They affect everything from review scores to editorial articles to the very content of games...so we should respect them.  For they have power.

            Story time.  When I was younger, say about 16-17, I got Final Fantasy X-2 for Christmas.  I loved the game.  While I found the story only passable, the combat was enthralling, using the idea of changing the female characters' clothes as a job system...however, I admit freely that sometimes I'd have the characters dress in the skimpier outfits because I found them attractive.  Looking back, this strikes me as rather sexist, objectifying the characters for a sexual thrill.  Know how I came to this conclusion?  Anita Sarkeesian.

Yes, I played the Final Fantasy dress up game.  Sue me, I was in my late teens and a huge fan of the series.  Surprisingly fun to play, though.

            Let me put a bullseye on my back and say, I really don't like Anita Sarkeesian.  Probably said it before, but let me just put this out there.  I don't like her internet persona.  I find it a bit abrasive, extreme, and smug.  That being said, I don't dislike her as a person or really disagree with most her opinions.  I don't agree with all of them, but at the same time being exposed to them changed me.  They probably helped kick start me thinking about feminism in video games and the objectification of female characters in fiction in general.  I always considered myself a feminist and was overly fond of strong female characters like Terra Branford from Final Fantasy 6 or Gwendolyn from Odin Sphere but except for the most extreme examples, I'd never really connected feminism to video games...I was one of those "last bastion of fun" kinda players, trying to keep my games in a glass bubble.  However, even if I don't like Anita's internet persona and even if I don't agree with all her opinions, they have helped me grow out of that glass bubble.  They've helped me to change.  And that's a good thing.  Many gamers threatened Anita with things too reprehensible to repeat here and too despicable for me to want to.  Some carry a huge amount of hatred for her and her discussions of feminism on youtube, Feminist Frequency.  I admit, I'm not a fan...but I still respect that she has a right to her opinion.  Not only that, but her opinions carry merit and I for one am grateful that they are floating out there on the internet.  Why?  Well, because it's another voice.

Okay, look.  I don't like Anita Sarkeesian.  But she is not a coward for disallowing comments on her youtube pages, she is not ruining gaming by making feminist critiques, and she is not trying to subvert some twisted glass bubble we all think games exist in.  Just leave her alone and let her voice her opinion like anyone else, okay?

            Human beings are formed by the experiences, opinions, views, etc. around them as they grow.  Truthfully, humans don't ever really stop growing until death, so we are constantly growing, learning, and being molded by our experiences and the world around us.  They help us to mature.  All opinions help us to grow in one way or another.  Exposure to crass commercialism could lead to people becoming highly consumeristic and wanting everything they see on the TV or it could make them jaded about many products which are too in your face with false promises.  It could even lead to them being middle of the road about it, liking some thing but being a discerning customers in their own right.  Exposure to racist ideas could horrify, intrigue, elate, or just depress others.  It could make them staunch civil right activists or bigots...but either way, the fact that the opinion exists means that it will affect our growth.

Never gonna evolve if you don't try new things and get out of your comfort zones.

            Going back to Anita, I have to say that rather than trying to destroy her or discredit her or just make ourselves nuisances...why not simply let her speak?  She has as much right to an opinion as anyone and her opinion will help mold us and those who come after us.  When you have an opinion, you have a right to put it out.  Others have a right to criticize it.  And likewise, we have the right to criticize the critics.  This creates countless voices, many mimicking the opinions of others, but some speaking out, taking ideas in different directions, and ultimately offering something to the world.

It may be a chaotic maelstrom, but the sea of opinions in this world can change us...it's an eerily beautiful thing, in my opinion.  Hehe...see what I did there?

            Now, let's take this one step further.  We all have opinions.  So, how about we respect that?  In fact, how about we stop seeing all the bad in opinions and start trying to examine the good that we can see.  Every opinion can have something good attached to it, if you're willing to see it.  If a bigot appears in a comments section discussing the merits and shortcomings of creating a tribalistic class of enemies in Resident Evil 5, where is the good?  Well, it does spark some interesting awareness of both insensitivity in the issue at hand and for the community at large.  If someone is so rooted in that kind of belief, would not this rude awakening to a casual reader that will help either shock them out of their own complacency, reinforce their stance against racism, or even take the discussion in a totally new direction?  It might not seem like a good thing on the surface, but it can lead to a positive effect.  It can also lead to a negative effect, certainly, such as people being offended or the discussion turning into a flame war, however I'm trying to look at the positive possibilities.

Discussing racism is not easy, even if it's just exaggerated in a game like Resident Evil 5.  But we kinda need to...we shouldn't turn away from an opinion or something in front of us just because we dislike it...we may not want to, but we need to know, good or bad, what's out there.

