'nuff said...

I don't know if many of you were waiting for this game or how many of you read the Gamespot review, but Damnation was one of these games I was a little bit excited about when it was first announced. I guess it was probably because of its Steampunk settings and the whole vertical combat thing (still have high hopes for Dark Void to make it work), and as time went by I got ever so slightly less excited every time I read a preview or watched an interview. It seemed to me like the developers are taking good ideas, and implement then in a totally stupid way. For example, when I heard about the types of weapons in Damnation, I was completely disgusted by the enthusiastic manner the interviewee described a four barreled shotgun (a completely useless weapon) and the lack of any attention to the air-powered machine gun, which I think is an amazing concept and a superior weapon in the game. I know it is just a little thing, but it seems to me that the developers got overly excited about the wrong things, and instead of use this imaginative settings to create something truly unique, they just tried and be accepted at the cool kids table.

So as you probably figured out from my incisive rambling, I picked up a copy of Damnation a short while after its release, and I am disappointed, so say the least. At first, when I just started playing, I dismissed the bad reviews, and found myself having fun, jumping and climbing about the vast (if linear) environments. But after easily dispatched of a courtyard full of generic enemies for the third time and after I seen through every twist in the paper-thin plot, I realized the reviews were right; Damnation is a one-trick, brain-dead pony.
Expect my full review once I bring myself to finish this damned game.
Oh, and just because it was the single awesome thing in the game so far, I give you...
The Steampunk Zombie (like-thing)!

Just letting you all know I've posted a new review on my page - Resident Evil 5.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time I review an X360 game, so I guess it is some sort of milestone (hooray!).

Nothing else to report, apart from some new videos (go check 'em out), so this is kind of a short post... but don't you worry, you'll be hearing from me soon enough!

Thanks for your interest!

For the last few days I've been playing, among other titles, a game called "The Path". Some of you might have heard about it, but for those who haven't: "The Path" is a small indie game that tells the story of little red riding hood, but from the perspective of six young girls, representing all sorts of adolescence vices. The game starts with a simple objective: Go to grandmother's house, and stay on the path. Of course, if you do that the game ends with a failure.

I say game, but this unique experience is more like an interactive story than an actual video game. You mostly just wander around the forest, looking for various items to interact with and collect. The most interesting part of this exploration is encountering the wolves; each girl has her own type of wolf that corresponds to her so called sin. The goal of the game is finding that wolf, after interacting with everything you can find (some objects can only be used by certain girls). I have not yet discovered if the amount of objects collected effects the game somehow, put I do know that in order to finish a level you must find and interact with the wolf; only than will you be able to go to granny's house.

The main reason I'm enjoying "The Path" is because of its refreshing art style and story telling elements. To tell you the truth, it took me a few tries to get used to the game, but once I did, I can hardly stop. Walking between the trees, interacting with all sorts of creepy items (and a weird little girl dressed in white), trying to understand what this specific character is all about feels like a waking dream, and once you see a girl to her journey's end, reality comes crushing down and the ugly truth is finally revealed.

While lacking any real gameplay experience, and focusing mainly on exploring, "The Path" joins such great indie games such as "World of Goo" and "Penumbra" in proving games don't have to have cutting-edge graphics and physics engines to be immersive and fun. Any adventurer who likes to talk a stroll in someone else's mind can do so in "The Path", and he might even enjoy taking in the sights of the beautiful forest, disturbing music and enchantingly twisted take on this classic tale about the dangers of growing up.

Support indie developers - play the game!

I'll start with some progress report:

First, I've posted 2 new (very contrasting) reviews last month: one for the superb Eternal Darkness (GC) and one for the awful Wheelman (PC). Feel free to read them, rate them and comment about them.
Secondly, I uploaded several new Game Ending videos, one of which is for Silent Hill: Homecoming and it includes all of the available endings and costumes, directly from my PC. So go check it out.

And now, on to the main event: Resident Evil 5 (among other games).
I recently played this overly hyped game on the X360 (with the friend who owns it) and I find it to be two things: fun to play in Co-op mode (and only in Co-op mode), and not scary in the least. While RE4 (or 4RE) had it's moments of horror (mostly because you were all along in a big spooky castle, surrounded by "not-zombies"), R5E is about as scary as a box of kittens (very manly kittens that is).

There only two things I'm going to say about the gameplay:
1. If you are going to play this game, find a friend to play it with. Trust me, it's the only way the game can be fun.
2. The one behind the idea of not using a split-screen in co-op mode (but rather two separate, very small, windows) should be shot in both knees.

Back on topic: R5E is probably one of the least scary games I've played in a while. There is absolutely NOTHING scary about it; not the monster design, not the combat, not the atmosphere or story - NOTHING! R5E is an action game from start to finish, and its attempts at been scary only made me laugh. It is probably the best example to the future of survival horror if game designers wont snap out of their Capcom-induced coma and realize that blowing up heads with laser cannons of is not horror. I have no idea why the RE series continues to get so much attention and glory for betraying its core fan base, and playing R5E only proved to me that the series should have been shot through the brain a long time ago.

If it wasn't for Cryostasis: The Sleep of Reason, I would have probably given up on the genre and go back to playing horror-adventure games. Seriously, Cryostasis is the only 2008-2009 game I can call a true survival horror experience. Sure, Dead Space and Homecoming are both scary, and are considered to be survival horror, but they are both "modern survival horror" which means they put as much emphasis on the action as they do on the horror (and they are both great games). Cryostasis is designed to intrigue and draw the player in, and not to keep him constantly treading in alien guts; and that is what survival horror is all about.

I posted my review of Shellshock 2: Blood Trails a few days ago (click to read). I would appreciate some feedback because it wasn't a simple review to write (it is never easy reviewing obscure games no one actually played). In a nutshell(shock) I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is looking for an intense action game.

