Indie Games: SCP – Containment Breach
So its been a while since my last post, unfortunately life has meant that things have been taking a bit longer than expected. And by life I mean cleaning the poop out of my pants from playing SCP Containment Breach. For those of you who have not experienced this little digital nugget of nightmares yet, SCP is simple indie game set in a randomly generated, top-secret research facility. As usual some-one has balls something up and now you have to get yourself out of there quick or meet a grizzly end. Whilst this sounds like an average working day at Black Mesa, this game relies more on the tightness of your sphincter than your trigger finger. There are no weapons to help you here, just the knowledge that something is following you….
Specifically this guy… and some of his friends….
Much like its spiritual sister, Slender, SCP uses the a basic run-and-hide mechanic to regenerate its scares. The constant knowledge that you are being chased is what builds the tension and taps into the animal instinct inside us. The only means of defending yourself in this game is to stare at the terror balls-first. Literally. Much like the Weeping Angels in Doctor Who, the alien nasties pursing you only move when you are not looking at them. Or when you blink… The game has an ‘eye meter’ which counts down the seconds between blinks; leave it too long and you will shut your eyes momentarily, allowing you to be pounced on. In order to survive you have to follow The Doctors advice and ‘dont blink’ or at least control it as well as you can. Also enemies can teleport through walls, just to remind you that life is not fair…
I’m sure he is just trying to return that £5 note you dropped…
It all sounds very easy on paper (or screen), until you try it for yourself. I am man enough to admit I cannot get past the first few doors of this game without running away and squealing like a Japanese school girl. If you want the full effect of this game (God knows why…) play it with the lights off and headphones set at full volume. For the rest of us, here is a little custom mod I created to easy the tension a little…. I call it Catainment Breach…
Awww….Awww…ARRRRWRWRWRWURGggggggggggggg…. *dead*
Save this file as ‘173tex2’ then past it into the GFXS/npcs folder of your game so it replaces the original… enjoy! The original game can be downloaded (for free) from here: www.scpcbgame.com
Sweetris Review
Looks like Tetris, tastes like an old tractor tire…. For people who want their gummy candies to taste like crap but with the convenience of being able to align them into rows.
Battle Royale Review
I have to admit that I am not a real fan of horror or gore movies. I would rather watch a film about a man in tights saving the world than someone tortured to death. That said, I believe there is a place for violence in cinema as long as it supports the story and is not just there to make a quick buck with a few easy shocks. Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction and Fight Club are some examples of ultraviolence done right, but if there is one film that constantly lures me back with morbid fascination, its the Japanese cult hit Battle Royale.
Look at that cheerful red and black logo, Im expecting only bunnies and happy things from here on…
Firstly let me make on thing clear, this is not a movie for children or tweenages trying to fill their need for more Hunger Games content. Although lots of people will mention the two franchises in the same sentence, Battle Royale is on a whole different level of black satire. It is filled with blood and death and trauma. Where as The Hunger Games kept its soul numbing depictions of child combat to a diluted second half of the movie, Battle Royale stretches its sickening tension for its entire running time. The atmosphere is dark and grim throughout, with the lower budget ‘fuzz’ of a Japanese movie constantly keeping things closer to reality then we would like. It is not one for the faint of heart, what I would refer to as midnight movie. (There is even a story that it was banned in the USA, although this is not technically true, it was more a case of no-one with the money for the licence wanting to stock it). But as with other controversial movies such as A Clock Work Orange, those who can stomach it will find and engaging, thought provoking story lies benieth its dark shell.
Woah, not that horrifying and controversial …
The film is based on the exploitation novel by Koushun Takami, who wrote the story as response to the Japanese governments treatment of their youth during the war, often forcing them into situations that would cost them their lives. Takami’s novel is set in the near future, where a totalitarian government rules Japan and most of Asia. As with all totalitarian dystopia Japan has a the constant problem of a population on the brink of uprising, especially amongst it younger generation who are becoming increasingly unruly and rebellious. In order to keep the order the Battle Royale act is passed, meaning that each year one class of 15-16 year olds is selected at random and taken to a secret location where they are fitted with explosive necklaces and forced to fight to the death over 3 days. The sole survivor is allowed to return home. It is centred around the 42 students of class 3-B, each with his or own chapter and story arc, but focuses mainly on the three antagonists; Shuya, Noriko and Kawada, all of whom are determined not to be dragged into the game.