            Going back to respect, I think it important to do two things if you disagree with someone else's opinion.  First, appreciate that you could be the one giving the opinion next.  Think about how you would feel if you put someone down just because you disagree with it.  Try and take into account perspective.  Imagine how Anita must have felt when, in trying to further feminism and highlight some ways the game industry could have improved, she started receiving death threats...now imagine if it were you.  This is the basic respect people should have for one another.  Phil Fish, sometimes an abrasive developer, quit the game industry and cancelled the sequel to his popular game, Fez, because he was so heavily criticized and insulted for his opinions by a pundit named Beer.  What if it had been Beer or any of the other critics who had to take the abuse Fish had to?  Would they then have been so willing to hurl abuse at the opinions and of others if it had been them?  Second, understand that there may be some truth to the opinion you disagree with.  Accept that you may be wrong in your beliefs or that they may be flawed.  Take into account the possibility to be wrong and if nothing else that there is something worthwhile about the opinion of your opponent.  This too, is respect.  The respect of someone to make decisions on their own and share their views with the world.  Bottom line, you are welcome to disagree.  But do it constructively and in a civil manner.  Take into account your own flaws in perception and the perspective of others and don't try to spread anger, but create something good.

The chance for a sequel to the breakout hit, Fez, died because people didn't respect Phil Fish or his opinions.  A tragedy for all of us.

            Now, why does this matter for gaming?  Well, our industry is full of vitriol.  Anger.  We tend to be very dismissive of any criticism because our industry is very young.  Our culture is less than forty years old, at most.  So, we don't like people from the previous generations criticizing video games and gaming culture when they do not understand it.  This tends to make us very defensive.  I would even go so far as to say abusively defensive, where we will get very angry and mean to people who disagree with any facet of our current game industry, such as gender issues set in place since the 1980s, ideas of corporate reliability such as the value of the Nintendo or Konami brand, or the issue of violence in video games.  Some of these issues have changed.  Some need to change.  And we fear change.  But...we really shouldn't.  Our industry, our culture, is only going to grow if people aren't afraid of change.  If we can share our opinions freely and learn from them.  So, every time I voice an opinion about how bloated video game publishers have become?  It has the potential to inform people about the situation the game industry and perhaps take notice, perhaps work for change, support indies, etc.  When Anita tries to make a change through her feminist examination of video games as a whole she has the potential to raise awareness of issues of gender in video games, encourage further learning, perhaps even cause an indie developer or a major publisher to make a change to their game for the sake of the issues she has raised, such as the Last of Us focusing on Ellie as well as Joel.  Even Jack Thompson, hated, reviled, and despicable attorney who so railed against violent video games can make people reexamine their views on game violence and cause change for the better.  Opinions shape our industry just as they shape us.  They help it to grow.  However, if we try to squelch these opinions, we will never grow.  We will stagnate.

This isn't the 1980s, guys.  If we want to keep improving, we can't be afraid of change.

            Some people are of the opinion that the game industry is fine as it is.  And, these opinions still have merit, despite what I have said previously.  These kinds of opinions can highlight what makes our current industry good and, once again, mold it to help retain these properties.  However, the people who have opinions that differ from these shouldn't clash.  Just because we have differing views does not mean we want differing things.  Sometimes we do.  Some people want Suda51 to make more games where you can freely walk on a stripper as part of a psychedelic experience as in Shadows of the Damned.  I personally don't.  The first opinion may argue for artistic merit, anti-censorship, or just playing to a specific niche audience.  All of these are good points.  I may argue feminism, offensiveness, and maturity.  While we want differing things and argue different points, both myself and this hypothetical person making the first opinion each want to improve or maintain the game industry.  We may disagree, but we should respect the opinions of our opponents as well as our compatriots because I think it's fair to say that we all want what we believe is best.  By respecting and understanding the opinions of others, we can work towards this goal.  Everyone believes they are the hero of their own story and that extends to their opinions, which they believe to be just.  You cannot bold facedly tell someone they are wrong and expect them to simply change when they are the hero of their own story.  However, you may be able to make someone rethink their opinion and gain some perspective if you can plant that seat in their mind with your own opinions.

Immature or not, Suda51's games have a place in our industry and people can like or dislike them as they please.  Their opinions are all valid.

            Opinions have power.  The Xbox One, which used a number of DRM features and required an always online connection, changed because of the opinions of the gaming public.  Opinions won the fans of Mass Effect an extended ending for the third game in the series.  Opinions are how Steam games get greenlit.  More than that though, opinions are interwoven into every purchase we make.  We are showing our opinion for a specific genre, publisher, developer, or even just the game itself each time we decide to purchase it, recommend it, etc.  And we shouldn't belittle people for these kinds of opinions.  Much as I despise the DOA Beach Volleyball series, people like it.  That's okay.  I disagree with it, but I respect their right to play any game they please.  If we start being judgmental on opinions, it is a slippery slope, as they say.

Opinions can change things.  Sometimes, an entire console.  Sometimes an entire people.

