Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Two Parts Form The Whole

After enjoying Sean Hogan and Jon Kittaka's first game Anodyne, I have been watching the development of "Even the Ocean" with anticipation. Recently they gave me access to "motion demo #1" and I am pretty impressed with it.

Sean and Jon's style is very present in "Even the Ocean" and from the first time you open the game, the unique score brings something very different to the table. Whereas Anodyne was a top down Zelda-esque game, Even the Ocean is a side scrolling platformer. The platforming mechanics of Even the Ocean are pretty simple to understand. You have an energy bar that contains two kinds of energy. If you have much more white energy you can jump higher BUT... Read All After enjoying Sean Hogan and Jon Kittaka's first game Anodyne, I have been watching the development of "Even the Ocean" with anticipation. Recently they gave me access to "motion demo #1" and I am pretty impressed with it.

Sean and Jon's style is very present in "Even the Ocean" and from the first time you open the game, the unique score brings something very different to the table. Whereas Anodyne was a top down Zelda-esque game, Even the Ocean is a side scrolling platformer. The platforming mechanics of Even the Ocean are pretty simple to understand. You have an energy bar that contains two kinds of energy. If you have much more white energy you can jump higher BUT you move a bit slower. If you have much more purple energy you move much faster but don't jump as high. If you get all white or all purple energy you die and must start over. I found this mechanic to be fairly unique and I often wasn't aware of which energy was best for each situation. That said, after a bit of experimentation I was able to get everywhere I wanted to go.

Even the Ocean will be a two part game:

"The Ocean"

In this longform platforming adventure, explore and learn the nature, boundaries and future of an fantasy world with diverse landscapes. Balance your energy bar to modify your horizontal and vertical movement speed as you travel through the world of The Ocean, carving your own style of travelling through The Ocean's many areas. Our intent is to make moving through The Ocean feel similar to combat, in the variety of ways different players decide to make it through a room.

The Ocean takes place mainly in "Nature" and "Gauntlet" areas, Gauntlet areas are linear levels with rising and falling tension in the level design, Nature areas are more nonlinear, wider-open areas populated with NPCs. We hope that the combination of these areas with the NPCs, aesthetics and overarching narrative provide a rich framework for players to interpret the themes and ideas behind The Ocean.

"Even"

Even is a woman in her 20s in a fictional present-day seaside town: meet and learn about people around her town, as well as explore Even's thoughts through this slice-of-life walk-and-interact + daydream-exploration-platforming hybrid game that also looks at mechanics developed in The Ocean, but in a shorter manner."

I really like how Analgesic Games builds unique games with a very distinct style. Looking forward to playing the final game to see how the story, music, art and gameplay all come together.

Even the Ocean will release some time on PC, Mac and Linux and when an official date is set, i'll let you know.

http://www.eventheocean.com/

Make sure to read the interview we had with the guys when Even the Ocean was first announced:

http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/1557

Nowhere To Run From The Dystopian Nazi Future From Hell

I'm not gonna lie... I pre-ordered the new Wolfenstein game because this game looks totally sick. That said, the few trailers that have dropped contain some really violent and shocking imagery. Don't get me wrong, I am no slouch to violent stuff. I loved the film Inglorious Basterds so much it sit's on my movie shelf. That said, it seems Wolfenstein: The New Order even ratchets things up quite a bit. To it's credit, to be sure.

I played Wolfenstein: The New Order at PAX prime this last summer and from what I played it was a really polished shooter. Can't wait to get my hands on the game and take down them Nazi's one more time...

Travis Admin wrote on 04/10/2014 at 03:00am

The more I see of this, the more I want it.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/14/2014 at 09:55pm

I was just about to write some "meh, not my bag...", until I watched this: http://youtu.be/FS2_maInRLk

Now I'm interested.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/14/2014 at 09:56pm

Also, I'm sorry I'm 5 days late :(. The time, it escapes me.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/15/2014 at 01:49am

Going to watch that video now.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/15/2014 at 02:02am

WOW. I am more excited that I was. That said, the more I see from the game the more some visuals seriously disturb me.