‘Now don’t worry, Michael Bay assures me all the pyrotechnic stuff we crammed inside them will look great on camera… ACTION!’
For the most part the film adaptation does it best to copy this structure, with most students getting their own scenes, some of which are much more well developed then others. As with all book to film conversations a lot of the content is lost in transit and if you really want the full story of each of the 42 characters you ideally need to read the manga. Maybe if the remake ever comes, and I sort of hope it wont, then a trilogy with a movie for each day would be a more effective way of covering everything. Despite this, enough is retained to keep the movie constantly interesting, and its mass of characters and short stories that make it so engaging.
Looks like the sort of girl you could take home to meet your mother.
As a single movie with so much content stuffed into two hours, the pacing is surprising well done, with enough action to keep everything following nicely. Also for a large cast of young actors, most of whom were the same age as their characters, the acting is also surprisingly consistent. The director Kinji Fukasaku is well known for pushing his employees hard, are method which obviously works as most put in a pretty good performance. I could certainly feel the panic and fear a lot more then I could in The Hunger Games. The person who stood out to me the most was Takeshi Kitano, (an ex-comedian oddly) as the miserably evil teacher/overseer, who does a great job of looking both tired and psychotic at the same time. Also good was Tarô Yamamoto, playing the game veteran Kawada, who looks like we would be more at home in an 80’s action movie and gives a spark of old school ‘Die Hard’ heroism to the otherwise dark proceedings.
In the special edition he claims he is too old for this sh*t then boots Hans Gruber out of a window.
Although still an excellent film, Battle Royale does have a few problems. As I mentioned before the amount of attention each character gets is pretty impressive given the running time, although occasional it does feel as though other bits of the story have been sacrificed in order to make everything fit. Certain key plot points relating to necklaces seem to be missing from the last few scenes, as if the writer could not think of a proper way to explain the situation so just skipped over it. We get the general idea of what happened, but it seems an odd piece of the story to skip, given the importance which is placed on it earlier. The other main problem is that the ending suffers from a rather bizzare moment with Takeshi Kitano. If you have already seen the film then you will know want I am talking about. This could be some cultural thing I do not understand, but judging by the expressions on the faces of the other characters I am not convinced. Its such a strange moment and the way comes out of nowhere just destroys the tension in the final moments.
‘… I just wanted you to next the tv listings, see if there’s anything worth me hanging on for… Battle Royale 2? Screw that.’ *dies*
The final thing I have to note about Battle Royale that it will always be best the first time around. The key to this movie is the shock value, which is what makes the atmosphere work so well. Once you know what to expect you are still left with an entertaining movie, but it does feel as though it loses something. In some ways repeated viewing is advisable as you are likely to miss things the first time, but it just does not work quite as well.
Battle Royale is a cult classic for a reason, it is terrific and terrifying but certainly not for everyone. Most people will not get past the basic concept and without feeling decidedly uncomfortable. But that is exactly what the movie is made to do. Discomfort makes fear, fear makes tension and tension makes a thrilling piece of cinema. Sometimes the most memorable movie experiences are the ones that make us remember them, and if you watch Battle Royale you will not be forgetting it any time soon. A must watch for fans of Japanese entertainment or cult cinema followers, assuming you have the steel stomach required and a nice Disney flick to wash the taste out after.
Because there’s nothing dark or disturbing in any of their films.
Halo Anniversary: 100 Word Review
Halo is still a solid shooter without the complexity of more modern entries, which will suit some more than others. The story still carries enough entertainment to make it worth playing for either the first or second time, while the graphics have been cleaned up significantly. There are few other additions and the lack of mulitplayer seems strange, but is understandable given the popularity of Reach. The game instead carries the Anniversary DLC map-pack for Reach, allowing for the traditional maps to be played online. Unfortuantly this game is not full £40, but would have benefited from being a downloadable title.
