I never played the first Saints Row, because I heard it was a mediocre GTA clone. The second one, though, got some good press and people claimed it was the spiritual successor to the PS2-era GTA games. Even though I thought GTA4 was the best in the series, many thought it put too much focus on the serious storyline and took away from the zany antics of its predecessors. So, anyway, I picked it up and it was a lot of fun.
The third game didn't hold a ton of appeal for me. I have it, I got it as part of one of the Humble Bundles at one point, but I have yet to play it. The zany antics took a front seat. You even have a melee weapon shaped like a giant dildo. The dick and... Read All
I never played the first Saints Row, because I heard it was a mediocre GTA clone. The second one, though, got some good press and people claimed it was the spiritual successor to the PS2-era GTA games. Even though I thought GTA4 was the best in the series, many thought it put too much focus on the serious storyline and took away from the zany antics of its predecessors. So, anyway, I picked it up and it was a lot of fun.
The third game didn't hold a ton of appeal for me. I have it, I got it as part of one of the Humble Bundles at one point, but I have yet to play it. The zany antics took a front seat. You even have a melee weapon shaped like a giant dildo. The dick and fart jokes were obviously in full effect, and that's not really my jam, so I have yet to play it. It's still on my backburner, and I intend to get into it someday, but it didn't make me want to dive right in.
Now, the fourth game is on the horizon. There are crazy weapons, and if I'm being honest the dubstep gun looks hilarious. There are, as always, crazy cars. Monster trucks that can take out cars in your way. But then there are superpowers. You can run faster than you can drive. You can jump high enough and glide far enough that planes and helicopters seem unnecessary. And you have what appears to be over-the-top fun hand-to-hand combat. So why would you ever use vehicles or guns?
On the one hand, this seems like a game trying to be too much, throwing in so many different mechanics that it becomes a muddled mess. On the other hand, the freedom to do things the way you want is appealing, and the quests may take a backseat to truly fun sandbox freedom. What's your take?
Oh, and, you are now the President of the United States and you're fighting aliens instead of rival gangs. Can't leave that out.
I think the big thing with the Saint's Row games has been a progressively more outrageous attitude of "Why? Because you can!" It's a fantasy version of GTA, which I've always appreciated, even though I've never played more than a few hours of any Saint's game. This 4th iteration is a little more appealing to me, mostly because of the super powers. Well...and the dubstep gun. That's just genius.
Travis Admin Post Author
wrote on 05/10/2013 at 03:14pm
I did play an hour or so of SR3 after posting this, and I have to admit it's quite a blast so far. I mean I had a gunfight while in freefall. When does that happen?
beansmyname Supporter
wrote on 05/11/2013 at 06:15am
"On the one hand, this seems like a game trying to be too much, throwing in so many different mechanics that it becomes a muddled mess."
That's pretty close to what I said about SR3 before it came out. I anticipated that there would just be too many elements thrown together haphazardly. Instead, I discovered the game had too many elements very carefully thrown together. SR3 is over-the-top without going too far into the realm of absurdity to make it a caricature of its own cleverness.
Still, not as much fun after the missions are complete as SR2. SR2 remains playable LONG after the story missions are done.
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Minecraft fans are notorious for making crazy things in game and this recent fan project is no exception. You need to watch the first 5 minutes of Star Wars rendered in Minecraft.
Awesome.
Minecraft fans are notorious for making crazy things in game and this recent fan project is no exception. You need to watch the first 5 minutes of Star Wars rendered in Minecraft.
Tiy, the lead developer of Starbound recently streamed two hours of Stardew Valley on Twitch.tv. If you are interested in checking out how the game looks at this point in developement, head over and check it out.
The game looks great and based on this video looks very close to a release. More on that when it develops.
http://www.twitch.tv/tiyuri/b/399848607
Tiy, the lead developer of Starbound recently streamed two hours of Stardew Valley on Twitch.tv. If you are interested in checking out how the game looks at this point in developement, head over and check it out.
