Video Games – Page 21 – Colin McMahon

Injustice on the Wii U? Nah, There's a Better Word for It

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Colin McMahon

Like many fans of both fighting games and the DC Comics universe, I was very happy this week to welcome the release of Injustice: Gods Among Us for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii U. Developer NetherRealm Studios is the best in the business when it comes to fighters, at least as far as I’m concerned (granted I place a lot of importance on a strong single player campaign). It is refreshing to see a developer consistently increase in quality as their games develop (Mortal Kombat was considerably better than Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe) and judging by the reviews we have (I’ll get back to this in a moment) it looks like Injustice: Gods Among Us is another hit. So my question as a gamer becomes – which system do I get it for?

I purchased Mortal Kombat for the Xbox 360 and enjoyed it, but I would be lying if I said that the controls were the best for that system. See when it comes to fighting games: the D-pad is important. For those of you who don’t know, the D-pad is a collection of arrow keys (up, down, left, right) that is usually located near the joystick (if you don’t know what a joystick is, please look it up). While joysticks have generally replaced the D-pad in most games (it is far easier to move around a 3D environment using a joystick), the D-pad remains supreme when it comes to fighting games. Plain fact is that it is easier to move and execute special moves. Also, sad fact is: the D-pad on the standard North American Xbox 360 controller kinda sucks. Now I don’t own a PlayStation 3 or this would be the easy choice so I must ask myself: how is Injustice: Gods Among Us for the Wii U? I’m still asking this question.

This is embarrassing and a problem that has been with Nintendo since the Wii days. No one is reviewing their product. Go on Metacritic or Gamerankings , there is absolutely nothing. Both services are stuffed full of independent reviews for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions (although how many of those are copy-and-paste is another question) but still, nothing for the Wii U. I’m still undecided on whether or not this is better than how most critics handled the Wii. For those of you who don’t know what I mean by this, the Wii enjoyed many unique versions of games that arrived on its console (Thor: God of Thunder, Ghostbusters: the Game, Prince of Persia: the Forgotten Sands). These games all bared little-to-no resemblance to their 360 and PS3 counterparts. Problem was that, in most cases, when the review came in for the 360 or PS3 version, it was simply cut and pasted onto the Wii, despite the fact that they were different games. There’s a word for this behavior: laziness. It describes what is happening now.

This isn’t on Nintendo. True they deserve a lot of blame for the marketing of the Wii U (which I have already outlined here: http://redringsofredemption.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/a-rose-by-any-other-name-can-be-confusing-the-wii-u/) but Nintendo is not responsible for reviewing the games. Obviously not, how could we trust critics if they dropped all illusions that they weren’t being directly paid by the video game companies? No, there are many professional sites out there with one job: to review video games. IGN, Giant Bomb, Gametrailers? You guys had one job.

Really, it is the fanboys’ job to be prejudiced, not the critics. By not reviewing the Wii U version of Injustice: Gods Among Us, it sends the message that this version of the game isn’t as important as the other two. That’s crap and disrespectful to both Nintendo and NetherRealm Studios, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of people out there who own a Wii U. They made it and critics are paid to play it, PAID. Seriously if someone wants to send me a copy of this game for the Wii U, I will give it a full review. I’m not a professional so I don’t have sixty dollars to throw around on a version. I only plan on purchasing one copy of Injustice: Gods Among Us, I would simply like to make an informed decision.

Sad to say but reviews aren’t the only thing lacking for this Wii U version. Right now word on whether or not Nintendo will receive the DLC characters who have been promised to the 360 and PS3 is limited. There are conflicting reports. We know that is not receiving the season pass (the whole logic of the season pass will have to be discussed at another time) but apparently the Wii U box does advertise the downloaded content on the back.

If this is to be the start of a trend for third party games on the Wii U, then it is very sad. Regardless of how you feel about Nintendo’s newest product – they have created a unique experience. While Nintendo struggles to remain relevant in the video game world, it seems like no one is willing to offer them a hand. It is a system, it does exist and critics should be ashamed for their lack of response. One job guys, you had one job.

Also where is this? Is this coming for the Wii U? Note: the Wii U d-pad is actually pretty good and should do fine on its own. — Also where is this? Is this coming for the Wii U? Note: the Wii U D-pad is actually pretty good and should do fine on its own.

Thoughts? Comments? Am I full of shit or onto something? Let me know now in the feedback section of this article.

Oversaturation: First Reactions to Batman: Arkham Origins

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Colin McMahon

In 2009, then little known developer Rocksteady Studios released Batman: Arkham Asylum for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game made a splash and for good reason. Not that there hadn’t been a Batman game before, there had – Batman Vengeance, Batman: Dark Tomorrow and Batman: Rise of the Sin Tzu just to name a few of Arkham Asylum‘s more direct predecessors. All these Batman games ranged in from mediocre to downright horrible. Batman: Arkham Asylum wasn’t the first good Batman game, it was the first great Batman game. For the first time, players really felt that they were inhabiting the role of the Dark Knight. Add the incredible voice talents of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill mixed with tight level design and an entertaining story by comic book guru Paul Dini and Batman: Arkham Asylum quickly became an essential for any video game fan.