Top Ten: Final Fantasy Heros and Heroines
If there was one video game series I could always rely on for hours of entertainment it was SquareEnix’ Final Fantasy. Back in the days before Skyrim and the ‘open world’ these games would keep me busy for weeks if not months, just what you needed when games only came on birthdays or at Christmas. Entries such as 7, 8 and 9 had completion times of well over 40 hours and that was solid play time, none of that aimless wandering around between objectives like today (well not all the time anyway). Each of those hours was filled with imaginative locales, awesome music and interesting, if often quirky, characters to interact and engage with. It was these characters and their storylines that kept me sitting in front of my tv for hours on end, so just as personal thing I’ve decided to list my top ten Final Fantasy Heros. In order to keep it simple I have decide to only include characters from the main game series, so no spin-offs or sequels. They also they have to be playable in the main game. Here is my party of choice;
Number 10. – Sazh Katroy (FFXIII)
Final Fantasy XIII is never going to be my favourite Final Fantasy. When the trailer came out showing its fluid combat system and awesome theme music, I was really excited. Unfortuantly the rest of the game was no-where near as thrilling. The story was buried in a pile of terminology and half-baked mythology whilst the massive explorable worlds were reduced to a bunch of corridors and a single big field. Maybe because the story was weak, or maybe visa-versa, the characters themselves where not particularly interesting either. The one notable exception was Sazh Katroy. On first appearance he came across as the typical Japanese stereotype of a black person (with all that implies) but as the game moved on I found him to be the most human and well developed of all the party members. Sazh’ plot is centred around him searching for his lost son and doing everything he can to get him back. He acts as the main comic relief, refreshing in a game which really needs to lighten up, but is also well developed as a believable person. When he finds those responsible his reaction is wide range of emotions including anger and depression, however he refuses to let this get the better of him choosing to do what is right instead of giving up. As I played through 13 I was more interested in this guys quest then I was in Lightnings and in feel Square should have made this man their main lead. Also he has a baby Chocobo living in his afro. Thats cool.
Number 9. – Auron (FFX)
Auron is a badass. Stoic and gruff, his personality is defined more cleaving enemies in half then it is with edgy dialogue. Whilst that is not a new thing in video games, or even in a Final Fantasy game, Auron is an example of an archetype done well. Unlike other such characters, he has enough to say to keep him interesting and give him a firm standing in the games plot. Rather then having any strong personal development, he instead acts as the mentor, leading the main character Tidus through his journey and protecting the summoner Yuna as he did her father. The main reason I enjoy Auron is his design. With his pony tail, sunglasses and jar of booze hanging from his belt (which he uses as part of his attacks, yay) he looks like a cyber-punk warrior monk gone bad. His theme music is also pretty cool, with its thumping beat making everything feel more manly as soon as it starts playing.
Number 8. – Cecil Harvey (FFIV)
Cecil is a favourite of many a Final Fantasy fan, mostly due to fact that this was the first of the well written video game hero they encountered. Whilst I personally did not share that experience (Final Fantasy 7 was my first) I can at least appreciate why the Dark-Warrior-turned-Paladin is so well regarded. Final Fantasy IV was the next game to be released outside of Japan following the original NES game, creating a massive impact with its well told story and varied characters. Cecil was the games main character, who we follow on his path from servant of evil too redeemed hero. The interactions between him and the other characters, including his lover Rosa, show a man confused about his destiny and what he should do with his life. Everyone has these doubts at some point in their life, and so too see such a relatable figure in a time when video games were all about jumping on things was truly exceptional and worth remembering.
Number 7. – Sabin Rene Figaro (FFVI)
Final Fantasy 6 had a large roster of memorable characters, but out of all of them Sabin is the who who stands out the most to me. This is partly down to the amount of funny scenes that are centred around him (there is something inherently hilarious about watching 16-bit sprites bouncing around a screen) and his Street Fighter style special attacks. It is also down to the story arc he shares with his brother and the relationship between them. Despite being heirs to the throne of Figaro, both him and Edgar are reluctant to accept their responsibility and so settle it with the toss of a coin, the outcome of which means Sabin is free to go live his dreams but must leave his brother. The encounters between them are both funny and touching, and are something I always enjoy about playing the game.
