If you have been keeping track of my play history you would know that at last post I was immersed in Dragon Age: Origins. Wow! Now that I’m looking back, I see that I originally reviewed Dragon Age in October! This should give some clue to how entrenched I am at this point. I have 60 hours logged in a character that I have not restarted (which is a big deal for me) and will probably finish the game with. 60 hours. Dragon Age: Origins has 120 hours of gameplay. Ouch. Half way through and I started to get this tingling sensation in my pointer fingers. What could it be? Why, it was an itchy trigger finger! I was yearning for a break from managerial minutia for the streamlined simplicity of sniping some head shots. I definitely plan on returning to Ferelden and conquering evil with my Rogue but for now, I need some straight up action.

Originally, I popped in Mass Effect 2 but honestly, it was too Bioware, too familiar from the Dragon Age model. I wanted something entirely new. Luckily for me, it’s Christmas and that means a office nerd gifts! Nobody gets me nerd gifts like my co-workers. I was not disappointed. I unwrapped Tommy’s gift and there was Sam Fisher giving me the eyeball. I’ve never played a Splinter Cell game before. I usually don’t go for realistic war time games and assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that anything with Tom Clancy’s name on it wasn’t worth my time. Yes. I am a game and book snob. And don’t get me started on music.

Once Splinter Cell was up on screen, I was singing a different tune. First off, it is a beautiful game. The voice acting is superb and although it seems a little Jack Bauer at times, the story piques my interest. Like Jack Bauer, Sam Fisher is a complete badass in both deed and word. He employs violence as a major interrogation tool, can clear an entire hanger of thugs and stalks his prey from the shadows. What’s not to like?!?

Fisher comes across as very agile and very deadly. The cover system, while not completely flawless, is really strong. By holding the trigger and aiming at highlighted cover points, Fisher can silently move from cover to cover without getting stuck on unwanted surfaces. Sometimes, the cover area you want does not highlight but there is usually a way to find another path. I find the the aiming/sniping behaviour is very forgiving and usually fair. This did not stop me from a couple of, “Come on! I shot that guy!” moments.
I also have to give the pace a big thumbs up. This is one of those games where you look up after a particulary intense session and realize two hours have passed. The tension vs action ratio is great. Also, there aren’t any in-game loads. Splinter Cell: Conviction does most of its loading during sweet cut-scenes. This makes for a fairly seamless experience. I find that the missions are clear yet challenging. I haven’t gotten “lost” yet. This is not to say I’m just breezing through. My Sam Fisher has definitely gotten shots to the face but this just makes me replay to mess up that dude that messed up my dude. dude.

There are plenty of gadgets and weapons that can be upgraded. Weapon upgrade points are earned by executing certain challenges like pulling 5 guys out of windows or sniping a certain amount of guys from the shadows. I like this type of reward system. I feel it encourages me to try actions that I might ordinarily wouldn’t. For example, if I know this one action will work, I will do that action as much as I can. But if I can get a bigger, better gun by executing a less tested move, I will definitely try it out.

Bottom line: Get Tommy to buy you Splinter Cell: Conviction. You won’t be disappointed!

After all my smack talk about the demystifying of Samus and Kratos it seems only fair that I discuss what I think works and doesn’t work in the use of silent protagonists in video games. I will discuss three types of silent protagonist: mute, secretive and reactive. On Giantbomb.com, these three types have been summed up thusly, “Mutes are characters who are recognized within the game world as people who are incapable of or unwilling to speak;…Secretive silent protagonists are a step up from mutes in complexity, in that they are essentially predefined, but are left with space for the player to insert his or her own thoughts and motivations, simply left unsaid and thus “secret”;…Reactive silent protagonists are protagonists whose actions are assumed by the game’s scripting, in spite of having no lines or dialog options.” (http://www.giantbomb.com/silent-protagonist/92-54/)

Famous mute protagonists include Jack Ryan from Bioshock and Isaac Clarke from Dead Space. The main difference between these unlucky gents is that there is or conceivably can be a reason why Jack is silent as opposed to Isaac, who is just a regular chap beset by very irregular circumstances. Jack’s head has been severely messed with by an egotistical/bug nuts crazy father figure and a shady (severe understatement) scientist. Although, Jack does give the initial voice over, he does not speak a word of audible language through out the game. In a somewhat ironic twist, Jack does not get a voice until he puts on the Big Daddy suit (and that voice is more of a moan than anything). Furthermore, when Jack dons the Big Daddy suit he must go through the voice modification process which, I believe, is a complete severing of the vocal chords. While odd that Jack can speak the game’s opening lines and nothing more, it is not out of the realm of possibilities in a submerged city, surreal alternate universe type of way. I am not bothered by Jack’s silence mainly because I have already been clued into the fact that this is a game that is not tethered to reality.  Jack is being controlled by so many different forces: Fontaine, Suchong, Ryan, Tenenbaum and the player, that is acceptable that he doesn’t have a voice or a choice.

