Adam’s Cerebral Spillage

I’ve spent the last couple of days at home worshipping the white porcelain god in my bathroom with a nasty stomach bug. It’s not been pretty, but I seem to be on the mend now. I knew there was something up after Sunday’s training when I felt like death, even though (warmup aside) it wasn’t a particularly tough lesson. It gave me a chance to plough some more hours into what’s been my favourite game in a long time though, Quantic Dream’s magnum opus, Heavy Rain.

Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain was on my pre-order list as soon as I found out it was being developed by the same team and producer as the criminally under-rated Fahrenheit, which I loved on the PS2. That style of game doesn’t appeal to everyone, as it’s pretty much an interactive story with limited choices available, and a series of QTEs (Quick Time Event – reflex tests, first really shown in the likes of the laserdisc classics Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace, but only really given its new moniker when Shenmue came along), but I love it. I actually finished Heavy Rain yesterday for the first time, and I have to say I loved every minute. This game does a LOT of things right, namely story-telling and presentation, and you can tell that it’s been a real labour of love. Nothing’s been left to chance, and it’s got the same polish and feel as a tense movie thriller. I realise a lot of people haven’t played it yet, and may want to in the future, so for those people, avoid the section below as there are some pretty big spoilers

************************************** SPOILERS BEGIN ***************************************

Firstly there are a few things that still seem unexplained to me, which a bit of backstory would’ve helped with at times. For example, why are there intruders at Madison’s place the first time you meet her? I thought it was going to be related to the story, but it never comes up again, it just felt like an unnecessary mechanic to get her into the motel. Also, where did Norman’s ‘Tripto’ addiction come from? It feels like we were dropped into their storylines a few chapters late.

I didn’t see the twist at the end coming at all, they did really well at keeping the suspicion of guilt moving from one person to another. I’m still not sure how mentally unstable Shelby was supposed to be though. He was obviously very aware of what he was doing, and meticulous in his preparation and execution, so why risk his own life in gunfights trying to get to people he would then accuse of his own crimes? I can only assume he was meant to have pretty stark split personalities, but it was never eluded to, not even when it came to light that he was the guilty party.

Ethan’s own foible’s were never properly explained either. Why was he getting the blackouts? Why would he wake up somewhere completely different? Why was he holding an origami animal each time? Are we to assume Shelby was somehow drugging him and leaving the origami with him? It doesn’t make much sense. I’m hoping a lot of the questions I raised above can be answered with a second or even third playthrough, but with a different direction taken at certain points.

There are a few things that make me wonder what would have been different if I’d done it differently. Does taking the Tripto whenever given the opportunity do anything to Norman? What difference did it make when I accidentally (yes accidentally!) shot the religious nut? Was there any way to save the girl from the car underwater? What if I’d shot the man in the fourth trial? What if I’d rejected Madison instead of forgiving her, or never found out she was a journalist in the first place? I guess it’s these questions which are the genius of the game, it makes you want to play again to see what other things could’ve happened and how the game would’ve ended.

My own ending was one where Norman died (I guess I missed an important QTE during his final fight), Shelby got away (he’s seen walking in the rain at the end), and Ethan and Madison end up in a lovely new studio apartment with Shaun. Carter takes Norman’s ARI glasses and is haunted by Norman in the virtual world (again, WTF??).

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If you’ve resisted reading the spoilers, and are even the slightest bit curious about it – Hell, even if you aren’t! – I implore you to get the game. There really is something for everyone in it. The story-telling is masterful, the presentation and graphics are second to none (and that’s saying something), and the soundtrack is great. Norman’s ARI glasses, crime scene investigation and clue analysis are a Minority Report fan’s wet dream. I can almost guarantee you won’t end up seeing the same story as I did, and you might even have a completely different ending. It asks a lot of very difficult moral questions during the course of the game, and several times I found myself pausing the game and thinking ‘Should I do what I would do, or what I think the character would do?’, and it’s being made to think that way that lifts this game above the rest of the crowd. The sense of panic and tension it can generate, messing around with people’s fears (claustrophobics will love one section of the game ), and making you actually give a damn about the characters is pretty unique.

In-game footage, it really is a gorgeous looking game

Go and buy it, or at the very least borrow it. Set yourself a few hours aside and enjoy. I can only hope David Cage and the rest of QD are working on a Sequel.

Seriously, go and buy it now!

Technorati Tags games, Heavy Rain, PS3, spoilers

It’s no secret that I still love games, and still play and buy them regularly, but recently I’m up to my neck in them. First up was Darksiders which I wrote about in a previous entry, and it really is a fantastic game, but I’m stuck at a save point where I have a tricky fight before I can get any further, and after dying umpteen times it’s been relegated to the games shelves until I can be bothered to try again.

I picked up Forza Motorsport 3 on the cheap at the end of an online January sale and got stuck into it, and it’s a great racing game. I’ve always like the Forza series, they seem to find a great balance between realism and fun, and 3 is no different. There are an enormous number of cars to choose from as your career progresses, and as always with Forza, an insane amount of customisation options. As well as being able to change and tweak every part of the internal workings and chassis, there are the famous aesthetics options too. The Forza car editor has no equal when it comes to custom decals and paint jobs, and the inclusion of the storefront (which enables players to buy and sell customised cars and paint jobs) means that everyone has access to them. I’ve still got a long way to go in the career mode, but it’s a gorgeous looking game and I’m so pleased they managed to keep it all running at a silky-smooth 60FPS. If you can pick it up for under thirty quid (easily done online) then do it if you’re at all into racing games.