            Obviously, I'm being a bit idealistic here.  Opinions are like assholes.  Everyone has one and some people have bigger ones than others.  But, I think it's important to remember that we are learning creatures.  We learn from every experience we have.  That includes opinions.  So...how about we make the best of opinions?  Let's learn from them.  Let's respect those who give them.  And let's stop being so angry.  The other thing about opinions?  If you don't like them, you can always ignore them.  A game that someone criticizes and receives a 1/10 on Metacritic doesn't destroy every version of the game in existence.  You can still play the game...you don't have to listen to the opinion if you don't want to.  You might not learn anything from it, but that too is your choice.

Love it or hate it, Metacritic doesn't destroy the games you love...they still exist.  So...quit obsessing over scores.

             For me, opinions, criticisms, views, etc. are a lot like video games, movies, and books.  Even if they're not always good, the fact that they exist is almost always a good thing because they have something to offer.  A bad book or movie can be entertaining, a boring game can be an object lesson, and any opinion can have something to be gleaned from.  Opinions put something into the world.  They offer something that others can look at and grow from, or not if they so choose.  And it's far harder to bring something into the world than destroying something already in the world.  So, respect people for their opinions...because they are the product of their life and their presence in the world, one way or another, will shape us all.

            I have opinions.  You have opinions.  Everyone has opinions.  And there's nothing wrong with that.

Just want to take a moment to step back from my position as an editorialist and say I try to live by a simple mantra.  Do no harm to others.  That, alongside some interesting discussions about Anita Sarkeesian and similar personalities have led me to write this.  Gamers are often self entitled and frustratingly abusive in their opinions...and I cannot for the life of me figure out why.  I mean...why would you want to make someone else suffer?  It is such an alien concept to me...so, I want to encourage others to respect the opinions people have and to address them with respect and intellect rather than vitriol and ignorance.  I may not always be able to live by my mantra, but I try...and that's all I ask of any readers I have.  Try.

Memorial: For Justin "JewWario" Carmical

Okay...so, tonight I discovered that an inspiration to me in the realm of video games passed on Thursday, January 23, 2014.  It's been a tragedy to everyone because it was so unexpected and so shocking.

We miss you Justin.

Justin "JewWario" Carmical was a proponent of video games of all kinds, but especially imports.  He didn't believe that language should be a barrier to people enjoying good video games.  Now, I never got to meet Justin personally, but he inspired me in a number of ways.  Other people have, or are at this moment, holding memorials for him.  I don't have a wide audience and only a few people, probably just those I know, check out my blog.  But I wanted to give my own thoughts, share my own memories, and try to honor him in my own way.

JewWario was my introduction to importing.

JewWario was someone I discovered through That Guy With the Glasses.  He was a member of their team for a long time before parting ways with the group and appeared in numerous crossovers.  He was featured in their big movies, Kickassia, Suburban Knights, and To Boldly Flee.  JewWario was always very sporadic in these videos, being happy, funny, and entirely unpredictable, but above all else, someone you just loved to watch.  And that's why I looked into his other stuff.  Because I did enjoy watching him.

This was how I first saw JewWario.  He wasn't one of the lead actors...just the guy in the back.  But he was so fun, so earnest, so innocent and yet so passionate...

I've never been a big fan of the import scene.  I knew of it, I knew that Japan had plenty of games that never reached America, but JewWario was the person who stood up to the internet and said You Can Play This.  And that became his flagship series.  YCPT.  He would talk about games that featured no English translations and yet were still fun and enjoyable.  I frequently watched these videos just for JewWario, because he was such a quiet, but earnest man.  His passion was in his love for the games and he shared that with everyone, even if, at first, his skills were limited.  That's what really struck you about his videos...the passion.  He wanted everyone to be able to enjoy these great games.

For me, that has kind of become his legacy.  JewWario was always enjoyable to watch, however a part of me always wanted to play the games he'd show off.  Osu Tatakae, Ouendan in particular was very interesting, as was the One Piece fighter he presented.  Eventually, I started to think, genuinely, that I COULD play Japanese games, even if my skills in Japanese were less than perfect.  So, when I went to Japan, I made a point to, before I left, buy some Japanese games.  I wish I'd bought more, because I COULD and DID play these games and I loved them.  I got One Piece Gigant Battle 2, Culdcept DS, and the two Osu Tatakae Ouendan games.  Not a lick of English in these titles, but I could still play them, hell, I dropped at least 30 hours into One Piece.  I struggled with Culdcept, but I got through it.  And at the end of the day, it made me wish for more.  I have at least 4 or 5 current games that are Japanese that I want to play, which I will play, because I know I can play them.

This was released while I was actually in Japan and I bought it, day one, because JewWario convinced me that, yes, I could play it.  And I did.

I'd heard about this game through Elite Beat Agents, but my love for Japanese culture, along with that little extra push, helped me to get, play, and beat this game.

I always loved Culdcept, but never got to play the original, so when I saw it on a shelf in a Japanese Midori, I convinced myself that I'd get through it...that I COULD get through it.  And I could and did.