Isaac Clarke’s silence is another matter.  Dead Space takes place in the year 2508 in this (yours and mine, reader friends) universe. Earth has chugged along to its assumed fate of 500 years in the future bereft of natural resources. Isaac’s universe is presented as the player’s universe and that is where his silence becomes a bit unrealistic and frustrating. If Isaac is just a regular human on a regular day, why doesn’t he ever tell Kendra to shut up and stop freaking out? I sure would have if I was in his gravity boots.  Why doesn’t he ever voice his opinion on Hammond’s knowledge of what was on the Ishimura? Are we saying that in 500 years humans will not feel the necessity to express themselves during periods of heightened periods of stress? How come Kendra and Hammond can yammer on but Isaac is committed to his monk-like vow of silence? In contradiction to Bioshock where the player can understand why Jack is not completely under player control, in Dead Space there is no reason why Isaac shouldn’t be thinking, speaking and reacting through player directives.

As it was Samus that started this discussion, I will use her silent ways to explore the secretive protagonist. Samus is a woman of action and, until recently, little words. The difference between Samus and the previously described mute protagonist is that her character is presented with choices inherent to the non-linear nature of the Metroid series. Samus gets a directive and either immediately follows it or goes off to explore another section in search of upgrades and newly accessible pathways.  Yes, Samus will eventually have to return to the directive but it’s not a “jump and how high” situation as in Dead Space and Bioshock. This is not to say that all Metroid players are not directed towards the same end goals but the paths may be different from player to player. In this manner, players can begin to connect to their own “Samus.” The player and Samus tangentially explore and discover the world together.  There isn’t the thought that there is someone in the universe that knows more about Samus then the player.

To that ends, it should be said that as opposed to Isaac and Jack, Samus seems to always be in control of her situation.  This sense of control, however, delineates between a survival game (everything is happening to you) from an adventure game (you are causing things to happen).  I wonder if there is a correlation there between the mute protagonist and horror/survival games.  Perhaps one day I will do some research but that’s another day and another huge blog post.

The last silent protagonist is the reactive type.  Link from the venerable Legend of Zelda series is the epitome of the silent, reactive protagonist.  In Windwaker, Tetra reacts to Link as if he makes statements but the little sound that does come out of our reticent hero adds up to a couple of grunts, sighs and yips. I have read in multiple places that Nintendo says it doesn’t want to make Link talk because it would “contradict players’ individual interpretations of the character,” but none of these quote users include citation so I don’t know how reliable the information is.  I do agree, however, with the sentiment.  Without hearing Link’s side conversations, the player is allowed to come to a spectrum of conclusions.

Players don’t have a chance to mentally change Link’s overall personality because the Zelda universe keeps him on track.  For example, it’s fairly hard to imagine Link dropping f-bombs and pushing drugs on them yeti guys.  He’s just not that guy and never will be.  Even in Twilight Princess where Hyrule gets a bit more dangerous and adult, Link still sticks to the script.  We know he is loyal, so he is not going to respond disingenuously.  We know he is heroic, so of course he is going to help the lonely lady find her rabbit-loving husband. In this manner, we can gleam the tone and type of response Link will give in almost every situation.

Others might argue that the main characters in Dragon Age are reactive, silent protagonists but I disagree.  It is true that the characters do not audibly speak, but the player chooses dialogue that translates through the secondary character reactions.  Where Dragon Age differs from other games is that the player gets to mold the personality type of their character, which seems related to the silent character in that the player imprints their own personality onto the game avatar.

Although I think the Bioshock silent protagonist is more enjoyable / understandable than the Dead Space version, I’d have to say that where both games fail is in the protagonist character development.  Both heroes take orders without missing a beat. Both heroes put themselves in immense danger for strangers and unknown loyalties. Why? As a player, I do not feel connected enough to imprint my own emotions or attitudes on the avatar. These two dumb jerks just do whatever there told and never discernibly question their directives or the outcomes of said directives. It does not surprise me that both sequels for these titles will let the protagonist speak.  I want to not that I enjoyed both games and the mute protagonist in both games seemed to lend to their cinematic quality.  In fact, I would go so far to say that both game’s sets where a bigger character than the protagonists themselves.  I look forward to both sequels.