The game looks great and based on this video looks very close to a release. More on that when it develops.
I just saw this pre-alpha trailer for The Forest on Kill Screen. Looks like it's up on Steam Greenlight. Survival horror, with a bit of craftiness. Doing a quick Google search brings up a Slender clone called Forest, which I believe is an entirely different game, though they look similar, I guess (you're in a forest, and you're supposed to be scared). This game doesn't appear to be a Slender clone. If anything, it looks like a photorealistic Minecraft experience.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=143803558
I just saw this pre-alpha trailer for The Forest on Kill Screen. Looks like it's up on Steam Greenlight. Survival horror, with a bit of craftiness. Doing a quick Google search brings up a Slender clone called Forest, which I believe is an entirely different game, though they look similar, I guess (you're in a forest, and you're supposed to be scared). This game doesn't appear to be a Slender clone. If anything, it looks like a photorealistic Minecraft experience.
This game looks really interesting. Crash your plane, land around a forest and you must survive. I really liked how that worked and then when the player moved away from the camp they made I was like "WHY WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT?" :D
Then they used their lighter in a cave? Then monsters.
Looking forward to this one, thanks for sharing scrypt!
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Diablo III recently released version 1.8, so I thought I'd pop in and see what's up.
The auction houses are offline. Apparently yesterday there was a major gold duping glitch that people think will essentially ruin the economy, so that's awesome. This didn't bother me tonight, because it's been so long since I really played the game that I honestly have no clue what good gear is anymore, so I certainly wasn't about to buy any.
This patch smoothed out a lot of the problems a lot of people have with the game. I played through the last couple of quests of act 1 Inferno, which is so far as far as I've gotten. I can certainly see the progress. The trash mobs feel a lot... Read All
Diablo III recently released version 1.8, so I thought I'd pop in and see what's up.
The auction houses are offline. Apparently yesterday there was a major gold duping glitch that people think will essentially ruin the economy, so that's awesome. This didn't bother me tonight, because it's been so long since I really played the game that I honestly have no clue what good gear is anymore, so I certainly wasn't about to buy any.
This patch smoothed out a lot of the problems a lot of people have with the game. I played through the last couple of quests of act 1 Inferno, which is so far as far as I've gotten. I can certainly see the progress. The trash mobs feel a lot stronger, and the elite packs have been toned down a bit. You now always have to be on guard to a point, but don't freak right the hell out when you see blue or yellow on the screen.
One of my big pet peeves, identifying rare items one by one by one by one by one has been taken care of. You can now visit Deckard Cain (or a book near where he would be) to identify all your items at once. In other streamlining fixes, you can now queue up things to craft so that you don't have to sit there clicking once every few seconds until you're satisfied with what you've done, and you can pull crafting materials from your stash so you don't have to carry those with you to the artisans.
I was amazed at how easily I fell back into the game, having gone many months without really playing it, and it still holds the same appeal. I went on into act 2 after slamming the butcher, and I was able to get through the stupid bee things much more easily than before. The difficulty curve between acts seems to have smoothed out a bit. I then got to an elite pack of vortex desecrator bee things and got handily demolished, and decided that was a good place to call it quits for the night.
Still, progress has definitely been made, and I think I'll look at revamping my gear and getting on to act 2 soon. For anyone who quit the game because of whatever gripes you may have had, it's definitely worth another look.
Just don't expect to get any good gear on the auction house for less than a few billion gold for a few weeks.
Over the weekend I decided to give D3 a spin again after having been away (since around 1.3 or 1.4, can't remember which). And, I was having the same frustrations -- tons of lag deaths, lots of dying before I even saw the champion pack monsters, etc. So I was annoyed all over, and put it away for the next several revisions.