If anything, I wish I could have seen more of JewWario's work, because I know he streamed as well as putting out videos.  I wish I could have met the man in person and told him that he helped broaden my horizons in the world of gaming.  But I can't now.  So, even if it's just this one post, a part of me wants to keep his legend alive, because he changed a lot of people, myself included.  No one has had a bad word to say about JewWario who knew him.  And he always made sure to let other know that he cared for them.  His loss diminishes us all...

I have to encourage everyone to keep Justin's wife Jen in your thoughts and prayers, not just now, but always, because this kind of thing...the hurt never goes away.  Not entirely.  And offer her any help you can give, because this kind of thing isn't just emotional damage...

I want everyone to remember the man and his legacy.  Below are the links to his website and his videos, as well as a charity drive for his family and friends.  I encourage everyone to give it a look.

You Can Play This
Blip
Youtube
Charity Drive

Justin Carmical.  You were an inspiration, not just to me but to millions on the internet.  The man has passed, but the legend will live on, so long as we keep it alive.  Remember the man who loved games and carried a passion, a humor, and an earnest respect for all games and all people. 

May we one day meet, you beautiful soul, when our own times have come.

Video Game Growing Pains Awards 2013

Greetings and salutations!  Seeing as it's a brand new  year, I felt it important to, as with last year, totally copy all the other reviewers out there and make a best/worst list.  Yes, I know, I'm a hack.  Moving on, this list will consist of three categories of games that I played in 2013.  Some of these came out in 2013, some just need mentioning...just because.  Also, this list is purely subjective, so if you disagree with me, fine, disagree.  Better yet, comment and explain to me your perspective.  I'm genuinely curious.  Anyway, let's take a look at the best, worst, and most WTF?! games for me of 2013.

Worst

            Which games made me sad, angry, or just plain frustrated?  This list is all about games I wish I hadn't bought, wish I hadn't played, wish...hadn't been, really.

Worst Identity Crisis: Bioshock Infinite(PS3/Xbox360/PC)

            Starting off controversial, huh?  Don't I always?  Let's get this out of the way.  Bioshock Infinite is a critical darling.  And I can't stand it.  Most of this stems from my distaste for the plot, which focuses on the concept of hyper time.  Hyper time basically posits that all decisions made by anyone creates a split parallel universe where the opposite decision was made.  I think this is handled very poorly, especially through the ending, and just frustrated me.  However, even without that thorn in my side, this game still would have made my worst list.  Why?  Because it doesn't know what kind of game it wants to be, really.  

Be Halo or be Biocshock...at least commit to SOMETHING.

            There are a lot of elements of the first two Bioshocks in this game, like scavenging in trash for food and coin, comboing plasmids and weapons for greater effects, moral ambiguity, audio logs, etc.  However, the game plays very much like a Halo clone.  You have a regenerating shield, you have a stock array of military weapons, from pistol, to shot gun, to RPG, to machine gun, and you are only allowed a two gun load out.  Putting aside personal preference, whether you like the two gun load out of Infinite or the carry as many guns as you want of the previous two, the fact that they couldn't decide on how it plays...whether the pace should be interrupted to scavenge or whether you were pressed for time...whether you should become skilled with one weapon or, in case the enemies don't drop ammo for it, just be an all rounder...it says to me the developers didn't want to commit for fear of alienating...well...ANY potential buyer.  And the game is weaker for it.  The tone of the story clashes with the actions taken by the player.  The style of play in down situations clashes with the style of play in fire fights.  Even the gameplay seems torn, as the improvements made to Bioshock's plasmid/weapon system in Bioshock 2 were either forgotten or excised for Infinite.

This was what we were promised...what we got was a game that didn't know what it wanted.

            I just wish Infinite was more consistent...if it were more consistently Bioshock, I'd have liked it more.  If it were more consistently Halo or some other modern military shooter, I'd have stayed away and been happier for it.

 

Most Boring/Pointless Grind: Skyrim Legendary Edition(PS3/Xbox360)

            I started playing Skyrim wanting to love it...and ended up feeling kinda empty and bored by the end.  I played Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion to death.  5 full playthroughs.  It was a colorful game that made me feel like I was on a grand adventure, that each item I got was unique and that some should be kept or stored rather than sold, that each situation was different, special, and fun.  And Skyrim felt like a grind to me.  First, yes, Skyrim is an amazing game.  It greatly improves the combat of Oblivion, adds in some more options, improves graphics with a new engine, and gives the players more freedom and choice.  However, in doing some of this, other changes were made that kind of turned the game into a slow, boring grind.

We're all just slaves to the grind

            The inclusion of a skill points system, with perks, was a positive change from Oblivion, but because armor, potions, and enchanting were tied to it, often times players had to grind out skill points to get the best stuff, unless they wanted to face vastly over powered enemies...and this was boring. 

"Okay, I bought a thousand iron ingots and leather strips and made a few hundred swords!"

"Congratulations!  You gained 10 skill points.  Do another thousand and you can make NEW armor.  Now, let me take those swords and give you money."

