scrypt359

Joined 02/05/2013
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It's all happening...

43 Posts

Games Club - What Next?
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We're looking for help in deciding the next game we jump into for the month(-ish). Go here to vote: http://goo.gl/qO87UO , then join us in playing and sharing your experience!

We'll post a link to the event here in this post as soon as we get a clear winning title.

Persona 5 Expected for 2015, PS3 and PS4, probably NA
Not officially announced for a 2015 release on PS4 in North America, but good enough for me! ATLUS had previously announced that Persona 5, as well as a handful of other Persona games, would make it to the West in the near future, though the big question here is whether the "PS4" in the above trailer is something that is meant for Japanese audiences only. With how well PS4 sales have been growing in the US, it seems likely that we'll see it sooner rather than later.

While I've never technically finished a Persona game, I've put plenty of time in them (Persona 3 FES, especially), and I can't get enough of Shigenori Soejima's artwork. The way his illustrations and the action of the games blend together, and those soundtracks! Persona 5 just made it to the top of my most anticipated games of 2015.

Official site: Http://persona5.jp

If an Attack on a Compound Occurs That No One Sees...
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So, I'm just now finishing Wolfenstein: The New Order, and was quite pleased with the bulk of it, but I have a couple questions. Firstly, am I supposed to beat the game on Uber to get a more complete ending? If not, are we to presume that B.J. dies, or does the sound of the helicopter after the credits imply that he was rescued? Secondly, and more importantly, I totally thought the whole thing was going to be some dream or hallucination, due to the events that happened shortly after the Nazis "shut down" the asylum at the beginning of the game. When you are running around in your hospital gown, killing lots of Nazis, the colors on the screen change drastically from blue to red tones, which implies to me that there are two realities at play, or at least two perspectives. If you say, "well, that's just him getting used to walking around again, getting his bearings", then why didn't the same thing happen after Bubi stabs you with a syringe full of Nazi juice? You pretty much get over that right quickly. Something that also made me think that something else was at play, was Fergus' (I saved Fergus) attitude and demeanor half-way through the game. For the sake of double spoilers, I'll just say that he doesn't act like himself, or at least the Fergus that I was rolling with earlier in the game. Granted, over a decade had passed since our last encounter, and a lot of shit happened.

Anyone have any insight? I could go roaming the web, but it's dark and I'm lazy.

Cheerful Ghost Roundtable - Listening

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Every other Wednesday, a few of us here in the Cheerful Ghost community come together and talk about video games and the industry that produces them. This week, with the events that have transpired in our country, we felt it necessary to focus our attention on bigger issues. However, as we discussed the episode as a group, we were humbled by the weight of it all, our thoughts heavy on what the family of Michael Brown, and the city of Ferguson, are going through. We concluded that it would be much more productive to push that focus away from our own voices, and listen closer to those, not just in Ferguson, but around the country, that need to be heard. We hope that you’ll join us in doing that, and maybe spreading the idea around a little by saying...

We’re listening.

They Say Time is the Fire in Which We Burn
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While discussing something interesting on the main page about the current state of game pricing ( http://goo.gl/q3ZRCi ), we found our way onto a much more interesting topic, that of the integrity of one of the more controversial movies in the Star Trek franchise, Generations.

We open to the newly commissioned USS Enterprise-B, with three former crew members, Chekov, Scotty, and Kirk, aboard as guests to see the ship off on her maiden voyage. All hell breaks loose, and bad things happen. Fast forward eighty years, and the Enterprise is now adrift on the open ocean as a sea faring vessel. No, it's just the crew "relaxing" on the holodeck, and giving Worf an upgrade, and then making fun of him. Then Data shoves Beverly into the ocean, and all hell breaks loose. Then Guinan gets a weird feeling, and the Nexus comes, and all euphoria breaks loose. Picard has kids, Butler is alive, and Guinan is an even bigger mystery than ever before. Kirk is there, too, with Butler. This is a horrible summation of this movie. The end.

Since this forum entry is for those who have seen Generations to discuss Generations, the above paragraph is more or less pointless, but I was feeling saucy :).

Personally, I loved the ideas in this movie, for what it brings to Star Trek, and for science fiction in general. The cinema of the thing resonates with me to this day: The opening credit footage of the champagne bottle flying through space as it christens the Enterprise-B, the struggle of Dr. Soran to get to the Nexus, the subtle presence of Guinan at key moments, Data's struggle with emotion... Not to mention the properties of the Nexus and it's inhabitants, characters displaced in time, and some Klingon shenanigans with Geordi's visor, all add up to big pluses for me. Kirk's treatment was questionable. I didn't mind it as much, and I can explain later, but I can see why it didn't go over well with the fans.

Anyway, thoughts, anyone? What did you love/hate about Generations? What would you have done differently?