Today, I tried 1.8 because of this post. And, WOW, what a difference. The game feels *so* much better. I died a couple times against the champion packs, but it was from fighting (and packs that have bind and pull buffs -- I'm a ranged DH and hate getting close). It was fun again. I might actually pick it back up and finally hit level 60... Yeah, I have a fairly low tolerance for annoying gameplay so I never maxed out as I was stuck in act 1 of hell mode. I didn't want to grind for gold to buy AH items (or pay cash). I just want to play, have fun, get loot I want to use (instead of sell). So I really hate the AH and don't use it... which feels like a major disadvantage. But, if I can play again, make progress (reasonably quickly -- no grinding for hours with nothing to show for it and losing gold due to repair costs), and have fun, then that is awesome. In fact, I got about 25% of a level in a quick half to quarter hour of play which is much better than I'm used to (I'm level 53, almost 54).
So, yeah, I'd second the thought that you should try it again after this patch.
I played this a bit tonight. Very fun as you said Travis but WOW the lag was incredible.
Travis Admin Post Author
wrote on 05/13/2013 at 04:55pm
Interesting, I haven't had any lag problems in the past few days playing it. Luck of the draw I guess.
I just love the new monster density. Last night in Act 2 inferno at monster power 1 I had to walk through three screens to pick up the loot that I had left behind.
Yeah the loot drops do seem better. I mean most of it is trash compared to what I have. In fact most of it is. I get tons of loot, but none of it is better than the stuff I've had for a few levels now.
Travis Admin Post Author
wrote on 05/13/2013 at 05:12pm
That gets better once you hit level 60, but it is a little annoying when you're leveling a character yeah.
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A.N.N.E. is a gorgeous upcoming 2D pixel side-scroller that mashes up elements of Contra, Castlevania and Blaster Master. It recently caught my attention from its Kickstarter campaign and after I watched the video I was hooked on its interesting gameplay and lush visuals. Currently A.N.N.E. is 7k shy of its backing goals and has 13 days left to achieve it. If this game strikes your fancy and you have a few bucks between stuck in your couch cushions I seriously recommend you consider backing this project.
I want to thank Travis and WhiteboySlim for tossing questions into the hat for this one.
jdodson: From the initial concept to now about how long have you been working... Read All
A.N.N.E. is a gorgeous upcoming 2D pixel side-scroller that mashes up elements of Contra, Castlevania and Blaster Master. It recently caught my attention from its Kickstarter campaign and after I watched the video I was hooked on its interesting gameplay and lush visuals. Currently A.N.N.E. is 7k shy of its backing goals and has 13 days left to achieve it. If this game strikes your fancy and you have a few bucks between stuck in your couch cushions I seriously recommend you consider backing this project.
I want to thank Travis and WhiteboySlim for tossing questions into the hat for this one.
jdodson: From the initial concept to now about how long have you been working on A.N.N.E.?
Mo: For about five months, but on a crazy schedule of 60 hours minimum per week sort of thing. I also wasted some time on a bunch of systems that I ended up getting rid of. Obviously trying things out is often the only way to be sure if itās fun or not!
jdodson: When A.N.N.E. ships about how long will the game take to complete from start to finish?
Mo: I am hoping for a solid ten hours, potentially longer if you intend on doing all the side quests/challenge areas. But it`s something that is always hard to gauge. Once I get into some user testing I will see what needs to be added, if needed, to create a richer experience. I wouldn`t add stuff just for the sake of making the game longer if I feel that the experience is perfect ā 7 hours. But I am pretty sure that the optional challenge areas will keep you busy for a few more hours.
jdodson: Will A.N.N.E. ship sometime in 2013?
Mo: I was initially hoping to release the game at the end of the year but then I had to put a lot of time into Pax East, GDC Play and now Kickstarter. These things are literally full time projects so I had to push the game back a little. I am now targeting a March 2014 release, but itās a soft target depending on the quality of the game once I get there. I want to make sure that the game is solid, so if it starts feeling like I would have to cut corners in order to make it in time I will let everyone know ahead of time and push it back. But in the event that I would have to push it back, I will make sure that I release something out to keep the backers happy. Something like the coop mini game or a demo of the game.
jdodson: A.N.N.E. has some really lush Kickstarter levels. The Super A.N.N.E. bundle looks incredible. What process did you take to design the SNES Cart and Controller and who prints that sort of thing?