Fast forward two years and we get the sequel. Batman: Arkham City was bigger than Arkham Asylum is nearly every way. More Batman characters, more cool locations, more excellent voice work. What would be Mark Hamill’s swan song as the Joker became an incredibly entertaining game and another excellent addition to the Batman video game universe. However, things were not as tight (video game wise) this time around. Remember fighting Deadshot and Hush in the game? I don’t. The design structure of the story lead very easily to whole sections being omitted on the first time around. Sure with more playthroughs, it’s easy to go in an find everyone but I have always wondered at this design decision. Why spend all that time making a game, crafting the characters with so much care – if your design will make it so easy to skip the entire experience? Don’t get me wrong: Arkham City is a great game but ultimately I feel that Arkham Asylum was a little tighter and better crafted in terms of delivering the complete experience the first time through.

This guy was in the game? Really? Where?

Anyway, we’re not here to talk about either Arkham Asylum or Arkham City, we’re here to talk about the recently announced Batman: Arkham Origins. I’m just going to come out and say it – I am not excited to play Batman: Arkham Origins. How can that be? I just said I consider Arkham Asylum and Arkham City to be wonderful games. Yes, that is true but think of the ending in Arkham City. Did that ending scream sequel?

Obviously with a name like Arkham Origins, we’re most likely going into prequel territory but still. Is it really necessary? Origin stories have been already done to death in Hollywood (did we really need to see Peter Parker get bit by a spider AGAIN in the Amazing Spider-Man) and I feel there is not much more wiggle room in video games. I don’t care about how the slums of Arkham City began, in all honesty I feel that having a city full of criminals as a solution to crime is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. The only reason I enjoyed Batman: Arkham City was for the rich narrative that Paul Dini wove into the place. As far as I know, he is not connected with Batman: Arkham Origins in any way and neither for that matter is Rocksteady Studios.

That’s right, it’s a different developer this time around. Warner Bros. Interactive is directly taking the reigns for this third Arkham installment. This doesn’t meant that we’re guaranteed an inferior product; Warner Bros. could very well do an excellent job with Arkham Origins. Yet it does beg the question – why not Rocksteady? Warner Bros. Interactive cannot be unhappy with the developer after two stellar (and profitable) Batman games. The answer is that Rocksteady is busy… busy making another Batman game. This untitled project will be set in the Silver Age of the Caped Crusader (silver age refers to a period in comic book development in the 1950s). That sounds pretty awesome – so wait, we’re getting two new Batman games? Oh by the way, that one doesn’t have Paul Dini either – http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/03/batman-arkham-city-wont-return-for-silver-age-prequel-rumour/.

Anyway – we’re getting two. One from Rocksteady and one from Warner Bros. Interactive. With no official announcement yet for the Rocksteady game, we can expect not to see it until next year at the earliest. Batman: Arkham Origins, however, is slated for release this year for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii U video game consoles. With no announcement for the Playstation 4, we can assume that Arkham Origins will be created on largely the same technology as Arkham City – meaning one should not expect a huge leap in terms of visuals.

Also do not expect Mark Hamill to return as the iconic Joker. The voice actor made it very clear last time out that Arkham City would be his last appearance voicing the clown prince of crime.

Heath Ledger may be the face but Mark Hamill is the iconic voice of the Joker.

So we’re going to be missing a few things. Not that many Batman essentials will not return (players can expect to see Jim Gordon, Penguin and Black Mask in this new game) but again I question – do we need this? With Rocksteady Studios working on a new Batman game, do we need this to hold us over?

It seems the fate of big series to become prone to oversaturation. What do I mean by that? Simple: when a game sells well, the publishing studio naturally wants another one. The number of additional games usually reflects how large the series has become. Look no further than our yearly installments of Call of Duty, Halo and licensed sports games. Not to say these games are bad but did we really need Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II in the last eight years? Not to mention the one that will inevitably be released this November? Are those games really that different from each other?

Here is my fear with this new Batman. With Arkham City, I felt that Rocksteady Studios was concluding the story they began in Arkham Asylum – they did a great job. With Batman: Arkham Origins, it honestly feels like a grab at our dollars before the release of Playstation 4 and whatever the next Xbox is called. Maybe I’m wrong, hopefully I am… but I rather doubt it. The AAA video game market is dominated by series and sequels. It seems like even the Dark Knight is not above the lure of another dollar. So I ask you – do you really need two more Batman games? Especially when the untitled Silver-Age Rocksteady game will most likely be exclusively for next generation consoles? Warner Bros. Interactive is betting you do. I believe they are willing to bet sixty dollars on it.