The Destiny Beta Approaches - What You Need To Know
http://www.destinythegame.com/content/dam/atvi/bungie/dtg/media/mars-02-destiny.jpg
If you are a Playstation 4 (or 3) owner, or you have a really good friend who is, and have pre-ordered Destiny at participating retailers, in less than seven days, on July 17th, you'll no doubt be pacing in front of your console, waiting, what will feel like forever, for the Destiny Beta to download. Xbox users will have to wait a bit longer, till July 23rd. After that install, though, you will be knee deep in moon wizards and nothing else will matter. It's because of this euphoric tunnel-vision that I'm offering a simple guide of things you might want to look out for on this sweet, sweet journey.

  • Check your email! Before, during, and after the Beta, keep an eye on messages coming from Bungie. Might want to follow @Bungie and @DeeJ_BNG on Twitter, while you're at it. Emails are going out now, requesting that you go to Bungie.net and lock in your console type and region, so that you get proper codes for access. They'll send the actual Beta download codes at a later date, which you will then enter into your console.

  • Three (3) codes incoming! When Bungie does send out download codes, they've noted that they will come in packs of 3, so you can bring friends along with you (same console type, same region) who haven't already pre-ordered and gotten their own Beta keys.

  • July 26th!(possibly the 27th!) This is an important date for two known reasons: 1) This is the final day of the Beta, and 2) Bungie has said they will be issuing special in-game emblems to Beta testers playing on this day, starting at 8pm PDT. Don't miss out on your due swag!!

  • Be alert for those sneaky, sneaky surprises! Bungie has also said that they will be "delivering some fun and unexpected surprises throughout the Beta!" Feel free to use the comments section of this post to drop knowledge and insight for the community if something pops up.

  • Be kind to your fellow Guardians! There is a puddle of animosity out there right now between Xbox and Playstation users over this Beta, and the whole Bungie playing for both teams thing in general. Two months from now, it won't matter to anyone, but in the meantime, do yourself and everyone a favor and be nice to each other. Exclusive content sucks, and we've all been affected by it in one way or another. This, too, will pass.


** UPDATE **
  • Beta maintenance! The Destiny Beta will be OFFLINE for maintenance on all systems from July 21st and July 22nd PDT.


For more information, check the Destiny Beta FAQ on Bungie.net: http://www.bungie.net/en/View/Bungie/DestinyBetaFAQ

Again, if you have any news or updates concerning the Beta, drop it in the comments. It would be nice if we could keep it all together under one thread, for the good of the many.

Be brave!

Preview - Abyss Odyssey
"19th Century Chile. A powerful warlock has fallen into a deep sleep. His nightmares are becoming real, and his monsters emanate into the world above. Enter the Abyss, and confront the source."

Developer ACE Team is creating a monster of a game. They've sampled the DNA of Castlevania, Smash Bros and Pokemon, making the whole thing co-op (Steam shows Local Co-op included), and are about to unleash Abyss Odyssey to the masses in less than a month, on July 15th.

Emphasis seems to be on the combat system, that resembles classic 2D fighters like Street Fighter, but with a move set more akin to Smash Bros (easy to pickup, hard to master). As you fight through the abyss, you gain the ability to fight as the enemies you defeat. One of the demo videos shows you fighting as a giant bull demon, which looks powerfully fun. Most of the world is procedurally generated, finished in fine detail, with the creative soul that ACE Team is known for. The developer has announced that other game events or objects will be revealed upon community accomplishments, like taking down that narcoleptic Warlock.

ACE Team is responsible for the Zeno Clash games and rolling boulder war simulator Rock of Ages. Abyss Odyssey will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and Steam for $15, with Steam offering a sale right now ($9.99, and includes the soundtrack).

The site Gaming Trend has an interview that was posted a few months ago, and offers a good bit of detail. Check it out: http://gamingtrend.com/2014/03/13/zeno-clash-dev-talks-abyss-odyssey/

Official site here: http://www.abyssodyssey.com/abysspage.html

Awaiting Arrival - Tangiers
"Tangiers is a tense stealth game set within the confines of a dark, self-destructive world. Disregarding the analogue, 'puzzle' trappings common to third-person examples of the genre, Tangiers closely follows the emergent 'immersive sim' mould of Thief. While reverent to the roots of the stealth genre, Tangiers also exists as an homage to the darker avant-garde of the 20th century. Unfolding as the player progresses into a world built in the shadow of William Burroughs, J.G. Ballard, Dada, Early Industrial and many, many others."

Features:
  • Sandbox, shadow based stealth gameplay closely modeled on the Thief series (not the fourth one).

  • Steal language, re-using it to spread disinformation and to further your goals.

  • An original dark ambient, early industrial tinged soundtrack.

  • A world that corrupts and rebuilds itself in response to your actions.

  • Journey through a paranoid, visually unique world.


I remember playing Thief on the PC years ago, and feeling a sense of fear and aprehension for what I was trying to attempt in a virtual world. The sneaking and hiding, and variety of ways I could navigate the world to reach my objective was an entirely new and captivating experience. Tangiers looks to take that spirit and dip it in the industrialized trippy sauce, and deliver it to us sometime later this year. Successfully Kickstarted in August of 2013, developer UK Studio Andalusian seem to have a proper and well fleshed nightmare on their hands (in the best possible way). I especially like the bit about stealing language and using that to your advantage. Sounds promising. Coming to PC, Mac, Linux, and currently undisclosed consoles.

