The harmful effects of Mario Party on friendship have been documented for years. Gamers are a diverse culture yet all agree: stay away from Mario Party. If you have friends that game, please talk to them about the harmful effects of Mario Party. Red Rings of Redemption is offering this video as a way to demonstrate what can happen when four unknowing friends accidentally unleash this cartridge of horror. We hope you enjoy:
The release of Dragon Age: Inquisition is upon us. Bioware‘s third in its series of medieval fantasy role-playing games looks impressive, and has already amassed a slew of favorable reviews before its release. This is the first Dragon Age game since 2011. It is odd in this day to find such a high-budget video game release being given so long a development schedule. To put it simply: four Call of Duty games have been released in that time. Of course, the counter argument could be that EA lets Bioware take longer to develop their games but… that is not true. Mass Effect 3 was released just over two years after the initial release of Mass Effect 2 (not including the dlc release dates), and that title was delayed. Dragon Age: Inquisition‘s long development time might have a lot more to do with the reaction to its predecessor, 2011’s Dragon Age II.
Dragon Age II received positive reaction from critics, but to look at the game’s user feedback is a different story. Many fans of the series condemned the sequel, calling it a rushed, cheap cash-in attempt on the first game. While not all the response was that critical, it came as a personal surprise to me. I am a big fan of Bioware, I love their games and quite enjoyed playing through Dragon Age II when it was released. That said, the game undeniably has weaknesses. While video game taste will always be a matter of perception and personal taste, there are a few areas where it is very possible to be objective. Let us examine the definite negatives and positives of Bioware’s most controversial release.
Level Variety
This is the first and largest negative aspect of Dragon Age II. The first game, Dragon Age: Origins, was known for its sprawling world and massive amount of dungeons. Last night, my friends and I tried to remember all the different dungeons in Dragon Age II. We concluded that their were basically six… in a game that took at least twenty hours to beat. The number is not the problem, if each dungeon was vast and took a lot of time and felt unique, that would be one thing. Dragon Age II recycles the same six small dungeons over and over again for its quests. The player better enjoy each dungeon’s design, because they will be seeing them a lot. True, there are a few others that are called in for special occasions but really it is difficult to overlook the impression this leaves. Reused dungeon design gives the definite feeling of a rushed game and chips away at the feeling of immersion. “Let’s go into this alley? Oh, you mean the alley that looks identical to every other alley in the city? Sure… why not.”
Get used to the one cave outside of Kirkwall that you revisit over and over again before the game is done.
Glitches
Glitches can make or break any game. The best video game’s can be tarnished and company’s reputations ruined over releasing products full of bugs. Unfortunately, Dragon Age II is such a game. Having completed multiple play-throughs, I personally encountered multiple glitches both times. These were not simply graphical errors either, where the models and textures go wonky. On several occasions, the game encountered errors which prevented quests from being completed or even attempted. In a game where going on quests is essential (the main drive of the entire video game), this is unacceptable. What made it worse was that Bioware and EA put out several expansions of paid dlc… without ever fixing the bugs in the main game. Don’t worry, the downloadable content contains errors too. It is a tough sell to continue to support a game that its own maker can’t even be bothered to fix.
I encountered a glitch in one play-through that prevented me from completing any of Fenris’ side missions. An entire chunk of the game was removed due to this error.
These are the only two clear failings of the game but – they are large failings. Whether a player liked the story is subjective. Whether a player liked the companions is subjective. Not being able to complete quests due to poor design – that is a very objective complaint. But anyway, about those companions…
The Companion Archs
Not to say that Dragon Age: Origins had poor companions, it did not. That said, certain mechanics of the system felt tacked on and were easy to manipulate. Companion loyalty simply came down to gift giving, it served to undermine the organic nature of forming a party. This was thankfully no longer true in Dragon Age II. While still not perfect, the companion system felt more natural this time around. Everything came down to how the player protagonist interacted with the companions. Gifts still played a role but it was reduced. The resulting effects caused the player to more carefully consider their options, especially given that companions could turn to enemies given the right circumstances.
Like its predecessor, each character had their own personality. Unlike its predecessor, there was no magic way to make them instantly all your friend.
The Art Style
Like it or not, there is no denying how much more creative the art style appeared in Dragon Age II. Each race became more distinctive looking. Quanari, for instance, became much more easily identifiable. While Origins was not weak on design, Dragon Age II did a lot to improve it. The game is definitely stylish.
Each race grew more distinct in 2.