"What should I do with the money?"

"Why, buy more materials...to make more SWORDS!"

Yeah, to me it just felt kinda like a pointless slog.  Added onto that, the game has serious loading issues on a console, is very glitchy, and...really, there was no great reward at the end.  At the end of Oblivion, the gates to Oblivion were sealed...you could tell a tangible difference in the game, because you no longer got ganged up on by otherworldly beasts and there were no more red skies.  In this game...you kill a dragon, other dragons still exist for you to grind out materials on...nothing has changed.  The game is also very modern...by that I mean, washed out colors, lots of grey, white, brown, black...Oblivion was colorful and vibrant, a place I wanted to explore and enjoy.  Every mine and every dungeon of Skyrim just made me more and more bored and question why I put so much time into it.  This even extends to the maps and menus.  Oblivion had an old world, parchment like menu theme, for maps, skills, etc.  Skyrim goes for a semi-clear, bland, boring look to the map and menu screens.

This would have made the grind all worth while...cept this was just an awesome mod for PC versions.  Console gamers got left out.

            Let me just say, this ONLY applies to console versions of Skyrim.  PC versions are much better.  The inclusion of mods allows players to experience a fuller, more enjoyable game, such as with the High King of Skyrim mod, which feels like what I should have gotten for beating the game regularly.  You would still have quests to do, but you have the authority of a king to fall back on, to belittle, build up, or just mess with your subjects to your own enjoyment.

            For me, it was a grind...and grinds can be fun, but Skyrim was not.  It gave me no real feeling of changing the world or its people...everything was pretty much the same at the end of the game as the start.  A dragon and a few extra people were dead, but...no real change to the world at large.

Game That Loves to Give Players the Middle Finger:  FTL(PC)

            I hate FTL.  Some friends of mine encouraged me to try this starship simulator and, to their credit, it was pretty fun for a while.  However, FTL is a roguelike game done poorly.  Roguelikes frequently have you die and have to start over from scratch, however one of the cornerstones, in my opinion, of a good roguelike game is incremental progress.  You get better as a player, you get small rewards to make your next playthrough different or more enjoyable, etc.  Spelunky does this with unlockable shortcuts, players, and by slowly teaching you skills needed to survive through trial and error.  Rogue Legacy does this by allowing you to purchase new weapons, classes, or stat upgrades after each death that you keep.  FTL...doesn't really do this at all.  If you are SUPER lucky, you can have an event which may unlock a new starship.  These events are few and far between, though, and most players will be damned lucky to ever see one.  I've dropped at least 30 hours into FTL and only unlocked three of it's twelve ships...yeah...

Get used to seeing this.  FTL screws you.  A lot.

            FTL just wastes my time, largely because it is so random and luck based.  Now, lots of roguelikes are random and luck based, but FTL, regardless of your skill, can and will kill you with random events for no reason.  No matter how skilled you are, it will just end you...and to me, this is bad game design, because it wastes the player's time and isn't fun.  Others may enjoy it, but I don't.  You may as well roll a set of dice and end the game immediately unless you roll anything but snake eyes.  The game gleefully kills you and wastes your time, with no real lessons being learned and no progress being made.

Egregious Backpedaling: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time(PS3)

            I am a HUGE Sly Cooper fan.  Alongside the Jak and Ratchet and Clank games, it was one of the finest platformers of the PS2 era and I was super sad that it wasn't making the jump to the PS3.  However, when it did, I was psyched.  I grabbed this beauty up and played it right away, and...it wasn't BAD, but...it felt like a huge step back for the series.

Bentley's expression says it all.  WTF, Sly Cooper.

            First, the plot...it is hugely contrived and turns fun characters we loved into enemies for the sake of getting our main cast back together.  This pissed me off, as we saw a series favorite turn evil for...really no reason.  It.  Made.  Me.  Angry.  Putting that aside, though, there was just a general lack of variety in missions, in my opinion.  Granted, there were a few interesting ones based on new outfits Sly Cooper could wear, such as deflecting projectiles with samurai armor or making huge leaps with a sabertooth tiger rug, but...the general play felt lackluster.  We also had the return of clue bottles, which were included in the first Sly game, however with no map, radar, or other way to find them, digging them up in each hub world became a chore...the first 28 are easy.  The last 2 are impossible.  It was just a ton of amateur mistakes and step backs.

            Sly 4 rubbed me the wrong way...it's not a bad game, but it was a huge step back for the franchise...and that makes me sad.

Honorable Mention: Resistance 3(PS3)

            Once again, Resistance 3 isn't REALLY a bad game.  It's got some fun weapons, interesting enemies and gunplay, and while the story is boring, it was a pretty enjoyable ride.  HOWEVER!  Not only did this game have to dump several gigabytes into my PS3 before I could play it, when I tried to erase it to make room for other stuff, the data corrupted and now it's stuck.  This game was glitchy and had issues with pacing, but that was the nail in its coffin for me.  It doesn't deserve a title under my worst list, but I have to bring it up.  First Sly is handed off to a new team, now Insomniac botches it's PS3 shooter...what's happening to game developers these days?