Number 6. – Red XIII (FFVII)
Red XIII is the child who wants to be a man, or in this case a puppy trying to be a wolf (which is far cuter). When he is first met in the Shinra tower it seems as those he will become the old wise man of the team, providing wisdom and guidance. So when later it turns out he is not as old or as wise as he was making out, things get a lot more interesting. Sudden having to reassess a character is great little plot twist which gives Red XIII much more depth then he initially appeared to have. The way in which it is revealed, a side-plot involving his disgraced father, is well done and does not feel like it is just being forced in just for the sake of it, instead creating a lot of sympathy for the young pup. Red XIII is a hero who would have been an unique addition simply because, well he’s a dog, but instead is give a wealth of personality because the writers put that extra bit of effort in.
Number 5. – Laguna Loire (FFVIII)
Although he is technically more of side character than a main one, Laguna does play a vital role in the storyline of Final Fantasy 8. There are three main reasons why this man is on my list. First, way in which his life is told through a series of flashbacks, ranging from his life as solider and then as a journalist, is an interesting way of revealing it. Secondly he looks like a fun guy to hang out with. He is easy going and relaxed, if sometimes a bit too relaxed, thus is just the sort of man you could have a few drinks with. Especially in a world everyone has some heavy emotional baggage about being an orphan they have to deal with. Thirdly his battle music is awesome. The Man with the Machine Gun is a fan favourite and the perfect piece to get you ready for that up coming boss battle.
Number 4. – Balthier (FFXII)
Much like Sazh in Final Fantasy 13, Balthier is one of the few things that lifts Final Fantasy 12 slightly above being mediocre. In a plot that bares a strong resemblance to Star Wars, he is the Han Solo stand in; complete with furry sidekick. He is the dashing rouge of the party, self-assured and confident but becoming increasing likeable as things progress. As the son of a disgraced scientist, Balthier has spent most of his life trying to sever his ties with the past. During the game tries to help the Princess Ashe from repeating the same mistakes, eventually giving his life (apparently) to save everyone else. I have always liked roguish protagonists and Balthier’s character is supported with some brilliant written dialogue which is often comedic and poetic at the same time, showing that a hero can be intellectuality without loosing the humour. As with Sazh, Balthier stands out as being much more unique then the others in 12, so when he refers to himself as the leading man I cannot help but feel the whole game would have been better if he was.
Number 3. – Vivi Orunitia (FFIX)
Everyone who has played Final Fantasy 9 loves Vivi. Especially girls. Even though he is filled to the teeth (if he has them) with black magic and explosions, his shy disposition and innocent outlook make him a defining and huggable entry in the series. But despite his cute, childlike personality, Vivi actually has one of the most interesting and thought provoking sub-plots of any Final Fantasy character so far. Discovering he is little more than a mass produced (and weaponised) doll, Vivi’s quest is about finding meaning in both his life and his inevitable death, all of which is portrayed through his childish innocence. This often leads to a lot of moments that are either, funny, touching or tragic but always endearing, adding a whole new layer of depth to what would otherwise be a fairly simple story about a princess and thief. From a gameplay point of view, Vivi is also one of the best people to have one your side in a fight, with a vast collection of black magic ranging from simple fire spells to summoning huge meteorites of doom with enough destructive power to have Michael Bay dribbling down his shirt.
Number 2. – Yuna (FFX)
Most Final Fantasy girls seem to fall into one of three types; the strong, empowered (and often large chested) warrior, the helpless princess (traditional) and the quirky, feisty teenager who is there mostly just to look cute. The reason I like Yuna so much is because she is a bit of all these things, without becoming another stereotype. She needs the help of the hero but is also capable of acting on her own. She is quiet and demur but is also brave and determined. She is cute but does not exist purely for that reason. Yuna is a well balanced heroine who I like for many of the same reasons I like Vivi; she is nice without being a wimp. Also she can summon flame demons and looks good in hot pants. That always helps. The love story between her and Tidus is also kind of sweet, but I would never admit that in public or on the internet.