A friend of mine has been singing the praises of the next game for months, and I finally gave in and decided to have a look at what all the fuss was about. Tatsunoko Vs Capcom is the latest in the ‘Vs’ series from Capcom, which now that I think back has been going for years, and includes some cracking games. Marvel Vs Capcom 1 & 2, SNK Vs Capcom 1, 2 and Chaos, X-Men Vs Streetfighter to name but a few, but new on the scene is Tatsunoko Vs Capcom. Tatsunoko is the Japanese cartoon house which won’t be overly familiar to most people, unless they’re old enough to remember the ‘Battle Of The Planets’ cartoons in the early 80s. In Japan it was known as Kagaku Ninja Tai Gacchaman (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman), and was a far different cartoon (violence and transgenderism being common themes), but it still provides some of the characters for the game, along with other less well-known series. Surprisingly it’s a Wii-only release, but I kinda like that, it’s a reason to use my dust-collecting console at the very least. The gameplay is excellent, proper ‘Vs’ style fighting with over the top super moves, tag play and all manner of intricacies to work out. There’s a decent roster of characters with both sides well-represented, just don’t let the fact that you may not know many of the Tatsunoko cast put you off. Capcom have covered all bases with characters ranging from the stalwarts (Ryu, Chun Li) right through to some you might not to expect to see (Frank West from Dead Rising and a giant mech from Lost Planet spring to mind). It’s well worth a buy for anyone fond of Capcom 2D fighters, but even moreso if you like the ‘Vs’ games. It’s out today, although I luckily got mine yesterday after nattering to the guys working in a local indy games shop and them telling me they were breaking the release date. I was weak, I bought it, and I’m very glad I did. You should do the same.

Tatsunoko wasn’t the only game I was surprised to be playing yesterday. Some time ago I wrote about the beta of MAG and how I enjoyed it, so much so in fact that I pre-ordered the game. Shopto had both the normal and collectors editions of the game, but I didn’t want to pay the extra five pounds for an extra outfit in the game and some themes, so I stuck with the cheaper option. The game’s released today, but Shopto being the efficient little elves they are, they got it to me yesterday (in fact the postman needed a signature, so signed it himself and wrote ’signed for it, hope that’s ok, Postie’ on it – I have a great postman!). I opened it up and found the steelbook collectors edition inside too, ideal! I didn’t want to pay extra for it, but if they’re going to give it to me for free then who am I to argue?! I’ve only had time to play one mission so far, but initial impressions are good, it feels far snappier and more inclined to hit the person I’m aiming at, rather than the lagfest the beta could be at times.

I need to get these games out of my system before April when the clocks go forward and I get my evenings out with the dog back again, and there are still a few more to come before then too.

Technorati Tags 360, capcom, Darksiders, Forza, games, MAG, PS3, shopto, Tatsunoko, Wii

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a sucker for a new toy. Be it a gadget, piece of training equipment, even a new pan or something for the kitchen, I love having something new to muck around with. I’ve gotten pretty good in my advancing years at not just buying everything I fancy as soon as I see it (mostly because I can’t afford it any more), but I still fancy stuff in the meantime. For example, I’ve found myself drawn to the PlayStation 3 more and more lately, with varying levels of justification. “I want a Blu-Ray player so I might as well get one”, “There’s games on there I want that I can’t get on anything else”, “It’s black and shiny!”. Despite all these genuinely brilliant reasons for owning one, I still didn’t fancy forking out £250 for it. On this occasion fate intervened in the shape of a co-worker whose boyfriend was getting rid of his barely-used one for £100, and I caved. Yup, I finally got around to getting all of the current generation and added a PS3 to my TV unit.

For me, half the fun of a new bit of technology is setting it up and getting used to it, so the first thing I did was to wipe it clean and start installing the updates. Actually, the first thing I did was to buy an HDMI cable to hook it up to my TV, but that’s nit-picking. I was amazed at how easy some of the updating and setting up was, and I was keen to see how the media streaming worked compared to the 360 (which was in itself very easy). Once it picked up the wireless network it was very easy, in fact I didn’t have to do anything at all. It found the media server and I could instantly browse and play my files. There are a couple that break up, which don’t on the 360, but I’m reserving judgement for now. So enamoured am I with my new bit of plastic it took me a while to realise that I don’t actually have any games for it yet! I’ve got a couple of demos downloaded now though and have my eyes on some of the stuff I still have to catch up on which should be cheap, as well as getting the BD versions of my favourite films.

It’s less than two weeks before I head into the channel tunnel and off to Deutschland now, and I’m getting very excited about it. I need to make sure I have some decent winter clothing by the sounds of it, it’s starting to chill down over there now and they already have snow on the mountains. Before then I’ve got the dubious pleasure of cooking a big meal this Saturday. In preparation for hosting my first Christmas for about ten people, we’re having some friends over (six of them) for a combined Christmas dinner rehearsal/birthday celebration. I’m quietly confident about it, I’m a pretty adept cook most of the time, and I can’t wait to feast on turkey and sausages wrapped in bacon!

Oh, and imagine my disappointment. Because of my duff eye the Channel 4 3D stuff doesn’t work for me .

Technorati Tags amblyopia, Christmas dinner, PlayStation 3, PS3, video streaming