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New Trailer Reveals The Power of The Gods

Microsoft has released more information about Age of Mythology: Extended Edition in the form of a pretty awesome new trailer. The trailer shows the old version and new version side by side. The trailer goes over the new updated HD visuals, water effects, global lighting, day and night cycles, Twitch.tv streaming & Steam multi-player and workshop integration.

Age of Mythology is a really great game that deserves the HD re-release treatment. I really enjoyed the multi-player of Age of Empires and Age of Empires II but didn't like the single player game. Age of Mythology not only has great multi-player but the single player is well worth the price of admission alone.... Read All

New Borderlands coming this year, not developed by Gearbox

I have mixed feelings about Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

On the one hand, more Borderlands! And we finally get to go to the moon base that everyone has been wanting for years now.

On the other hand, it isn't being developed by Gearbox. In the past we've seen good and bad things come from franchises that get games passed around like this, so I'll hold out hope for good things. It's still staying inside 2K, and Randy Pitchford loves the way 2K Australia is handling it, so I'm choosing to trust them until I'm proven otherwise.

The game takes place between Borderlands 1 and 2, and you'll play as familiar characters from the franchise, including Claptrap. Yes, Claptrap is a... Read All

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/09/2014 at 03:59pm

Video explaining the game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smFJaRWwvRs

Like you I have some doubts too. That said, all they need to do it make it awesome and I guess the formula is pretty well established. The game could suck but if the mechanics are right, it should still be a fun game.

Odd thing, they are only releasing on ps3, 360 and PC. My thought it this might just be using the BL2 tech and skipping by the PS4 and XBox One? Odd to see a release not target them.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/09/2014 at 04:40pm

I saw something else (and I thought it was in this article but apparently not) that the reason they're targeting the previous generation is the install base. It would be expensive to add new platforms and not as much reward.

But then, there won't be people flocking to the new platforms without games, so... it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. But, like Randy Pitchford, I'm not in a hurry to jump onto the next generation yet either.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/09/2014 at 05:53pm

Interview with Randy about why this isn't Bl3:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/04/09/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-qa-randy-pitchford-on-why-this-isnt-borderlands-3-and-how-he-loves-to-play-on-pc/

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/10/2014 at 02:26am

@Travis yeah I'm not either. That said, I see almost no value in getting a new console. My PC is just so damn great.

Wait... I mean, a traditional console... I want a Steam Machine.

GABEN FORGIVE!!!

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New Hotline Miami 2 Trailer Comes Out of PAX East

Now that PAX East is upon us the flurry of Indie gaming news is starting. I was happy to see the new trailer drop for Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. Focusing more on many of the new gameplay elements the trailer really showcases the additions Dennation Games has added to the Hotline Miami formula.

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number will release this year on PC, Linux, Mac, PS3, PS4 and Vita.

The Simpsons Minecraft Intro

Recently The Simpsons parodied Minecraft in the show intro. Not as much funny as it is cool to see the Simpsons do it. It's a sign of cultural relevance that certain people and things achieve to be parodied by The Simpsons and Minecraft is popular enough to warrant it.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Review

Azurephile gives this an astounding "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Azurephile gives this a "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Quick Review

Recommended

Seems short

Different playable characters with unique abilities

Not too difficult

Level up Kerrigan and the swarm

New units

Replay-ability and achievements

Multiplayer available

Last night, I finished the expansion to StarCraft II, Heart of the Swarm. It didn't seem to last as long as the campaign, Wings of Liberty, but it was still a lot of fun.

Synopsis: In Heart of the Swarm, you are Kerrigan, pretty much, and are working on getting the swarm back together to get revenge on Mengsk. There are a few different characters you get to control instead of just Kerrigan. Each character has their own unique abilities and roles to play. However,... Read All Quick Review

Recommended

Seems short

Different playable characters with unique abilities

Not too difficult

Level up Kerrigan and the swarm

New units

Replay-ability and achievements

Multiplayer available

Last night, I finished the expansion to StarCraft II, Heart of the Swarm. It didn't seem to last as long as the campaign, Wings of Liberty, but it was still a lot of fun.

