Vidcast

I have a couple videos from last night's vidcast on youtube. I am still loading up all of them on there, but here's the links I have up.

Super Meat Boy Discussion
Super Scribblenauts Discussion

Hope you enjoy!

Now on Facebook

Vidjagamers now on Facebook!

I created a page on Facebook for vidjagamers Vidjagamers on Facebook! If you think you have what it takes to be a friend to this blog/podcast you should go there and "like" the page. With more followers I will be able to do more things with the vidjagamers community making this blog/podcast more interesting than a one legged zombie chasing after his source of nutrients, so tell your friends and let's get more followers!

Vidjagamers Podcast #2 will be recorded tonight. The format will follow:
Topic 1 - Games We've Been Playing
Topic 2 - Blizzcon 2010
Topic 3 - Upcoming Games

On a side note: I'd love to see more comments on posts, so don't feel shy to leave your creative and interesting responses below...

A Real Writer

It has come to my attention by my creative writing professor that one of my haiku's may be published in an upcoming literature magazine. My professor submitted the haiku to one of the magazine's that he submits his poems to. While he neglected to tell me which magazine he submitted it to, he did inform me that if it was published he'd make sure to get me a copy.

The haiku he's trying to get published is the same one that I posted on this blog a while back http://vidjagamers.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-breeze.html. Just thought you all might like to know that I'm on my way to becoming a real writer, with real published work.

Psychonauts

I bought Psychonauts for the original Xbox from the 360's Games on Demand. The game was only 1200 Points and it's about 3.5 gigs. I started playing it this morning, and it's pretty fun. The story is very compelling so far and it's something fresh and new. The characters are whacky and are very humorous in a crazy way. I have been compelled to try and collect every collectible that I come across and that has kept me pretty preoccupied for the most part. When I finish the game, I'll try and get a review up.

Vidja Gamers Podcast Number 1

Episode 1 is up! I am putting up the unedited version, because I am too tired to edit it at this point. Enjoy!

Warning: Vulgarity and Cussing ensues
Vidja Gamers Episode 1

I am going to play some Halo and fall asleep now...

Podcasting!

Just bought a Samson CO1U recording microphone from Best Buy so that I can start podcasting! I am going to try and record a podcast tonight, and hopefully have it up by tonight or tomorrow. Joining me on the podcast will be one of my roommates and a couple of other friends.

The Samson C01U

The preferred format for tonight's the show will be:
- Discuss recent games we've been playing
- The recently released WoW 4.0 patch
- New games we are excited for

I'm going to try to keep the podcast within 45 minutes to an hour, and I'll be breaking it up into sections for easy listening. Wish me luck!

Limbo Review

Vidja Gamers Review: Limbo 

Developer: Playdead
Release Date: July 21, 2010

Cost: 1200 Microsoft Points

Thoughts

Limbo is a very dark game, and while it may look childish it has a very dark humor to it. The character you control is a child and he undergoes every visceral death scene imaginable. The death scenes in this game range from being crushed in between a bear trap, dismembered by monstrous spiders, impaled by spikes, being sliced in half by saws, and did I mention death by blowguns? 

Presentation

The story in Limbo is very vague, if there is even supposed to be a story. The game's description says that your character is uncertain of his sister's fate and so he enters limbo to find her. I would have had no idea that this was the actual story of the game if I had not read this description before playing it. Knowing the story behind the game has no impact on playing the game itself. Your character awakes in a forest setting and as you progress through the level you realize that things seem out of place, especially when you run into your first bear trap. While at first it appears the only inhabitants of Limbo are giant spiders you will soon find other humans who want you dead, which just adds to the mystery of this game. 

Graphics

Limbo has a very unique visual aesthetic and almost seems to be an art-form in itself. There are only two colors in the game; black and white. The color is contrast is done extremely well, and having only two colors adds even more to the game's puzzle elements, since traps blend in so well with the background. The background and foreground art changed throughout the game and add more depth to the game which make it seems like Limbo is it's own world. While the artwork may seem simple and the shading of the game even simpler, it is done with a polish that few other games can deliver.

Audio

The music in this game is amazing, or should I say “lack” of music. There are very few portions of this game where music plays and for the most part you will find yourself wandering through limbo in an eerie silence. The ambiance of the background sound effects, such as rain falling or a mine cart's wheels rolling on a track , add an even deeper level to this game on top of the great visuals. The world really seems to come to life, and I could feel the tension building in the game as the game progressed and the puzzles got harder, since the most distinguished noises in the game came from traps which would cause a cacophony of destruction.

Gameplay

At it's core Limbo is a platforming puzzle game. You progress through each of the 24 chapters in a linear fashion. Slowly making your way from one side of the stage to other while solving a myriad of puzzles along the way. Puzzles are solved by pulling objects through the level and with carefully timed jumps, as these are the only two actions that can be performed in the game. I must give forewarning to be prepared to die while trying to solve Limbo's puzzles, because you will be dieing frequently. Dieing in Limbo doesn't really have any harsh forms of punishment since the checkpoint system is done really well and you generally start at the beginning of the puzzle that you died at. The early puzzles in this game mainly involve spotting traps and avoiding them with well timed jumps, but at the end you will be using gravity switches that you will have to use to move boxes and yourself around the map so that you can reach higher areas. With a little patience and some quick reflexes you will have a great time solving this game's puzzles.

Summary

Limbo is a short game and will last the average person three to four hours, and while it's not a game that you'll be playing over and over I expect to replay it at least once more to collect the “secret eggs” hidden throughout the levels which unlock achievement points. Limbo is a game with simple design, a simple control scheme, but it delivers an elegant experience and I'd recommend it to anybody who would like to try something new on Xbox Live Arcade or anybody who loves a good challenge.