You done me wrong, Resistance 3...you done me wrong.

Best

            Okay, the depressing worst is out of the way, so let's move onto a few games that I absolutely ADORE!  These games made my year bright, fun, and were true reminders of why I play video games at all.

Delicious blend of genres and themes: Sang-Froid(PC)

            Fun fact.  I spent January 2013 in Montreal.  November 2013, after Steam's fall sale, I got this game and gave it a try.  Oh.  My.  God.  Sang-Froid is a wonderful blend of separate elements that come together in a gloriously silly, wholly unique experience.  Sang-Froid is a story about two lumberjack brothers in Canada who have to protect their sister and neighbors from Werewolves, skin changing Inuit, Wendigos, and the Devil himself.  TotalBiscuit calls this the most Canadian game ever and that's not a bad thing at all.  The new twist on a familiar story, the interesting cultural references and differences, and the strange characters and names that could only come from our friends to the north, accents and all, make this a very memorable play.  However, what sold me was the gameplay.

Yes.  You kill ice demons with a magic axe, a musket, and a ballista.  This game is made of Canadian win.

            The gameplay is divided between a strategy section and an action section.  In the strategy section, you can set traps, some automatic, some you need to activate, you can chop lumber for money, you can buy items or check the movement paths of the waves of wolves, etc.  In the action section, you take those traps and information you gained during the strategy section and try to defend your home.  Not only can players rely on their traps, but they can also fight with axe and musket, making this an interesting blend of action/hacknslash/strategy/rpg/canadian game.  It's great fun.  The voice acting and story can be a bit off or cheesy or stilted, but it kind of lends to the game's charm.  It's dark and serious, but also a bit silly, like an old B movie.  And I love it, for blending a fun story, Canadian culture, and rock solid, super fun gameplay together.

Valentine's Came Early: Pandora's Tower(Wii)

            The last game of Operation Rainfall came out in 2013 and...it was a bit of a Zelda clone.  But my god, what a fun clone it was.  This game features our hero, Aeron traversing several dungeons, killing enemies, and getting new items for the sake of a cursed girl named Elena...yeah, sounds familiar.  However, it really is a fun play.  The chain you are given at the beginning is both weapon and tool and it's just as fun to swing around or grab distant items with as it is to tear chunks of your enemy off with it.

How can I love a monster?  Pretty easy, when she's as wonderful as Elena.

            While the combat is fun, what really sold me on this was the relationship dynamic.  You have Aeron killing monsters and giving meat to Elena, who is a vegetarian, but has to eat or she will turn into a monster.  It's an interesting, subtle bit of character study, between these two friends who slowly grow closer, but also more distant due to Elena's curse.  The game reflects this with a stock relationship meter, but Elena really is an endearing character who works with Aeron rather than being his reward or his burden.  The game does have a few glitches and is at times a but frustrating, but for the characters and for how fun it is living in their world, I have to put it on my best list.

Fantastic, in Spite of Abysmal Publicity: Dragon's Crown(PS3)

            Dragon's Crown has had an unfortunate series of public shamings.  The flame war between producer George Kamitani and Jason Schrier of Kotaku, the examination of character art by Jim Sterling and TotalBiscuit, the decrying by both reviewers and gamers for how the art style or depictions of women interferes with the game...it's been a bad time to be Dragon's Crown.  In spite of all that, it has managed to do very well.  Selling a good amount is one thing, but Dragon's Crown is also a fantastic game.

Not your proudest moment, Mr. Kamitani -_-u

            Make no mistake, some of the complaints made by the above personalities are valid.  Hell, I've made similar complaints here.  The Sorceresses design is sexist and frustrating, the Amazon has some unfortunate animation choices, and oversexualized women of the fantasy genre are front and center.  However, it's still a great game.  Six characters, each with a different style of play, in a world that is full of strange beasts, myriad treasures, and awe inspiring sights.  It's a joy to play and I've sunk at least 80 hours into it, completing all 6 character campaigns and beating the final secret boss.  It's been a fun ride and in spite of all the negative publicity that Dragon's Crown has...well...rightfully received, it is still a great game.

In spite of the controversy, the game is still beautiful and plays like a dream.

            Some people may not be able to get over the art style, and that's fine, but it is still something I heartily enjoyed.  I wasn't bothered by the art because I was too busy trying to stay alive fighting cyclopian monstrosities, wicked demons, and the fearsome fire dragon.

Best Bang For the Buck: Rage of the Gladiator(Wii)

            Welp, this was a surprise.  I'd heard about Rage of the Gladiator on the Wii for a while, but only recently got a chance to play it.  It's...pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.  The game plays a lot like Punch Out on the Wii, with various enemies appearing and attacking with specific patterns that you need to block, dodge, attack against, or what have you.  The kicker here is that the enemies are all monsters, like goblins, beholders, magicians, minotaurs, etc. and it's super fun getting to fight them all.