Number 1. – Cid Highwind (FFVII)
Cid Highwind is without doubt one of my favourite characters of all time. When I was a youth, Final Fantasy 7 was one of the first games I played after Mario, Metroid and Zelda; so when me and my friend encounter this foul-mouthed pilot he instantly became our favourite. A video game character that smokes, drinks tea and swears like a sailor? It was an amazing thing to see. But that was not the only reason I like Cid so much. He his dream to becoming the first man in space and desire to make something of his life is something we can all relate too. Watching the Shinra rocket crash back to the launch pad and then finally launch into space still packs a lot of emotion; it reminds me of a time when all you need to complete your dream was to believe hard enough. And defeat Weapon. Without Cids wisecracks and little censored rants I would not have loved Final Fantasy 7 as much as I did. Without Final Fantasy 7 I would not have got into video games as much as I did, and without video games I would not be the person I am today. So thanks Cid, you foul mouthed old %!X#%$.
Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts:100 Word Review
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts lacks the humour and charm of the earlier games but makes up for it with its ability to create hundreds of insane vehicles; which is what you will probably spend the most time doing. The collection aspects of the previous games remain intact with the player taking part in races and other challenges to win Jiggies, vehicle parts or notes. There are only five (although large) worlds to explore, so things quickly get repetitive. Controls can be awkward at times, but overall the game is reasonably good fun if a bit disappointing compared to previous.
The Hunger Games: Review
It is probably late to give my thoughts on this movie. I went to see it last Tuesday and by now most people who are interested will have either seen it already or read so many other reviews they are sick of hearing about it. Anyway this is just a brief summary of my thoughts and I will try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.
Not a Seagull or a Moltres apparently.
First of all I am just going to come out and say it; this movie bares a close reassembles to the Japanese movie Battle Royale, by which I mean it is within law-suit throwing distance. Should you care? No, you should not. Both are brilliant films, but I do feel the similarities are just too big to ignore. For those not familiar Battle Royale is about a class of kids sent to island ordered to reduce their numbers to one for the pleasure of a national audience. Its based on a novel by Koushun Takami who wrote it is a satire against the Japanese Government, following his experiences of horror and death a child in World War 2. Now the idea of the death sport is not a new one, nor is the idea of the child survivalist. Stories such as Lord of the Flies, The Running Man, 1984 and even Gladiator have all had a similar premise, so trying to suggest that one is a ‘rip-off’ of the other is a redundant argument.
Pictured above: A redundant argument
However, ideas such as the romance between the male and female protagonists, the gruth lone survivor of the previous games helping them out, the two ‘volunteers’ who are in it for their own gain and even the nightly announcements listing the dead are all suspiciously similar. Were these similarities deliberately included in The Hunger Games by the original author? Its extremely unlikely. Where existing similarities enhanced by Hollywood as a way to cash in on both franchises? Much more likely, especially considering their eagerness for a so far unsuccessful American remake of Battle Royale. In America the Battle Royale movies have were very recently removed from the banned list and given proper releases, whilst in the UK we got the enhanced Blu-ray and up-coming 3D version. Now has to be more then a coincidence.
Judging by its terrified, lifeless eyes that doll has obviously watched Battle Royale 2 and torn off its own head out of sheer boredom.
I did have a few more points to make on this subject, but I will save that death match for another day. Lets talk about The Hunger Games. Its good. I am not a screaming fan-girl so I will not try and convince you this is the ultimate movie, because it isn’t. But for every flaw there at least two positives, something strangely unusual for a movie with this much hype.
As discussed the general storyline was been seen before. In a post-apocalyptic world, a group of children consisting of a boy and a girl from each of 12 districts, is picked at random to battle to the death in front of a live audience. If watching youngsters murdering each to other to death makes you feel a bit uneasy then do not touch this film (and avoid Battle Royale like it carries the zombie-plague). In the UK it carried a 12A rating, something me and others felt was shockingly under-rated and doubling annoying as most of the film had to be cut in order to get below a 15 certificate. If you come stomach the violence (either because you are over 15 or a psychopathic) then the rest of the story is rich with satire, especially the first half which takes numerous swipes at our increasingly media based society. For me this was my favourite part of the film. The children going to their deaths are made into talent show-esqe celebrities and forced to play up these roles in order to win the favour of their wealthy ‘sponsors’, who often mean the difference between life and death. It also tries to make a point about the desensitising effect of the violence in said media, a point I felt was drowned in a wave of irony.
