Well, it's been a few days since I've gotten both Torchlight and started my 21-day trial of EVE, and while I may not be ready to do full reviews yet, I do have some initial thoughts to share.
I guess I'll start by talking about EVE because I have a lot less to say about it. I've really only put about 5 hours into EVE so far(which is nothing for an MMO) so I can't say I've experienced much but my feelings on what I have experienced are varied. I feel like EVE is incredibly complex and innovative for its time. The combination of detailed graphics as well as it's incredibly realistic space travel physics engine is just astonishing. Traveling across an entire solar system in a matter of seconds is really an amazing feeling. And while these things may be great, they're really the extent of praise I'm willing to give to EVE at the moment. The game is also very economy and freedom oriented but I really haven't been playing enough to say if I like these things or not.
The bad part about EVE though is definitely its incredibly steep and punishing learning curve. Right from the get go you have this extremely complicated interface filled with tons of windows that link to several more windows each. I'm finding that it really is a hassle to try and immerse myself into this game because every hour or so of playing it I begin to feel incredibly overwhelmed and need to take a break. Perhaps this is something that will pass eventually but I know it won't be happening anytime soon, that is, if I'm still playing this game in a week or so.
Torchlight on the other hand is a completely different story. With an easy learning curve and a simple diabloesque premise, I haven't really been having the same problems with Torchlight as I've been having with EVE. In fact, the only real problems I have with Torchlight seem to be bugs that the development team is already aware of and is working on putting out a patch to fix. Things like long loading times, experience and item duping exploits and other assorted problems can get in the way, but for the most part Torchlight is a pretty good game. Especially for 18 bucks.
Full Reviews for both games coming November.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Ravenis is Steampowered!
Now that I've got a solid internet connection going on my laptop I'm starting to venture into more PC gaming via Steam. I've never really been much of a PC gamer, aside from a few MMO's I've played over the years. Though I think it's funny that I never knew about Steam before because it really is pretty awesome for PC gaming, particularly if you are playing online. Right now I've only been playing a game called Trackmania Nations Forever which is a free racing game that isn't half bad, but I've also got Torchlight, a highly anticipated diablo-esque game that comes with an editor, on pre-order, as well as a 21 day free trial of EVE that's currently downloading. Expect reviews for all 3 of these games. Well, maybe not EVE but I'll probably at least talk about it in a post. I'm still unsure if I want to review an MMO, but we'll see.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
[Game Review] Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS)
Wow. I can't believe it's been so long since I've done one of these. It feels really awkward writing this seeing as it's been well over a month since the last. And when you take into consideration that I never did finish The Diabolical Box. . . Ah, well. No one's perfect. Not even this game. But it sure puts in a good effort. Now without any further ado(and by ado, I mean rekindling the awkwardness between me and those reading this), let us continue on to my psuedo-formal review I've got prepared for you guys!
Storyline
AHHH! IT'S THE BLORBS! Hah, so much for not being awkward. But I suppose if you haven't played this game yet you don't know why I'm laughing right now. I really don't want to say much about the story for a couple of reasons though, to be honest. One reason being that there really isn't a lot there to talk about without spoiling something and another being the little that is there can be pretty genius. It's not that Bowser's Inside Story has a strong plot, rather it has a neat premise with fun dialogue. But of course, being that it's a Mario game there are glaring plot holes(like the lack of an explanation for traveling between bowser and the world via pipes!) Not that it really matters. But you can't really be surprised by my score for this section.
Score: Slightly Above Average 7/10
Gameplay
Perhaps the best thing the Mario & Luigi has to offer is it's constant ability to combine refined, interactive gameplay whilst incorporating new mechanics throughout the series to keep things interesting. I find it increasingly impressive that Mario & Luigi have made it through three games without feeling the slightest bit redundant. Similar to its predecessors, Bowser's Inside Story is an adventure RPG game starring the dynamic duo of plumbers known as Mario and Luigi. The adventure aspect of the game includes two large, explorable worlds with enemies, items and hidden areas to discover, while incorporating many platforming elements such as timed jumps and other moves the bros learn throughout their adventure. However, the combat system of the game maintains being turn based but incorporates timing into both attacking and defending or avoiding the enemies attacks. It is almost like an action RPG, only with turns. Sounds weird? Well, probably not if you've already played a previous game in the series.