Synopsis: In Heart of the Swarm, you are Kerrigan, pretty much, and are working on getting the swarm back together to get revenge on Mengsk. There are a few different characters you get to control instead of just Kerrigan. Each character has their own unique abilities and roles to play. However, Kerrigan is the only character that you work towards leveling up by completing certain objectives in missions. These objectives weren't very difficult to achieve and I was able to level her up to the max by the time I was at the end of the expansion.

Kerrigan and swarm evolution: When leveling up, Kerrigan gains HP and special abilities. Not only do you work on evolving Kerrigan, but you also work on evolving the swarm, your army, by completing missions in the Evolution Pit. This was a fun part of the game where you learn about a creature that acts a certain way and, as a Zerg, you must destroy it and adapt its essence into the swarm.

New and old units: Familiar Zerg units have returned, but they have various mutations that you can choose. There are also new Zerg units, but that applies to the Terrans (in Wings of Liberty) as well. As for the Protoss, what little of them I got to play in the Wings of Liberty campaign, they had some new changes as well. As for the Protoss, we have to wait for their expansion to be released, which, at the time of this writing, has no release date.

Achievements: I can still replay some missions and get achievements that I missed, but I think I've pretty much gotten most of them. Some of them require meeting a certain objective on Hard mode, something I'm not really interested in. I haven't looked up specifics in what you get with the various achievements, but I'm sure I've gotten all the ones that I really wanted. I replayed some of Kerrigan's missions so that I could level her up all the way. There are also multiplayer options for the game, but I'm not really interested in that.

I'm kind of sad to be done with StarCraft II, as I am when finishing a game that I really enjoyed. What's next? Well, I think I'm going to give this Diablo III demo a try.

Anyway, in summary, if you liked StarCraft, you'll probably like StarCraft II and the expansion, Heart of the Swarm. I'm really impressed with Blizzard for the games I've played (Warcraft I & II, StarCraft I & II). I'm also really impressed that after all of these years, StarCraft got a sequel and it was done with excellence.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/08/2014 at 01:04am

I really liked Heart of the Swarm. It was everything I wanted from a Zerg expansion(my fav race). I am really eager to hear about when Legacy of the Void will come out. Now that the new Diablo III expansion is out I hope they mention it's release date or just talk about how development is coming along with it.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/08/2014 at 01:04am

Oh and I didn't get all the achievements either. I went back to Wings of Liberty to try and complete them all and did some but not all.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 04/08/2014 at 03:15am

I really liked Heart of the Swarm as well. One thing I forgot to mention was that it reminded me of Spore, how you have to gather essence. I'm not sure who my favorite race is, I'm thinking the Terrans because I like their bunkers and some of their units (like the Battlecruiser and Ghost). Which reminds me of a game called StarCraft: Ghost. I don't think it ever made it to being released. I also look forward to the new expansion. I saw a heading that alerted me to its existence and I researched it while writing one of my last entries (the one where I provided links for more info).

As for Diablo III, I just finished the Starter Edition. Travis was trying to talk to me, but I had some issues with getting my messages to him. It would tell me whatever I typed and is "not a valid chat recipient." He said it was probably while he was switching characters, but it could also because I've been having some local network connection issues since I got the new computer. I think I just need a new main Ethernet cable as I know it has a short in it.

Anyway, I think I chose a Barbarian. I was thinking, "is this game really this easy at the beginning or is my character really that much of a bad ass?" It was easy, though I died once in the beginning. I can now saw I've finally played a version of Diablo. I'm not sure that I'll go out and buy it. It was generally ok, but didn't peak my interest. Maybe I'd like it more if I played more of it or one of the older ones.

Still, this brings me back to a point in my gaming life that I hate, what do I play next? I hardly played Lightning Returns and Dragon Age Origins, perhaps I should get back into those games, but I guess they didn't quite peak my interest either. DoTA 2 was ok as well, but none of these games have really captured me like Minecraft, Terraria, and StarCraft II did. I've got to find something else that's epic and awesome.

Travis Admin wrote on 04/08/2014 at 08:06pm

Yeah you don't want to use a cable you know has problems.