You take on dragons and demons Punch Out style...need I say more?

            There are two modes of play, basic and challenge, and they both scale up the difficulty very well.  There is a skill tree that requires some sacrifices to get what you want.  There is also one of the best things to ever exist in a Wii game.  The option not to use the Wiimote.  It's a game that very much uses Wii motion controls, however you can select a classic controller or just the Wiimote held side ways if you want.    These options allow the game to be played by both the hardcore and the casual alike and really feels like it should have been a full on retail release rather than a 15 dollar downloadable title.

            Rage of the Gladiators is what all Wii downloadable games should be.  It's fun, it's got a lot of content, it's got a lot of options, and it may just be the best Wii game that no one has ever played.

Honorable Mention: Dark Souls(PS3/Xbox360/PC) & Ni No Kuni(PS3)

            Yep, two honorable mentions for Best.  While I am getting more and more jaded with the games industry, this has been a pretty great year.  I played Dark Souls the most last year, but because it frustrated me, I kept it off my best/worst list...and that was unfair, because I've easily sunk over 200 hours into it.  Dark Souls is a fantastic game, mixing moody old school challenge with brilliant graphics that make even the dark or dreary beautiful and well honed design placing control almost completely in the player's hands.  I love this game...almost as much as I hate it.  But...I felt others deserved the mention...especially since I'm now waiting for Dark Souls 2 to come out.

Intimidating, frustrating, but oh so satisfying to conquer...Dark Souls in a nutshell.

            And Ni No Kuni...this would have been my game of the year if not for the crappy control scheme in combat.  It should have been a regular turn based RPG.  That's basically what it is, only you can only control one character, the others have crummy AI, and it goes in real time, so the game doesn't give you a lot of room to rest/mess up/think.  Which is frustrating, since Ni No Kuni is amazing in all other respects.  The villain is amazing...well, except for the White Witch.  Shadaar is amazing.  Let's say that.  Ahem.  Anyway, the graphics are fantastic, with cut scenes by Studio Ghibli.  The dialogue is actually worthy of mention, since it's tame enough for kids, but not painful for adults.  The creature raising mechanic is fun, if in need of a bit more polish/speeding up, and the quest and crafting systems, as well as the wizard hand book you get near the start of the game are great for immersion, world building, and overall fun.  The combat rubbed me the wrong way and that's why it's not on my best list, but Ni No Kuni is a damn fine game.  I just wish it were better, so I could heap more praise on it.

So close to perfect!  If only the combat had been fixed TT_TT

WTF?

            Some games are just...weird.  Or deserving of more than just an arbitrary good or bad rating.  They deserve a new perspective.  So, let's look at these WTF titles and see what craziness was heaped onto use this year.  Also, confession time, these are all great games...I just wanted to talk about them and couldn't fit them into my other lists.  They are certainly strange though.  Trust me.

Game You Love to Hate to Love: Hearthstone

            I hate Hearthstone.  I love Hearthstone.  I...have an odd relationship with Hearthstone.  It's basically a free to play version of the World of Warcraft card game.  It's not perfect by any means, as it's still in beta and still being balanced, but it is a ton of fun.  However, it's probably the only game besides Dark Souls that I scream at, at the top of my lungs, and yet still want to go back to.  It's frustrating, but there are moments of supreme bliss, like when you pull that one card you need in a match.

Yu-gi-oh: Warcraft edition.  Insanely frustrating.  Insanely fun.

            The real reason Hearthstone makes it on my list though is because it's...the way a free to play game should be.  It basically gives you a Yu-gi-oh starter deck and tells you to go unlock the others by playing with the one you have.  Then it tells you to play more and unlock the structure deck cards.  Then it tells you to earn gold and buy booster packs for all the rest of the cards.  If you don't want to earn gold through daily quests, you can buy with real money...but you don't have to.  You can play the game, make good strategies, meet friends or tough opponents, all without spending a penny.  In fact, the shop is just a tiny icon near the bigger play ones and the game only tells you it's there once.  It never badgers you for money and if you are actually about to spend real money, Hearthstone says "Wait a minute...are you SURE?!  You know you'll be spending real money, right?"  It's very honest for a free to play game.  And yet, supremely well polished.  It has a few glitches here and there but it's a balanced game that works well.  With the promise of more to come, I have to say it's probably my game of the year for 2013.  It made me fall in love with collectible card games again, but isn't being a huge drain on my wallet like Yu-gi-oh or Magic the Gathering were.  It's a fantastic title and once it goes open beta, I heartily recommend it to any card gamers in the world.  You won't be sorry.

Come and play a game or two beside the hearth, friend.

