Month in Review: June 2011 Continued

As promised, the games played.

Games Played

CSI: Fatal Conspiracy (X360)

I think I've gone on a bit of a crime thriller binge lately and what better way to counter the polished quality of L.A. Noire and the originality of Fahrenheit (see below) than with the latest in a string of decidedly average point-n-click CSI licenses? Some of you might know that I have a BSc in Forensic Sciences, a course of study that allows to me ridicule said TV show and by extension, any games based upon it. In the words of bully Nelson: Ha-ha! Anyway, I play these games as a brief diversion, nothing more. I don't expect wonders and actually appreciate the chance to apply a straightforward sense of logic without all the distractions found in other, better games. Four cases down, just one to go. And 22 achievements unlocked for a whopping 790 points.

Fahrenheit (PS2)

Just as I prophesied in my last blog, Fahrenheit (that's Indigo Prophecy) does turn into one rather long Quick-Time Event as the game progresses, with entire sequences, chapters and even cut-scenes reliant on swingin' those analog sticks like a high paced game of Simon. But you know what? I actually didn't mind a bit. In a way it feels therapeutic, more like a rhythm or casual game than the obnoxious interrupt-styIe button mashers that plague some games. In other words, because the QTEs are completely integral to the core gameplay that kind of makes them okay in my eyes, inoffensive and even welcomed when they appear. Fahrenheit's easy on the eyes, easy on the thumbs method is a stylistic design choice, not a random irritation thrown in by masochistic game devs looking for a way to make their boss fights or chase sequences more frantic: "Press X-Y-UP-DOWN-IN-OUT-SHAKEITALLABOUT now or die! Mwahaha!" Anyway, despite my acceptance of Quantic Dream's controversial design choice, I cannot afford to be as forgiving with regards to plot. Fahrenheit starts out as a fantastic crime thriller with a supernatural twist, a tense tale with neatly interlaced chapters told from opposite sides of the law and three different perspectives. A neat idea and one that works fantastically well until about a third of the way into the game where things start getting flabby and way too much time is spent doing mundane, unrelated activities: kick-boxing workouts, playing yo-yo in the office, even horizontal dancing. I can imagine the reasoning behind getting to know our characters intimately (even the boring stuff), but that thinking is promptly thrown out the window sometime in the third act where the plot suddenly jumps from 'interesting, implausible but I'll run with it' into 'what the heckers?' territory, missing several key turns along the way. It's like there's a missing reel or something... scratch that, it's like the entire ending was supplanted with one from another narrative. The supernatural weave quickly unravels into a mess of loose threads, the action seems lifted directly from the third Matrix film and previously well fleshed-out, cautious characters take such leaps of baffling anti-logic and blind faith that I struggle to reconcile that with the dedicated, plodding approach to character development taken in the game's first two-thirds. It may seem like I'm ratting on a good game so let me stress that I really did enjoy playing Fahrenheit right to the closing credits – it is different, quirky, fun and mostly gripping stuff – but like so many have mentioned, Fahrenheit is a game of two halves and is certainly not for everyone.

L.A. Noire (X360)

In the end I really liked playing L.A. Noire, even though my previous comments about oversimplification of the dialogue/interrogation system stands. I want to focus on the parts of the game I enjoyed the most: the setting, atmosphere and cIassy 40's film quality throughout. The story picked up too, with Cole's background, the cases he works on and the newspaper reports all interweaving with the overall plot arc. Actually, I enjoyed my time in 40's L.A. so much I even took the time to track down a bunch of the collectables, post-game. I found most of the film reels (picking up the remainder with a guide), all the landmarks, street crimes and a large chunk of the cars. I don't think I'll 100% the game, there are just too many vehicles to track down! Anyway, I've finished the game, resting on 91.9% completion and have so far completed three of the four DLC cases. I also dinged 33 more achievements for 825 points.