It does not surprise me that the two other protagonists I chose to explore are Nintendo creations.  Their ability to create entire nuanced universes with minimalist tools would seem to support the use of a silent protagonist.  It does not surprise me that there are generations of gamers that identify with such tight-lipped heroes as Link, Samus and, even, Mario.  These characters “play” along with the gamer and are very effective in endearing themselves to the public.  Thus, the public responds poorly if some developers come along and mess with a player’s imagined bond with a character.

Silent protagonists can and are as effective as the speaking protagonist.  I do not have a preference between the two, as long as the protagonist type serves the experience and not the other way around.

.With this whole “economic downturn” a ragin’, I’ve been reigning in the money exodus that seems to steadily escape my wallet. These new penny pinching ways equate to a left over mentality. Why buy a new game if I have perfectly good games on my dusty shelves at home? I am not enacting a complete moratorium on new game purchases, but I think spacing out the purchases is a good idea. I happen to like to replay games. I like the nostalgia and the redefining that comes about from re-experiencing a beloved title.

Originally, I had played God of War II with a ravenous excitement. God of War was one of my favorite games and I completely bought the hype for GoW II. I remember the opening fight with the Colossus had left me with a feeling that finally, a game has lived up to the hype. I had been impressed by the scale of the experience and the little to no loading times. I had appreciated that the button scheme supported both precision players (me) and button mashers (some others who shall not be named). I thought the story was continuous and kick ass. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire game and played each mode, including Titan. In fact, it is GoW II that got me this illustrious job at SMASHWORX. I was getting my haircut and talking to my future boss (my hair cutter’s husband) about my GoW experience. About a week later I get a call from Nik saying, “Hey, You seem to know a lot about games and you’re a good writer. Want a job?” So basically, my job came about because I had clear, discussable points about game mechanics and could crack a joke. Sometimes that’s all you need.

On repeat play I have to say, GoW II really stands up. It’s still brain-bustingly fun. GoW II’s set design, optics and art makes one feel that everything around you is massive and goes further than what presented on tv. Now that I’m in the business of making games, I’m perhaps more impressed than on my first play. GoW II is a tight, frenetic experience that is so damn satisfying. I’m impressed with how much fun the battles are and, besides a couple of duds, how well the puzzles work. The creature design is top notch and reminds me more of Ray Harryhausen’s Clash of the Titans than the new, terrible version. Honestly, GoW II looks better than some of the recent Xbox titles I’ve played.

The only disappointment I felt upon replay was actually quite surprising. Ahh, Kratos. If only you could take a little more responsibility in your actions…That’s right, folks. I’m beefing the ultimate Beefcake. Admit it. Kratos is a bit of a whiner. He’s always blaming the Gods, “The Gods are what they made me,” or crying foul over godly pettiness. Come on man. Maybe you should keep the “why me” act to yourself. We get it. The Gods are Jerks (with a capital J). But how about a little mystery, K-man? I know that I complained about Samus giving herself away last post but I can’t help myself. It’s hard as a player to completely agree with a character’s decisions. This is not true about movies, where the audience has no chance of physical interaction or input on unfolding events. As a game player, I am looking for a certain amount of autonomy that I can’t acquire through books or movies. I can’t quite remember if Kratos complained as much in the first GoW. Maybe I am mistaken and Kratos was always the petulant but I feel as if his defiant attitude was not properly addressed in GoW II. I don’t think that straight up story play through is dated, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Bayonetta. It’s just some of the script in GoW II tries a little to hard to say something when maybe actions are all Kratos needs to express his point.

Honestly, a game is as good as it plays and GoW II plays mighty fine. I think it holds its own against newer titles and am interested in playing it in a year from now to again re-gauge the experience. Now to convince Nik that the office needs a PS3 and a copy of GoW III….

Fall in NYC. A great time to commune with audacious foliage and crisp, mint air. Also, a great time to sit inside as it rains for a week straight and get down to some serious game playing. Surprisingly, these past few weeks have consisted of much Wii usage. I am surprised mainly because I haven’t really gotten into a Wii game since Super Mario Bros. Occasionally, my boyfriend and I will throw on one of the Resident Evil games for some two-player, zombie shootin’ fun but all in all, we use the Wii mainly for the Netflix. Metroid: Other M, therefore, was a point of excitement at home and at SMASHWORX Studios. Finally, a game that looked rewarding and fun that utilized Wii motion controllers instead of (supposedly) just tacking on some functionality. Oh and I definitely, definitely bought the hype. Pre-ordered Metroid: Other M and everything…

A little background, I have always liked Metroid. I liked the side-scrollers and I liked the first-person shooters. I am the audience Team Ninja wanted to court. Also (on a lady level), I love Samus. I love Samus in the same way I love Ripley or Aeon Flux. Dangerous space ladies who go beyond pretenses. Women whom I look up to and would probably like to be in some Doctor Who-like alternative world type of way.