THE WIIMOTE ACTUALLY WORKS: Trauma Team

            I've been an apologist for motion controls in the past.  however, the truth is, they don't really work as well as a regular controller or mouse and keyboard in terms of input and probably never will.  However, Trauma Team...Trauma Team makes me question that truth.  It's a fantastic little Wii title that uses only motion controls and uses them well.  Part of the well established Trauma Center series, it focuses on surgeons who have to save patients from everything from regular transplants or lacerations to a brand new super virus.  However, this one focuses on a team of doctors at a specific hospital.  One is early response and can only use certain tools due to having to be on the go, while another performs bone cutting, setting, and makes braces.  Another uses an endoscope to look through a person's body from the viewpoint of a snake while another does triage to determine the malady a patient has.  Each of these doctors uses tools that the Wii mote substitutes as or in the case of triage or mortician, acts like a mouse pointer in a point-and-click game.  And it works.  It works amazingly well.  The wiimote is very accurate, but more than that, it also feels natural doing all the things that the doctor's do.

Even diagnosing an illness feels natural...on the WII!  That is amazing.

            The game isn't perfect, mind.  It can get quite hard in places and the triage and mortician sections are much longer than the surgeries, since they follow the same rules of point-and-click titles, namely, "What the hell do I do now?!"  There are also some odd story bits, like the bone surgeon having a side job as a super hero or the endoscope user having a butler who she regularly shoots arrows at and who can wield a samurai sword.  Hell, the head surgeon is a prisoner sentenced to serve 120 years in a biological freezer.  Yeah, it's a weird title, but the story is surprisingly heartfelt and compelling and the gameplay is just plain fun.  I highly recommend.  If more games like Trauma Team came out, we'd probably be heaping praise on motion controls rather than wishing for their death.

From right to left.  Biker chick, best friend is a robot, talks to ghosts, 120 year sentence prisoner, samurai endoscope doctor, costumed superhero.  So...yeah...the cast is a bit strange.

Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandson: Rogue Legacy

            What does one even say about Rogue Legacy?  Fantastic roguelike?  Check.  Enjoyable little Metroidvania-esque game?  Check.  Most likely to make you go WTF IS UP WITH THIS CHARACTER?!  Ehehe...check.  This is a fun, interesting little roguelike game where you build up stats and unlock new classes by gaining money inside a castle and then try and kill the four main bosses to unlock the final one.  The story is okay, but really, what people came to this game for were the wacky, insane descendents system.  See, each time you die in this game, your son/daughter takes your place.  You get the choice of three, each with a random job, power, and...handicap?  Players have different unique traits about them, like the ability to only see the world in sepia tone because they are "nostalgic" or they fart every few seconds because they have irritable bowl syndrome.  Some are actually quite useful, like the inability to set off spike traps because they are "Light on their feet" or more amusingly, excitable, meaning that each hit they take claims to be thousands of points more damage than it really is.  This game truly does offer an interesting and unique look at roguelikes and Castlevania-esque games with this mechanic.  It's weird, but oh so fun and silly.  What other game can you have an amnesiac, gay, daughter?  Or a short sighted, dyslexic, old man for a son?

Even the greatest of Knights can have irritable bowel syndrome

2013's Shortest Game: Tiny Barbarian DX

            First game I ever kickstarted.  Tiny Barbarian DX is a super fun throwback to the NES era of games.  It's got arcade gameplay and while challenging, doesn't use a lives system that arbitrarily throws you back or ends your game after a certain number of deaths.  It's wonderful at showing with actions and expressions rather than dumping exposition and it's all around a very fun title.  It's also less than an hour long.  For a $10 game on steam.  Usually, I wouldn't even pay half that much for such a game.  But Tiny Barbarian DX won me over.  Its music, its aesthetic, its gameplay...it's a strange little title, for being so short, but it's surprisingly enjoyable.  I have to recommend this to any old school fans of chip tunes, Conan the Barbarian, and NES gameplay.  While short, it's worth it...though I have to wonder how this game gets a digital for profit release and Maldita Castilla is free.  Then again, different strokes for different folks.

Conan would be proud, even if the game is short...or rather...tiny...

Honorable Mention: Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Night Sky

            I played this game to death all the way back in 2011.  And then I bought it again this year to play it again.  Yes, really.  So, now I own 2 copies of DQ9.  Why?  Cause there's only one save slot and with the DQ9 wi-fi store being shut down I didn't want to wipe my old game or my old items.  I'd rather keep those and all the quests I beat and just buy a new DQ9 to play through for fun.  And I did.  And it was fun.  But...yeah, looking back...wtf was I thinking?  Either way, still just as fun now as when I first played it.

Yes.  Yes I am DQ9.  So nice, I bought you twice.

             Welp, that rounds out 2013.  Thanks again to any and all fans for sticking with me and I can only hope I will be able to enrage you further in 2014.  I have about 2-4 articles I'm sitting on for one reason or another and really do want to get out, but my time is seldom my own, so that's why I've not had much output.  This list was just plain fun for me, though, so that's why it's out before anything else.

            Anyway, give the good games a try and the bad games the middle finger.  And remember to enjoy 2014.  Life is short...so game on.