Mo: A few people have access to factories that are somehow still making these. I believe some are in China and the one I am dealing with is based in Mexico. These arenāt cheap to make obviously and I do have to make a minimum of 500 SNEs box/cartridges in order for the price to be decentā¦
Travis: Will these promo items be on sale later for people who didnāt support the game via Kickstarter?
Mo: I will definitely have all the current items available post Kickstarter through my website. With the ability to pay using Paypal, Amazon or Google Wallet. I am working on setting these up at the moment.
jdodson: What's the coolest thing in A.N.N.E. you are most excited to have people experience for the first time?
Mo: Taking control of the ship. This is where people realize that itās not just another platforming game. That exploring in the ship and on foot makes for a really refreshing and immersive experience.
WhiteboySlim: Choosing to have the energy crystals serve as both XP and the game currency is an interesting design choice. Was there a specific reason you decided to implement them this way?
Mo: I tried having gold coins and XP, then I felt like it was adding unnecessary complexity in managing currency in the game. I am a big Dark Souls fan and I think that their system was amazing. I wanted something similar that would be a little less punishing.
WhiteboySlim: Will we get to mess around inside our ship? Will we get to make upgrades to our ship?
Mo: Yes! You get to purchase new parts or upgrade these parts from a little terminal inside your ship. The parts are meant to be a way to customize your experience by letting you modify stats such as ship speed, defense power, attack power and also the kind of weapon that your ship has rangin from spread shots to auto lock on. Each of the different weapons coming with different rate of fire and attack power.
jdodson: From the A.N.N.E. reveal trailer, the game already looks quite far in the development process. What are you working on right now in the game development process and what big hurdles do you have to overcome?
Mo: I am still finishing a few of the main systems such as the map and the Inventory/upgrade system. Once that`s set I will be able to just create content for the game; all the game areas, enemies and epic bosses!
Travis: The stretch goals have some great additions in there like New Game+, multiple platforms, etc. Which of these would you most like to implement, taking the extra funding out of the equation?
Mo: I would love to get the game on Wii U, PSN etc⦠But my main focus being on making a great game on my existing tech (PC, Mac, linux) then I shouldn`t have to worry about all those platforms, they should come regardless. So although I would love to release on multiple consoles, the main focus has to be on making a great game.
jdodson: Fast forward to the future a bit and A.N.N.E. is Kickstarted and the game ships to critical acclaim. What's next for Games by Mo? A.N.N.E. expansions or a sequel?
Mo: I do have the sequel already planned in my head. lol But I also have a bunch of other games I would love to do. It`s hard to say at the moment! It will most likely materialize slowly as I get closer to finishing A.N.N.E. I always trust my guts feeling and excitement when jumping onto a new project, so it`s a little early to say for sure what my next project will be.
jdodson: I want to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions today and am VERY excited to see this game get funded and ship! Before we wrap things up, is there anything else you want to say?
Mo: Thank you for the Interview. I would also like to invite everyone to follow me on youtube, facebook or twitter and take a look at the trailer if they haven`t already. Also voting for the game on Steam Greenlight would definitely be appreciated! Cheers!
This is one of my favorite fan dubs ever. How Elizabeth would react to you being a moron in Bioshock Infinite. No real spoilers in this, so feel free to watch while preserving your ignorance!
This is one of my favorite fan dubs ever. How Elizabeth would react to you being a moron in Bioshock Infinite. No real spoilers in this, so feel free to watch while preserving your ignorance!
Watched this after having beat the game. This is really funny. It's a good thing she didn't actually treat me like this when I walked off. I also spent a TON of time rummaging through the trash and yeah, it's kind of gross.