One thing that is different in this game as opposed to the rest of the series though is your control of Bowser. While this technically isn't the first time Bowser has starred as a playable character in a Mario game, I'm fairly certain it's the first time Bowser stars as a world for Mario & Luigi to explore. And it's not just that you explore the insides of Bowser but you actually end up playing a lot of little minigames inside of him, such as tapping bits of food as Bowser swallows it to digest it. And despite Bowser's unawareness, you actually work together a lot to fight a common enemy in the end. As for controlling Bowser himself, only one thing really stood out to me as awesome, but I don't want to spoil it(you'll know what I'm talking about the first time it happens.) Other than that, Bowser just punches, breathes fire and performs other moves that overall feel a bit uninspired, yet not too disappointing. One last thing I want to mention that I almost forgot is that if you enter a battle as Bowser, some enemies can actually be swallowed for Mario and Luigi to fight. I thought this was actually pretty innovative, but like I said, it's not the most impressive thing you'll see Bowser do in this game.
To be honest, I could spend a whole lot more time talking about the gameplay of this game, but instead I'm not going to spoil every little detail. I want you to explore this game and all of its little surprises as I did. Because they developers of Bowser's Inside Story did a really good job on innovating a lot of classic aspects of both Mario games in general and the Mario & Luigi series as a whole.
Score: Almost Perfect 9/10
Sound & Graphics
When it comes to the sound and graphics for Bowser's Inside Story, I almost feel like sound should just have its own section. The graphics for the game a pretty average and for the most part what you would expect from a Mario & Luigi game on the DS. The sound on the other hand, well exceeds expectations. It's not enough that they put in the effort to make a diverse soundtrack for the game but they actually made remixes of songs that they played while you were inside Bowser. I truly feel like they outdid themselves with the music this time around, and for that reason alone I'm giving a pretty good score.
Score: Almost Perfect 9/10
Final Thoughts
There truly is a lot to say about Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, but you have to realize that the only reason that's true is because this game is packed full of surprises. With over 30 hours of exciting and innovative gameplay(if you do the extra stuff) I would recommend this game to just about anyone. Whether your a Mario junkie who isn't real into RPGs or longer games in general, or you are that hardcore gamer that wants to feel immersed. This game has enough appeal for both sides of the gaming spectrum. So if you have a DS and haven't played this game yet, my only question is, "What are you waiting for?!"
My overall score is: 8.4/10.0
Storyline
AHHH! IT'S THE BLORBS! Hah, so much for not being awkward. But I suppose if you haven't played this game yet you don't know why I'm laughing right now. I really don't want to say much about the story for a couple of reasons though, to be honest. One reason being that there really isn't a lot there to talk about without spoiling something and another being the little that is there can be pretty genius. It's not that Bowser's Inside Story has a strong plot, rather it has a neat premise with fun dialogue. But of course, being that it's a Mario game there are glaring plot holes(like the lack of an explanation for traveling between bowser and the world via pipes!) Not that it really matters. But you can't really be surprised by my score for this section.
Score: Slightly Above Average 7/10
Gameplay
Perhaps the best thing the Mario & Luigi has to offer is it's constant ability to combine refined, interactive gameplay whilst incorporating new mechanics throughout the series to keep things interesting. I find it increasingly impressive that Mario & Luigi have made it through three games without feeling the slightest bit redundant. Similar to its predecessors, Bowser's Inside Story is an adventure RPG game starring the dynamic duo of plumbers known as Mario and Luigi. The adventure aspect of the game includes two large, explorable worlds with enemies, items and hidden areas to discover, while incorporating many platforming elements such as timed jumps and other moves the bros learn throughout their adventure. However, the combat system of the game maintains being turn based but incorporates timing into both attacking and defending or avoiding the enemies attacks. It is almost like an action RPG, only with turns. Sounds weird? Well, probably not if you've already played a previous game in the series.