Metroid: Other M looked right. It was beautiful like the Prime series but also cartoonish, in a SNES type of way. I liked the opening movie except this tiny little tingle in my brain kept on distracting me. It was the hope that Team Ninja wasn’t about to explain the mystery of Samus away. Samus as a near-silent bounty hunter was interesting. One honestly didn’t know what she thought about some hairy situations and encouraged the audience to place their own feelings and attitudes on the proceedings. Take, for example, Aeon Flux as a near-silent character that received demystifying through over exposition in that awful Charlize Theron helmed Aeon Flux movie. In the comic and the MTV show, Aeon was silent and died in almost every episode. The audience could sort of guess her stance through her actions but the next move was unpredictable. It is more exciting to think that anything can happen, rather than think that a predetermined fate is set out for the character. In Samus’s case, should the player feel that they have to agree with everything the avatar represents by exposing the avatar’s psyche? Should the player feel that they have to play a game one way, with one set of morals? And what about those who thought Samus was a little more badass than some Papa issues and cute girl playing with the big boys? Should they believe in Samus the “princess” over Samus the “Ripley-type”?

If Team Ninja was creating a whole new character with this persona, I don’t think I’d have much of an issue. But Samus is a character that my generation grew up with and already had a set of characteristics that defined the Metroid series. So yes, Team Ninja, with it’s beautifully rendered yet horribly voice acted movies, has explained the mystery of Samus away. Bummer. Well, alright. But how does she play?

Pretty good. Not fantastic. Not oh my god, this is going to revolutionize the series but still, she plays pretty good. The action is frenetic and fun. The enemies (while a bit limited) range from one shot annoyance to strategy is key. Boss battles are fun and numerous. Although, I rarely died during boss battles due to the “focus” function. I didn’t have strong feelings either for or against the focus function. I liked not having to collect ammo but missed the tension of “am I going to make it?!?” that comes with defeating an enemy with just a sliver of life left.

What’s weird? Well, for one the shift between first and third person perspective was jarring. Why can’t I shoot missiles in third person? It would be so much more helpful during boss battles not having to switch, re-aim while not getting damaged if I could utilize all my weapons. But no. Gotta make it Wii-tastic. Even if motion-control really doesn’t add to game enjoyment, I bet Team Ninja had to shoe-horn some motion functionality in there somewhere for the powers that be. Another odd sensation is traveling in a 2D space without a joystiq. There were multiple times when I was pressing straight ahead on the D-Pad but Samus did this odd diagonal shuffle instead.

Even with these control issues, I was left wanting more game to play. I can’t tell if my desire for the gameplay to continue was out of annoyance that there wasn’t more to the game of if I was really enjoying myself.

I’m sure Nik and Tommy will chime in with their opinions soon. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to playing the new Zelda.

Metroid: Other M
Rating: B

Hello friends! Jess here with an update on two new modes for Propaganda Lander: Remix: Survival and Easy Mode.

Remix: Survival is a sensory assault of epic proportions. Players will attempt to survive as long as possible while we throw every nasty enemy known in Rickster’s Universe at them. In order to create this new mode, Tommy has had to re-haul our level editor to offer even more customization. We can now control waves of different enemy types through timing, random amperage ranges and frequency. Therefore, I’ve spent the last couple of days tweaking and testing to create an hyperactive experience. The types of issues I’ve run into mainly deal with offering an experience that has peaks and valleys instead of an experience that amps up only to plateau. What we’ve decided is to offer a sort of three steps forward, one step back mechanic that allows the player to feel like they’ve accomplished a great feat for surviving a particularly hard wave and to facilitate an innate feeling of tension and drama. Also, one other issue I’ve had to deal with is beating Tommy’s high score, but that’s more of a personal policy. The last bits that we have to deal with is optimization for all devices and implementing the soundtrack.

For all you folks that find the Lander to be a little too punishing, we’ve started on an Easy Mode. Easy Mode is exactly what it sounds like, fewer enemies, more power-ups, and less damage make it easier for the casual player to really enjoy Propaganda Lander. I’d have to say that the most difficult part of creating Easy Mode has been striking a balance between making things easier but still retain the challenge. I tend to make levels pretty difficult, look at hardcore mode for example, and it’s been a practice in self-control to really loosen things up a little. We still need to do some testing before we release Easy Mode but I think it’s totally worth it to invite casual gamers into the fold.