Shadow of Memories (PS2)

A bit of an oddity, plucked at random from my extensive PS2 backlog to play after finishing Fahrenheit. Known as Shadow of Destiny elsewhere in the world (a much more apt name), Shadow of Memories is a unique take on the puzzle/adventure genre. You start the game off by dying, attacked by an unknown assailant, only to be plucked from oblivion by a meddling little creature intent on giving you another chance... and another... and another. Armed with a nifty time-travelling device you must jump back and forth in time, attempting to unravel your current destiny and hopefully find some way to prevent it before the fated hour. Trouble is, changing the past has consequences and, since somebody up there really wants you dead, has little effect other than to change the time and method of your imminent execution. So on and on you must go, mucking up timeline after timeline in an attempt to stave off your grisly fate. Rather selfish (how many grandfathers did you kill today?) though I dare say Sam Beckett would approve! The limited game environment and somewhat repetitive nature let the game down, but kudos for trying something different.

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (PC)

I like point-n-click games. I also like my adventures humorous and if at all possible, nonsensical. Strong Bad is nothing if not nonsensical. Although I've never really paid much attention to the Homestar Runner web comics etc., I enjoyed Telltale's other episodic adventures enough that I was sure a lack of familiarity with the source material would not be a hindrance. Episodes 1 to 3 completed so far and I'm pretty sure I've reached the maximum awesomeness level for each by collecting all the trophies, outfits and whatnot.

The Typing of the Dead (PC)

House of the Dead II was always one of my favourite arcade games, with many a shiny 50p coin lost to the imposing depths of the colossal cabinet. I didn't own a modern console at the time, so instead I longed for some way to faithfully recreate my arcade experiences on PC – a dream that, given the technological nightmare of PC peripherals such as lightguns in the late 90s, could not possibly come to pass. I did however, find something with a much more ingenious approach. I caught a glimpse of The Typing of the Dead in a copy of PC Gamer. It was superficially House of the Dead II... but instead of trying to emulate brain-blasting, gun-blazing action in the home it was mutated into a sickeningly whacked-out typing tutor! I remember thinking that I'd found my calling. I could touch-type proficiently since the age of eight and here at last was something that could put my skill of limited practical application to real use. Imagine being twelve years old and saving the world from a zombie apocalypse with just eight speedy digits and a keyboard slung around your neck like all the cool kids are wearing... err... well, suffice to say I never, ever tracked down a copy of The Typing of the Dead in stores at the time and since then it's become rather the collectable. Thanks to the internet though, I can finally bring my dreams of typographic mayhem to fruition.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (PC)

I can't say that The Witcher 2 has made the same impression on me as the first game (although that one took me four years to finally complete!) but so far I'm mightily impressed. The opening to this game features more political machinations and straightforward action thrills than the relatively slow-building, overtly supernatural edge to the first hours of The Witcher. Not a bad thing; being thrown in media res in a political crisis, civil war to the left, regicide to the right does work to get things kicked off with a bang and does more to help the setting come alive than a distant, dry backstory ever could. Aside from the (so far) good storytelling, the visuals and atmosphere are simply stunning. Dank forests, mist-swathed swamps, muddy peasant hovels, thick morning fog over quietly-rippling waters. It's all so finely detailed and looks so damn right that every environment encountered, however 'otherworldly' it might be, becomes so much more alive than any other game world I can remember. Much like the first Witcher game, the land represented in The Witcher 2 feels like a real world, lived in and well-worn, like it could actually exist somewhere, rather than something hastily cobbled together for the purposes of a fantasy game. I've only just started Act II right now, so my final judgement is some way off, but I'm optimistic. Still, negative points for all the activation kerfuffle (I'm still a touch bitter).

In Conclusion...

With being away on a well-deserved holiday for ten days and an anticipated heavy workload upon my return, I doubt next month will be quite as packed. I've packed my DS though and a couple of games though... the ideal opportunity to play a system I have sadly neglected lately.