One thing that is different in this game as opposed to the rest of the series though is your control of Bowser. While this technically isn't the first time Bowser has starred as a playable character in a Mario game, I'm fairly certain it's the first time Bowser stars as a world for Mario & Luigi to explore. And it's not just that you explore the insides of Bowser but you actually end up playing a lot of little minigames inside of him, such as tapping bits of food as Bowser swallows it to digest it. And despite Bowser's unawareness, you actually work together a lot to fight a common enemy in the end. As for controlling Bowser himself, only one thing really stood out to me as awesome, but I don't want to spoil it(you'll know what I'm talking about the first time it happens.) Other than that, Bowser just punches, breathes fire and performs other moves that overall feel a bit uninspired, yet not too disappointing. One last thing I want to mention that I almost forgot is that if you enter a battle as Bowser, some enemies can actually be swallowed for Mario and Luigi to fight. I thought this was actually pretty innovative, but like I said, it's not the most impressive thing you'll see Bowser do in this game.
To be honest, I could spend a whole lot more time talking about the gameplay of this game, but instead I'm not going to spoil every little detail. I want you to explore this game and all of its little surprises as I did. Because they developers of Bowser's Inside Story did a really good job on innovating a lot of classic aspects of both Mario games in general and the Mario & Luigi series as a whole.
Score: Almost Perfect 9/10
Sound & Graphics
When it comes to the sound and graphics for Bowser's Inside Story, I almost feel like sound should just have its own section. The graphics for the game a pretty average and for the most part what you would expect from a Mario & Luigi game on the DS. The sound on the other hand, well exceeds expectations. It's not enough that they put in the effort to make a diverse soundtrack for the game but they actually made remixes of songs that they played while you were inside Bowser. I truly feel like they outdid themselves with the music this time around, and for that reason alone I'm giving a pretty good score.
Score: Almost Perfect 9/10
Final Thoughts
There truly is a lot to say about Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, but you have to realize that the only reason that's true is because this game is packed full of surprises. With over 30 hours of exciting and innovative gameplay(if you do the extra stuff) I would recommend this game to just about anyone. Whether your a Mario junkie who isn't real into RPGs or longer games in general, or you are that hardcore gamer that wants to feel immersed. This game has enough appeal for both sides of the gaming spectrum. So if you have a DS and haven't played this game yet, my only question is, "What are you waiting for?!"
My overall score is: 8.4/10.0
Fuck!
I just did something really stupid that I can't fix. You probably haven't noticed this, but I accidentally deleted my review for Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I might be able to recover it, but I might just have to rewrite it. I do have parts of it saved so, all hope is not lost. But it's worth noting that me deleting this review was part of me trying to save the review for Mario & Luigi, so that will be up soon tonight. But damn, I'm really pissed I deleted that other review. I'm gonna have to see what I can do about that.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
10.20.09 update
Wow. i've never been this bad about not updating the blog. Sorry, but I've been having a lot of problems getting the new modem to work lately and haven't had access to internet with the laptop, nor have I really had time to make posts. I know this update doesn't really make up for that, but hopefully I can get back on track posting throughout this week and hopefully stay on track for the rest of the year. As of now, the Review for Mario & Luigi is in the works as well as the next Game Theory. I also had some personal issues I was taking care of that seem to be in the past at this point, so there's really no more excuses. And as much as I would like to promise you the review will be up tomorrow, I know better than to make promises that I could let people down on by this point. But I do intend on having it up by tomorrow.
Monday, October 5, 2009
10.05.09 update
Damn. Mario & Luigi is taking much longer than I expected. Longer than it should, actually. I'm gonna try and get the review out within the next day or so, but no promises. I'm also planning on doing at least one movie review this week, though I might do two, as well as a follow up to my last Game Theory. I hope some of these better posts make up for my laziness and absence.
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