I'm already working on my next review (Eternal Darkness) and in the meantime have a lot of fun playing F.E.A.R 2. Just like the first one, it is a great shooter with lots of great action and firefights. Not so scary, but I still like it a lot. Those you followed my recent ratings know I haven't really enjoyed a good game in a while (I think fallout 3 and dead space are the last two games I really liked), so I'm excited to play one that isn't a chore to play through. I haven't finished it yet, but I think everybody with an itchy trigger finger should give F.E.A.R 2 a shot.

In other news: I find it harder and harder to keep referring to myself as a PC gamer. What with all the PS2 and X360 games I've been playing lately, I'm considering buying a my very own console (the PS2 doesn't count, it is old and used). Can't decide yet between the PS3 and the X360, and everyone who ever spoke to me knows I wont be getting a Wii (unless my Gamecube owning girlfriend decides I'm getting HER one). I still do most of my gaming on the PC but I'm having so much fun playing console games with my friends, and it is really nice not to worry about the latest GPUs and motherboards (I bought a new case for my new PC a few weeks ago, and I still haven't bought any other parts for it since I'm afraid to). I've been playing on the PC since my first 286, and I still think nothing can compere to handling a mouse and keyboard, but alas... one must get with times if one wants to play Condemned 2 or RE5.

Next time: Wii games I DO want to play, and maybe an updated list of PS2 games.

Don't forget to enjoy my review (or don't, as long as you comment why not).

In my previous post about reviews, I said I was going to review at least 3 games in January. Since than I only reviewed Prince of Persia for the PC, so I've decided so keep my word this time, and actually review the game I say I'm going to review.

I have a pretty big pile of games to play, and although I'm not going to review each one, I am going to review the following games for sure:

Eternal Darkness for the GameCube: I know I said I'm going to review this one a couple of months ago, but I still haven't finished it...

Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason for the PC: I've been waiting for this game for a long long time and I can't wait to enjoy it.

ShellShock 2 for the PC: A shooter I now nothing about, and I doubt many people will play.

F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin for the PC: This one is just a "maybe".

Silent Hill: Homecoming for the PC: If I can secure myself a working copy...

Again, I'm posting this on my blog as a sort of a promise to myself to actually review these games, but I would like to hear some opinions about the games I mentioned.
I know for sure that my next review would be either "Shellshock" or "Eternal Darkness", whichever I finish first.

On a related subject:

I am looking for some new games to play for the PC, X360, GameCube or PS2, so feel free to drop me a recommendation about a game that isn't already in my Collection or Wish list.

Today I played through the demo for the game NecroVision by 1C and Farm 51. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, NecroVision is a first person shooter set in the time of World War I (for a change) and has the player fighting his (or hers) way through hordes of germans, zombies, vampires and other things that go bump in the night.

first thing first: I wont be playing the full game. I was going to since I was really excited about the settings and the gameplay, but after the bitter experience I had playing this demo, I decided not to bother with the game.
I ran NecroVision on high settings (not ultra high) and I was surprised to see how ugly it was, especially the character models. Zombies looked like puppets, and the live germans all looked the same and were really unconvincing. Some of the non-human enemies were better designed, but still nothing special. Environments were slighty better, with smoother textures, but again, the blend colours of grey and black were not inspiring.

The demo takes place on the second level of the game, leading the hero through a ruined german castle filled with zombies. I must admit the taking down the zombies was pretty fun at first, and when I got the "Trench Gun" (WWI version of the shotgun) it got even better. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise since zombies are my favorite targets. The problem is that apart from shooting, stubbing and burning zombies, there wasn't a lot to do. Sure, there were quite a few levers to pull and buttons to push, but it lacked a real challange. the human enemies can be taken down with one accurate shot to the head or two shots to the chest and it is pretty easy to find ammo and health items just lying around. Even the two-parts "boss fight" was a joke. I died once during the demo, and only because I ran out of time in a certain section.
one other thing: the game took forever to load, and I do mean for ever. I actually got up from the computer and went to eat lunch and watch some T.V. during the initial loading, and it took about 15-20 minutes to finish. If the demo was any good I would have forgiven such insanity, but after 30-45 minutes, when I pressed the "quit" button, it felt like a complete waste of time.

If you've been reading carefully, you must have noticed I used the word "but" a lot, and with good reason. The word "but" pretty much sums up my impressions of this demo: it has some nice moments, but it is too generic and boring. It is hard to imagine it being a small part out of a much longer game. I can't imagine myself playing more than an hour of NecroVision, and it is a shame, since I hoped for a good shooter with lots of dark elements and even a slight horror touch.

Since I've been uploading so many "Game ending" videos, a friend of mine suggested I start taking requests for video uploads.

So basically, if there's a game you would like me to post it's ending (and it is not already in my vast collection), go ahead and leave a comment here. I promise I'll consider all of them, and even upload some :).

Oh, and be sure to check out my lastest additions: Saints Row 2, Prince of Persia and World of Goo.

This more of a remainder for myself than an announcement, but here are the games I'm most likely to review this January:

Prince of Persia (PC)

Dead Space (PC) - I've decided not to review this game. It's a good game but I have nothing new to say about it.

Eternal Darkness (GC)

I know that Eternal Darkness is quite old, and that nobody cares about the Cube anymore, but since I only started playing it a couple of weeks ago (and it being a horror game) I feel compelled to review it.
If any another game will find it's way to my PC this month, I'll update the list.

On a related subject:

*Tomb Raider Underworld isn't worth your time and money if you are not a Tomb Raider fan

*Red Alert 3 is a nice game, even for someone how does not enjoy most RTSs (like myself).