A young Lily Savage introduces tonight’s next hopeful before impaling them on a big spike.
The setting was stylish, although sometimes familiar, the rich capital city contrasting well against the poorer districts with its Roman/Greek style designs and grotesquely bejewled citizens. It reminded me of some of the old 80’s sci-fi movies like The Fifth Element and The Running Man and I have a feeling this was done intentionally. There are some sci-fi elements in this movie, such as an awesome hover train, but these are brief and do not distract from the plot. A pre-game talk show the contestants (all of who are great young actors) participate in is both funny and creepy, whilst the way in which the heroine and her love interested are deliberately forced together for the sake of ratings was a rather refreshing after most other stale movie romances.
‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky… *awesome air guitar solo*
The second half of the movie is the game itself and in my opinion is not as enjoyable as the first act. Rather then a flowing plot, it feels more like a set of events breaking up the occasional next step in story. Unlike in Battle Royale (sorry to keep bring it back up) where most of the constants are given their own little side-stories, here all the focus is on the main lead and I could not help but feel that when see was sitting in a tree we were missing out on the action elsewhere. On that subject, one of the bizzare things I noticed was the way in which the violence was covered up during this second half. This may have just been because I was watching the 12A edited version (hopefully there will be an uncut dvd) but a lot of the time the camera would pan away from a death scene or disguise it with the dreaded ‘shaky’ effect. I find it odd that a movie which features children as young as 12 killing each other, including being stung to death by wasps and torn apart by mutant dogs (who had no real business being in this movie anyway) should suddenly shy away from its subject matter like this, almost as if the director had lost his nerve during the final stretch.
Not Pictured: Disturbing violence. Pictured: Man with disturbing blue hair.
At about the 3/4 mark I have to admit I was starting to wish the conclusion would hurry up and arrive, and when it did I found it was pretty much exactly what I was expecting. I will not go into the details, but it is not a hard one to predict. The ending is left open for the obviously forthcoming sequels, which my friend (who has actually read the books) assures me they will be very different in terms of story and is already hyped up to see them. Although I have never read the books, I probably will be seeing them too. The Hunger Games whilst not being the greatest thing ever put on screen did at least show that people behind it cared about what they were making and put a lot of effort into it. There are plot holes and themes that are not fully developed (‘I don’t want to kill’ ‘Its just like hunting’ ‘Oh okay.’ FWAPPP) but despite this the overall experience is gripping and well worth seeing at least once, even if like me you never knew The Hunger Games existed until now. If you did, chances are you have already seen it and this review has been completely irrelevant.
Also…Weren’t you bright blue and a bit scaly last time I saw you…?
The Hunger Games: Pre-Review
For a while now I have wanted to write a review of something and as The Hunger Games seems to be the internets new addiction (after cats and gynecology), I figured I would add my own opinions to the mix. To ensure this is done in a fair and unbiased way, I am writing this review before I see the movie (or read the book or buy the lunch box), as I feel doing so would directly influence my judgement of it.
To start with the movie clearly has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes, which I found to be an odd and alienating decision on the part of the writers. Instead the plot focuses mainly on a group of teenagers sitting, occasionally walking, in wood which could very well be revealed as a forest later sequels. I personally find this a welcome continuation of pace for the whole teenagers standing around in woodland genre, however the death-sport sub-plot was somewhat distracting and I could not help but feel the film would have benefited from its removal. Fortunately the director wisely decided to downplay this entire aspect by removing all the death scenes/references and replaced them with a CGI talking Ford Fiesta in a similar way to Pixars later rewrite of Cars 2: Murder Wheels.
The cast do a brilliant job of bringing the story of murder and trees to life, the most notable of which is a CGI talking Micheal Keaton; who can been seen in the films trailer playing that mother from Brazil, ruler of District 12 (*Insert District 9 alien joke*) and commander of an army of Space Balls. The hawk who stars in the logo however is less impressive, apparently unable to decide if its head is looking straight ahead in profile, or forward in a sort of down and right-a-bit angle. Those who will also be unimpressed are the fans of the book, to which this film is entirely unrelated after birzarry substituting text for moving pictures as a means of conveying the plot.