Rating 4.5 out of 5

To Buy or Not to Buy

Here's the dilemma... I want to buy Microsoft Points so that I can buy Limbo, but all through October if you spend 2400 Microsoft Points then Microsoft will reward you with 800 bonus points. Unfortunately you can't just buy 2400 points, Microsoft knows this too and is exploiting it in their marketing. Either I'll have to buy 1600 points plus the separate 800 points which is $40, or I have to buy the 4000 point package for $50. I'm leaning towards the 4000 points because then at least I'll have the extra points for when the next great arcade game comes out. I'm glad I had this conversation with myself...

You can expect a review for Limbo to be up before the end of this weekend!

Fall Breeze

I know this isn't a video game related post, but I wanted to post my Japanese haiku here.

Akikaze ya
tada tame tabi
hara ban

Fall breeze...
Free to travel
The evening fields

Halo: Reach Review

Many gamers that I know have had their best video game moments while playing Halo. I remember calling twelve of my friends over to my house. I remember making them haul over their television, Xbox, a copy of Halo, and multiple cases of Mountain Dew. I remember cramming all of us into one house strewn across multiple rooms and playing the original Halo for hours on end, all the while letting the mayhem and carnage ensue around me. This is what Halo: Reach does for me once again, minus hauling everything to one house thanks to the miracles of modern networking.

Halo: Reach is a prequel to the original Halo. No longer is Master Chief the only Spartan left in the universe, and although he doesn't make an appearance here, you'll learn to love this new Spartan group that you play through the campaign with. Enter Noble 6, this is your character in Halo: Reach, and he has been assigned to Noble squad. Over the course of the campaign, you and your companions from Noble squad will battle through a plethora of Covenant foes. Reach’s story arc spans ten chapters, which will typically take the average gamer eight to ten hours before the end credits, during which you will be pulled into what is in my mind the most epic of Halo's story-lines. As a longtime fan of the series, I can safely say that Reach’s finale ranks among the series’ best. I even shed a tear here and there, but I'll keep this review free of spoilers.

You will traverse a variety of areas across Reach, from mountain top cities to Covenant bases, and there are even a few missions that take place in space. The core shooter mechanics of the franchise haven’t changed all that much in Reach, but have been tweaked to near perfection. While Bungie has removed the possibility of dual wielding weapons, they have added a few new weapons to the Spartans arsenal. Among the new additions is the needle rifle, where three shots to one spot causes the needles to detonate. Another welcome addition to the series is the use of abilities. These perks found throughout the course of the campaign give Noble 6 special capabilities. You start out with the sprint modifier, but throughout the game you will find a multitude of abilities, from the capability to drop a bubble shield at will, to an armor lock-up that makes you impervious to all damage. While these abilities are on a cool down timer, they do come up regularly and can help turn the tide of battle in your favor.

Halo: Reach is the best looking Halo game to date. The action looks great and runs smooth. All of the Covenant costumes are really well done and makes them all feel different and unique for the most part in the campaign. The cut-scenes are well done, and will have you immersed into the story and have you wanting to know more about your companions on Noble team. Even better, you now have the option to customize the armor of Noble 6, and these changes are visible during both game play and cut-scenes. This helps to make you feel unique and different from the millions of other Spartans playing this game.

The sound in Halo: Reach is phenomenal as well. Hearing the explosions and bullets erupt around you makes this game almost feel realistic. The squad's dialogue is very well done, making you feel like your teammates are really talking to you. If you face or walk away from your teammates, their volume will decrease, causing you to move towards them again so that you can hear what they are saying to keep you involved in the action. The music for the cut-scenes, game menus, and title screen are all well orchestrated, which is nothing less than I'd expect from the audio team at Bungie. They did a great job delivering an audibly pleasing experience, and giving me a better sense of immersion than titles offered by other developers.

Multiplayer will definitely keep players coming back for more. This is a game people will be playing for months and months to come. Halo's multiplayer experience is really what this game is about. The game modes are really well done and before each round you and your fellow players get to vote on which map or game mode that you wish to partake in. The variety of game modes is enormous, and will keep things fresh and interesting for even veteran Halo players. Infection, a fan-favorite game mode in the series, makes its return here. Racing mode is a welcome addition, where you race an all-terrain vehicle through checkpoints while trying to maintain control of your unruly vehicle. If all that wasn't enough, you can also participate in Firefight once again.

Halo: Reach has a great story which breathes some fresh air into the Spartan story-arc by allowing you to play as someone other than Master Chief for once. The multiplayer game play will be bringing you back for months to come, and you will enjoy what these modes have to offer. I'm sure that this will be a game that will give me new stories to tell about how video games brought me and my friends closer than we ever wanted to be.

Ichi

This is a momentous occasion for myself. I have been wanting to start blogging about my one true passion for a long while now, and if it wasn't for my busy class schedule and the rigorous hours of vidja gaming I probably would have started this blog years ago. But now I'm making my presence on the internet known, even though nobody will probably ever read this. But I'm going to make the best of this either way. Expect my future posts to inform you all of what I've been playing in the virtual world as well as some snippets about anime, my second passion in life.

If I start ranting in here about games, I do apologize in advance. While I may love vidja games, I also hate them sometimes. Such as the game Limbo. I downloaded the trial for Xbox Live Arcade and while the game is aesthetically pleasing with it's simple color design with just different shades of black, it's puzzle elements were fraying my nerves! In this game you play as a young boy who for no apparent reason must walk through this dreary world by his lonesome and use his wits to solve gruesome puzzles. Seriously who hides a bear trap in the middle of a road!?! And what boy can't swim?!? And how did those spiders get so huge?!? Seriously who let Shelob out of her cave (LotR reference)!?! But in the end, I realized that I enjoyed this game, and I will probably buy it in the future...