Also, if it didn't pique your interest, you may consider trying a different character or upping the difficulty a bit.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 04/08/2014 at 10:49pm

It's a very long Ethernet cable, maybe 20 ft., it connects my switch down here in the basement to the wireless router a floor above. I think something told me there was a short in it and where, but it's been so long and I don't remember what told me that, it may have been something I found out with my NIC. My networking issues are kind of random and last for a few minutes. I haven't thoroughly investigated or troubleshot the issue. Perhaps it's the additional network traffic of having an extra computer running on that cable as well. I don't think it's the wireless router or DSL I'm connected to as it seems to only cause an issue on the two computers here in my room (which are connected to the switch along with the PS3 and Wii).

I'm glad you, Travis, read this post as I was wishing I could "tag" you in it since I mentioned you and wanted you to see what I had said about D3. I was going to send you a message on here to check it, but luckily you already did. As for the game, it did look great and it did function very well. Upping the difficulty a bit would just make things worse. LOL I enjoy being a bad ass character and defeating my enemies without too much trouble. Basically, I like over kill. Hahahaha.

Jon did tell me a while ago (before the expansion's release) that the game was only $20. That's cheap and it wasn't a horrible experience, or bad even really, so I could easily pick it up. Actually, I could just upgrade my Starter Edition and do it digitally. Usually I like to get a hard copy of the game, but there are other factors to think about. Now that I'm running on 3TB, I have plenty of room for digital games and that option would be cool because it'd mean I wouldn't have to drive to GameStop. One more plus about digital copies is that I don't know where my Heart of the Swarm disc is. Luckily, to get HoS working, I just had to download some data and insert the disc key, so I don't need it for a while. It'll show up eventually, I'm sure.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/08/2014 at 11:42pm

The game isn't hard at the start. If you want more of a challenge try a different difficulty mode. Diablo has some REALLY challenging modes now and if you want to ramp it up right away, setting it on higher will do it. If that is still too easy, go one more until you find the right balance.

And yeah, with digital games I don't "lose them." That said, some games I have in Steam get effectively lost right? Because I have so many games I can't really play them all.

Travis Admin wrote on 04/09/2014 at 03:12am

Ha, the gamer's lament. I have too many games to ever play them all.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 04/09/2014 at 11:20am

I don't have that problem. LOL Still, I have plenty of games and and many have replay value.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/10/2014 at 02:25am

I have tons of games with replay value to Greg. In fact, if I stopped buying games i'd be set for years.

Still want to replay Starcraft 2 Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm. I recently started a new character in Diablo III and hit acts I - IV again, which was rad. I come back to Link's Awaking every few years and love it. I've been itching to play Earthbound and Final Fantasy VII again.

I also will prob play PixelJunk Monsters, FTL & Terraria until I am in the grave as well :D

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Every Super NES Start Sequence

Seriously, cataloged in this YouTube video is every Super Nintendo game start sequence in alphabetical order. If there is no English translation of a game, they use the Japanese version. The video is only 9 hours and three minutes so start watching now!

Studio Pixel Will Release Kero Blaster May 11th

Kero Blaster is Studio Pixel's latest game that will launch May 11th on PC and iOS. Studio Pixel was the company behind Cave Story and it seems Kero Blaster falls in the same genre. I like the NES aesthetic of Studio Pixel games and appreciate how the main character of Kero Blaster is a frog with a gun.

Kero Blaster is releasing on PC on the Indie Game site http://www.playism-games.com/ It's an interesting service I hadn't heard of that is similar to GOG.com or the Humble Store.

Reviving A Franchise One Reaper At A Time

When Diablo III first launched I was hooked. I enjoyed running through Sanctuary with SnuggyBunny, my Witch Doctor, collecting loot and murdering evil. That said, after I killed Diablo a few times I started having less and less fun. The loot started to suck, I didn't enjoy having to relive the story over and over and the game wasn't that challenging. My interest died off but I would occasionally come back to SnuggyBunny to dispatch evil.

When the loot 2.0 patch hit what little I played I loved. Diablo III was fun again and I was getting some really amazing gear. Many of my friends came back to the game and we were enjoying playing it together. A bit after loot 2.0 hit... Read All