Thoughts? Comments? Am I full of shit or onto something? Let me know now in the feedback section of this article.

PS – Many apologies for not posting anything on Monday. I am currently completing a University degree. However, since what I was working on for school is revelent to our media-oriented blog. I will include a link to my work here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV7Dw13XK3I. Enjoy that.

Good-bye is Sad because it's Sweet: LucasArts

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Colin McMahon

Like many this week, I was saddened to hear the closing of LucasArts, the video game company once owned by George Lucas was found to be obsolete by Disney. I had been hearing rumblings from Kotaku that the company was in trouble and IGN recently posted an article as well on the developer’s inability to develop anything majorly profitable in recent years, so the news of LucasArts’ demise did not come as a huge shock. Yet it still made me sad and the more I thought about it, the more I began to understand what was really getting to me. LucasArts was one of my favorite video game developers, and I was glad that they were gone.

Gametrailers.com posted a video where their staff remarks on the closing of LucasArts. I have included a link to said video because I feel that it does an excellent job facilitating my point: http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/m9bm96/gametrailers-com-lucasarts-remembered. Go watch it, I’ll wait.

Notice anything? Maniac Mansion, Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, Loom, The Secret of Monkey Island, Zombies Ate my Neighbors, X-Wing, Tie Fighter, Super Star Wars, Dark Forces, Star Wars: Republic Commando. I could go on, not every LucasArts hit has been included there. It is an impressive list of video games. Notice anything else about those games? Nothing here, with the exception of Republic Commando, was made after the year 2000.

In my opinion, the last quality LucasArts-developed video game. Where is the sequel to this?

“Now wait a minute”, you’re saying. What about Knights of the Old Republic? What about Jedi Outcast? What about Battlefront? What about Force Unleashed (said no one ever)? You know, all the (fairly) recent LucasArts hits. While it is true that LucasArts published all those games, they did not develop a single one of them. Studios like Pandemic, like Raven Software, like Bioware: these have been the recent heroes of LucasArts games.

Over the past decade, LucasArts has been going through changes. It has been thirteen years since they were the LucasArts we knew and loved. Essentially they were a publisher. The Star Wars publisher. Remember those Monkey Island games we remembered so fondly? LucasArts wasn’t even publishing those anymore (thank you Telltale Games). The adventure game days were done at LucasArts long before the doors closed.

“Okay, true enough but LucasArts was still publishing all the Star Wars games we wanted. They were an excellent publisher.” If this is your defense – look below.

What would have been one of the best-selling video games of last generation... if they had made it. — What would have been one of the best-selling video games of last generation… if they had made it.

See that blurry screenshot? That’s from Star Wars: Battlefront 3. No joke. That game existed. You can find the footage all around Youtube without much effort. Want to know something else: the game was 99% done when they canceled it (http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/11/30/star-wars-battlefront-3-was-99-done/). LucasArts canceled the game. Why would they do this? There is no answer. The Battlefront series remains the best-selling Star Wars video games of all time. Any other company would have made rushing out the sequel a top priority. Look at Activision and EA, they have no problem spamming out sequels to popular franchises. But LucasArts sat on it, the game died. A million gamers cried out in frustration… and are crying still.

“Okay so LucasArts botched that one. Everyone makes mistakes, right?” Yeah… that’s not the only thing.

Simple enough looking concept art, wonder what it's from? — Simple enough looking concept art, wonder what it’s from?

Knights of the Old Republic 3: that’s your answer. LucasArts canceled the final chapter of the Bioware-begun Knights of the Old Republic.

“So what”, you reply, “at least we got the Old Republic.” If the Old Republic is any level of substitute, it is a poor one. Yeah sure, why would we ever want to play the conclusion to Darth Revan’s story-arch when we can hear about it through boring NPC dialogue? Did you know you can actually kill Revan in the Old Republic? Sacrilege.

My point is this: Disney is not destroying Star Wars games. They will still still be published. LucasArts was not doing a good job as publisher, we were already not getting the games we wanted. It’s sad to think that LucasArts is gone but the reality is that they’ve been gone for years. Disney just pulled the plug on a long cold corpse. If anybody out there is worried that Disney will publish crappy Star Wars games that exploit the license for money and doesn’t do it any justice beyond that, I have one thing to respond: Kinect Star Wars. That is on record as the last game published by LucasArts. You can’t sell out beyond that.

The death of LucasArts marks a new beginning. Maybe we’ll actually see Star Wars: Battlefront 3 now. It’s still a long shot but we can hope! In the end, let us remember the end of an illusion: a great developer and a solid-turned-horrible publisher. Good-bye LucasArts. Your day in the sun was magical indeed but it was over before April 3rd. Thanks for the memories.

Thoughts? Comments? Am I full of shit or onto something? Let me know now in the feedback section of this article.