Head to their site for more screenshots and information: http://tangiersgame.com/

Transistor - See You in the Country
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"Transistor is a sci-fi themed action RPG that invites players to wield an extraordinary weapon of unknown origin as they fight through a stunning futuristic city."

Transistor is richly decorated, savory/sweet, ear, eye and soul candy. It even tastes good. Yeah, I licked my screen. It hurt a little, but it was delicious.

No, I didn’t really lick my screen. But I want to. I want to immerse into Transistor with as many senses as I have. For how barren the world is, Transistor absolutely drips with life. A world of death, where everything is alive. Lonely, but not alone. You don't really quite know what's going on at the start, but you get the feeling that you are caught up in the middle of something. Something big. You see a man lying on the street with an odd weapon stuck in his chest. The Transistor. It calls you Red, tells you to pull it from him. When it speaks to you, it seems to know you. You take to the streets to try to find answers. There are interactive kiosks scattered about, offering news updates, citizen polling, weather predictions... Sometimes Red will interact by posting a comment for the city to read, which can give keen insight into what she's going through, emotionally. A pseudo-multiplayer experience exists, somewhat similar to Dark Souls, where you see the ghosts of other players skittering through the streets. There are also in-games statistics that seem to represent global activity in certain polls or weapon use percentages, but I wasn’t able to verify whether this is actually tied to global statistics, or just made to represent such a thing. Either way, even an echo of life can be reassuring when you’re fighting alone. Story information is fed to you from the environment, from Functions you equip - offensive and defensive executable actions - and even from the enemies. They all join together, in a very synergetic way, to flesh out the mystery of this ghost town known as Cloudbank. This is one of the things I love most about Transistor, how it unravels it’s mysteries.

Style plays just as much a part in telling the story, too. Since there aren’t really many people around town, to speak of, the change in tone and color, in the design of the layout, can go to significant lengths to convey poignant emotion. Music and other sound cues are also masterfully designed. Logan Cunningham, known for his voice work in Bastion, developer Supergiant Games’ previous debut hit, returns as the voice of the Transistor, giving sometimes cryptic, but often specifically contextual, commentary on what transpires here. This voice reminds me of all the good things about Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite. Very little to do with impacting your direct gameplay, but a constant presence with significant influence on how you participate with the game. The Voice is very much the soul of the experience.

Not your typical RPG, Supergiant has successfully combined party management, ability management, and ability modification, all within the same mechanic. That is to say, your abilities (Functions) are imbued by the spirits (called Traces) of the party member that hosts it, and when you combine said abilities, you not only kick a little more ass, but also learn more about your party members situation. It plays out in a more simplified fashion, but I found it clever, and it works really well. If you want the full story, you have to accept the challenge of trying out different Function combinations. You’ll unlock most Functions as you level up, but some will come in other, more story-driven ways. While I’m on the topic, if you fall to zero health in battle, rather than die, you’ll temporarily lose an assigned Function, and then your life bar is filled back to full, and then the process continues (pun intended). Now you finish the fight, but with less of a punch. Oh, and the Functions are lost by priority of most powerful. Makes for interesting challenges when assembling your arsenal. Go with one heavy hitter and a few light backups, and you’ll find yourself quite underpowered should you take a fall. All ability assignment and modification is managed at save points, which are, thankfully, abundant. Your lost Functions will eventually be recovered here as well. You’ll also unlock Limiters, which are fancy trinkets that allow you to modify the combat challenge.

I highly recommend Transistor to anyone looking for a soulful, strategic, action combat adventure. If you do pick it up, words of advice: Soak it all in. Pay attention to the voice(s). Play with headphones. Play with a controller (if you get it on Steam, like I did). Play in the evening, and if you’re lucky, when it’s raining. Sea Monster is really the only option. Read between the lines. Play with Luna. Stick around after the credits. Play it twice (the Recourse allows continued use of retained Functions, and leveling up, as well as subtle story changes). This isn’t Bastion, and it doesn’t try to be. This is a good thing. Don’t be sad. This is a good thing.

Sometimes, A Glimmer Of Hope Is All That's Needed
As gamers, I'm sure most of us love to hear about new game announcements. Better still when the game actually sees the light of day (but, not always, especially if you're a Superman fan). Sometimes, the waiting between reveal and release can be excruciating, but the slightest sign of hope can be enough to hold you over. At about 2:02 in the above video, Michel Ansel, the mind behind Rayman Origins, literally flashes such a sign to all Beyond Good & Evil fans.

Sometimes...sometimes, this is all we need.

Is there a game like that for you (besides Half-Life 3)? What game(s) did you wait near eternity for, and, when they finally arrived, satiated your nerd-heart? Also, is "nerd-heart" redundant?