One thing I did think about as I was playing the game though was "why do people throw so much money away?"
Travis Admin Post Author
wrote on 01/02/2014 at 02:50am
Way to necro Jon.
But yeah, this is very poignant after having played the game. You spend a lot of time in the trash, eh?
Travis Admin Post Author
wrote on 01/02/2014 at 02:56am
Oh, I just saw there was a part 2. Way better than the first.
Oh, this is one of those games where you spend way too much time playing. Yup, it's normal minefield. However, it's MMO, you are playing on a giant field with other people all at once. You get points for clearing blocks and placing flags (and much larger negative points for placing incorrect flags or clearing a mine).
It's entirely HTML5, so plays right in your browser.
It's compelling, has leaderboards, and is fun. I recommend giving it a try.
Oh, this is one of those games where you spend way too much time playing. Yup, it's normal minefield. However, it's MMO, you are playing on a giant field with other people all at once. You get points for clearing blocks and placing flags (and much larger negative points for placing incorrect flags or clearing a mine).
It's entirely HTML5, so plays right in your browser.
How many trolls are there who put up incorrect flags just to mess with people?
hardeyez Post Author
wrote on 05/08/2013 at 11:08pm
Ah, you can't. Incorrect flag placement gives you a big points deduction, just like hitting a mine. It works great. But yeah, kinda weird that you know the flags are mines.
Such a brilliant idea. After you shared this with me I promptly bookmarked it and played for much longer than I should have. Performance is even really good until you zoom out to the world view and try to scroll around. Everyone should at least give this a two minute look!
Hey O everyone. I seem to find myself with 6 Firefall invites. One scratchable card and 5 email invites to be exact. The game is in beta right now but I installed it and am trying my hand at the tutorial parts. So far, its quite a bit of fun where other MMO shooters have fallen flat for me. One way Firefall sets itself apart is by having a really great set of intro steps getting you familiar with the game. All of it is optional, but its really useful trying out the classes and seeing what they are capable of.
The game also allows you a really satisfying selection of guns and I really liked the ability to switch between first and third person mode. Nothing janky here,... Read All
Hey O everyone. I seem to find myself with 6 Firefall invites. One scratchable card and 5 email invites to be exact. The game is in beta right now but I installed it and am trying my hand at the tutorial parts. So far, its quite a bit of fun where other MMO shooters have fallen flat for me. One way Firefall sets itself apart is by having a really great set of intro steps getting you familiar with the game. All of it is optional, but its really useful trying out the classes and seeing what they are capable of.
The game also allows you a really satisfying selection of guns and I really liked the ability to switch between first and third person mode. Nothing janky here, the 3rd and FPS modes are very well done.
Oh right its also very pretty too.
**1 Invite Left**
So if you want a invite, hit me up in the comments and ill ship them off.
I actually have 4 invites that I'm sitting on, as well! Anyone that wants are welcome to them.
I decided to jump into Firefall last October (I think it was October...), but haven't been on since January, as there wasn't really that much more to do at the time. Very entertaining though. Almost like a World of Warcraft meets Borderlands feel. I'll make my way back in eventually. Sounds like quite a few things have changed.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 05/08/2013 at 03:13am
@jaelte sent.
@scrypt: I am hacking on the site tonight, let me know what you find. I only played the game a little bit and quite enjoyed what I found.
Peeked back into the game to see what's what. I really like that they added a tutorial/testing area at the beginning. VERY glad to see that all of my content and progress was saved, and hope that continues through the release. I don't expect it to, but it would be nice. See they have Twitch integration now, and more robust system options. Lots of new items to acquire, which will undoubtedly be my prime reason for spending more time in New Eden :).
I fully agree with the top three. I loved NHL '94 a surprising amount for a sport that I knew nothing about before playing it.
Like Tyson's Punch out was highly listed so that's good. Always wanted to play Tecmo Super Bowl.
Personally I would have put NES Golf and Wii Sports on the list.