Overall I would highly recommend this film, although I must point out the cinema will charge extra for bringing in outside Battle Royale jokes.
I have no idea what point this image was made to represent, but I’m sure its relevant to whatever.
For a more ‘traditional’ less ‘dangerously radical thinker’ (as my food teacher would describe) type review, stay tuned until after Tuesday when I see The Hunger Games for-reals.
PlayStation Vita: The Changing Face of Gaming
In the last few weeks since its release I have been considering whether or not to purchase the new PlayStation Vita. Like most men from my generation I am an avid gamer who has built up a modest collection of modern and retro games. I have kept all my old consoles, including my original Super Nintendo which often gets brought out to sit alongside its next generation successors. Whilst most of my childhood centred around Nintendo, in my adult life it the PlayStation that reigns dominant. My PS3 gets more use then any other my previous consoles (mostly because it has a blueray player), however its my PSP 3000 I have the most affection for. Although its generally regarded as having lost out to the Nintendo DS (which in fairness has a much better library of games in my opinion) its collection of decent RPG’s, the ability to watch video and run PS One Classics all kept me going during years of commuting.
For all these reasons I should be pretty excited about getting hold of a Vita. Except I’m not. Its not that I actively dislike the machine itself; I think the idea of playing home-quality games on the move is awesome, but its the changes to a form of media I love that I am reluctant to encourage.
I know what you are up too, inanimate gizmo…
For me the Vita is the first glimpse of what is likely to come with the next era of gaming. Maybe I am just old fashioned and still clinging to my childhood, but I don’t like the way things are looking for the future and its mostly thanks to the internet.
To begin with there is the lack of actual games. You are probably all thinking; ‘but the Vita has a bunch of decent launch titles’ and this is true. But what I am actually referring to is the dreaded ‘cloud’. I mentioned this in my top 10 things I like/dislike about the internet as a joke (so you had all better have laughed…) but this is a real concern for me. Currently most of the Vita’s title are available as cards, you buy them in a shop, plug them into your console and enjoy some Wipeout. However all the titles also available in the PlayStation Store for download, straight from day one. This is the first time I know of (with the exception of the OnLive system which I will come too later) where this has happened, and if the rumours about the next Xbox are true, this is likely to be how will be purchasing all our games in future.
Download on demand games are not a new idea and do have advantages. For the example the ability to store multiple games on a single unit is extremely useful for people like me with to many games and to little space to store them. This is the model the music industry has adopted and distributors like iTunes have been a big success. However, a video game is by no means the same thing as a music track.
To start with there is the price. The average game brought new can cost nearly £40 (although this does seem to be rising to £45-50) while a single music track can cost as little as 25p. With the economy not looking to improve any time soon, that’s a lot of money to spend on what is a luxury item that does not technically exist. Also with a download there is no flexibility in the price. If Sony or Nintendo want £50 for game that is what you will have to pay. There will be no pre-owned games to find on eBay, no competition between shops to drive down prices. In fact most stores are already starting to close down and this will likely finish them off. Thats not only sad for nostalgia-philes like me but also staff who will be out of work there.
Hey money! I remember money!
I have heard arguments that pre-owned games are affecting developers negatively, as they receive little to no money from re-sales, however I do not think that removing the ability to buy pre-owned titles will be of much help. For a start, game developers do make money. No-one runs a business in an area where there is no profit. Next, if you are going to force me to pay full price for a game, it had better be damn good. Occasionally I will buy a game brand new, even pre-order it, as long as it is something that excites me and is something I really, really want. All my other games are second hand. Most are games I brought simply because they were cheap and would never have purchased them otherwise. Surely some people buying your game cheap is better than no-one by it at all.
The other thing that makes downloading a game different from downloading something like a music track is the sizeof file involved. With my average connection in my average area of England, the average full size game (say about 3 gigabytes) can take over 6 hours to download. That means leaving your notoriously over-heating-prone device on for lengthy periods of time. You can of course pause your download or run it in the background, but previous experiences have proven this to be troublesome and even more time consuming. There is nothing more annoying then trying for 8 days to download Phantasy Star Online, only to have a lost source error appear at 97% (true story).
This leads me to my next point about the Vita, which is the heavy reliance on online services in general. Since the Dreamcast, consoles have been providing us with the ability to take our wars, races and even Pokemon battles out into the cyber world of the internet. Hours spent on Call of Duty and Street Fighter 4 have shown just how enthralling online mulitplayer can be, as there is nothing more fun then beating someone you know is a real person. My issue with online connective comes down to heavily it is implimented into everything.
Go, ninja killer flame-ape!
The Vita has been highly praised for its power to connect everywhere thanks to its 3G model, NEAR tool and access to a range of services. All of this is great, but its only as great as the network which support it. As you can tell from my afore alluded too download times, my home network is not great. So imagine my frustration every time I buy a game and find it has not been finished properly and needs me to install a whole catalogue of updates. Or even more annoyingly, when coats my screen in registration forms and DLC adverts every time I load Need for Speed (EA, I swear I would punch you if you where a real person…) Also what happens in the future if we move into games that require an online link to be unlocked and played each time, much like DMR protect movies do now? What happens if games are not even downloaded, but streamed over an OnLive style connection? I do not want to lose access to my game library every time my WiFi blips, one of the service providers goes bust or someone cuts a cable with a spade. By the way, just what will happen to all those games I brought if OnLive closes down anyway?
Even if you have the best connection in the world, and Vodafone invents a away of sending data that never ever fails, I still would not be convinced that integrating the internet so widely into gaming is such a good idea. Sure, seeing news and leader boards scrolling across the start screen is a great way to feel involved, but as someone who likes collecting video games I am not entirely sure how I will be able to continue this into the next generation. Will Sony’s servers still be around in 20 years? Will my Vita be stuck waiting to install an update that will never come? We will have to wait and see if the hardware survives first. Also I cannot help but feel that it encourages laziness in developers. Even now its painfully obvious when games are rushed out and then patched retrospective with updates. Charging extra for DLC which should have been in the main game (hello Mass Effect 3) and focusing all attention on the mulitplayer experience at the expense of the single player all result in a poor overall expirence. If you want to make a multilayer game that’s fine, but instead of a half-baked single player campaign why not include all that DLC you were going to release separately? Would Skyrim have been better with an online co-op mode? Actually that might have been awesome, but not if they had to remove half the map to do it.
RARWWWWW! I HAVE A HORNY HAT! LOL
The other big selling point of the Vita is the touch screen and rear sensory pad. Uncharted: Golden Abyss is one of the early launch titles for the Vita and as such is filled with distracting moments which require you to tap or swipe the screen, simply for the purpose of showing what the Vita can do. It seems every system since the Wii and DS has had to implement some form of alternative control and there is no sign that this is likely to change in the future. This would be fine as long as it is done well (see Skyward Sword, WarioWare et al), unfortuantly past experience show it probably wont be. With the PlayStation Move, Xbox Kinect and even the Wii MotionPlus failing to deliver the goods in terms of an exciting new game-play, hard-drives filled with forced and meaningless shovel-ware appear to be the fate of the future.
All that being said, once I can get my mind past these issues there is no doubt that PS Vita is an impressive piece of hardware. Until a few months ago it would have been more powerful then my laptop, which is kind of amazing when I think about it. However as with all new things in the world technology it represent a change, a moving away from the way things used to work and that naturally makes me uneasy. The problem in this case is that video games are very much defined by what they were in the past; a world of cartridges, controllers and creativity. I do not think everything about modern gaming is bad, its not, I just fear that once we start to move away from those defining aspects we will lose everything that the game industry used to be. The simple joy of going to the game store will vanish like the record shops and all that will be left with another hollow form of bland, restrictive, mass produced media. But on second thoughts I guess that was always the destiny of the gaming industry anyway, so I might as well embrace it. Buy a PlayStation Vita, because its the future of gaming.
RIP old console/dvd thing.
The Famous Ben 