Ultimately, Dragon Age II is bizarre in the fact that it is exceptional in both respects. What works in the game works very well and what does not fails miserably. There was no middle of the road in Bioware’s second fantasy epic. At the end of the day, however, this game might be one of the finest mixed bags ever made. It is certainly one of the few I can honestly say I would recommend to people looking for high quality… just watch out for the low.
Well it’s that time of year again. Yes, November: where everyone is thankful for what they have and no one wants anything more than to spend time with their family and enjoy a nice meal together.
Look at those wonderful artificial smiles! What a – wait, are those french fries on the table? What is even going on here?
Nah, I’m kidding. Christmas is around the corner and I live in America. It’s time to buy sh*t.
Specifically, let’s talk video game consoles. It has been a year since the release of the Sony PlayStation 4 and the Microsoft Xbox One. It has been two years since the release of the Nintendo Wii U. The eighth generation of home video game consoles is officially upon us. So which one should you buy? Every fanboy out there will tell you why “their” console is the best. But let’s take a serious and unbiased look at what each console currently has to offer and what their near future plans are.
Trying to talk to most console owners.
Let’s start with the big dog, the current best-seller.
PlayStation 4
How much: 400 bucks. Get it, it’s like a hundred for each generation of PlayStation!
Is that Price likely to fall: Possibly. Right now the PS4 is selling like hot cakes so do not expect a price drop in the next three months. That said, the Xbox One just lowered its price (again) so you never know. If fortunes change for Sony, expect that price to drop.
Games: Current exclusive titles are Basement Crawl, Driveclub, Infamous (First Light and Second Son), Killzone Shadow Fall, Knack, Resogun, and that’s it. Not kidding, those are the full list of true exclusives (not out on any other platform) that the consumer can currently purchase for the PS4. This is the best-selling console in the world right now.
There’s More Coming, Right: Yes, if you sell that many units, developers will make games for your system. The PlayStation 4 may have a lackluster exclusive library at the moment but that is going to change. The question is: will it change before the system hits $350?
There’s Other Games to Play: Sure, the PS4 gets most large AAA releases and has an impressive independent library as well. There are games to play, most of them can just be played on other, cheaper, hardware.
I own a PS3, does that matter: Not really. The PS4 is not backwards compatible. There is talk of a streaming service to play certain titles but at the moment, it is not close to completion.
Not sure how they’re doing it but it is hard to argue against Sony’s success.
Xbox One
How much: Currently, it is $350. That said, this system was released for $500 only a year ago.
Is that Price likely to fall: Less than impressive sales numbers have fueled the rapid decrease in price. Who is to say that Microsoft is done cutting the cost? Do not expect it to drop again before Christmas.
There’s More Coming, Right: Yeah, the Xbox One is far from dead. Sure, the system has not had a great first year but Microsoft is a very large company with a lot of money to spend. Do not count them out yet.
There’s Other Games to Play: The Xbox One gets the same library of large releases that the Ps4 and other systems enjoy. They do not have the same level of indie development however, at least not yet.
I own a 360, does that matter: No. The Xbox One is not backwards compatible. Do not hold your breath for Microsoft to change this.
Xbox One is having a very similar identity crisis that the Wii U suffered through in the year following its launch.
Wii U
How Much: $350.
Is that Price likely to fall: The Wii U has yet to have a major price drop. I would not expect this to change before Christmas. That said, with the Xbox One price drop, it is likely that Nintendo will lower the Wii U price tag within the next year.
There’s More Coming, Right: It is Nintendo so you can expect their continued support and library of famous franchises.
There’s Other Games to Play: Here is Nintendo’s Kryptonite zone. The company has long-held strained relationships with many third-party developers. While the Wii U has a strong library of first-party titles, expect to miss out on many of the larger releases.
I own a Wii, does that matter: Yes. The Wii U can play every Wii game in existence. You can also keep using your old wiimotes for certain titles.
Please see my article on the New 3DS to know my thoughts on whether or not you should buy one this holiday season.
3DS has a huge game library and is backwards compatible with regular DS games.
PlayStation Vita
What the heck is a Vita: It is the Sony portable system.
How Much: At least $215.
For a Portable: Yeah, they’re not kidding.
Is that Price Likely to fall: The PlayStation Vita has not sold well since launch, selling roughly only 4 million units since launch. Sony may very well drop the price further if they continue support.
There’s More Coming, Right: Sony has not discontinued plans for the PlayStation Vita so expect a sprinkling of games to come in the future.
There’s Other Games to Play: A full list of all titles playable on the PS Vita can be found here
I own a PSP, does that matter: Yes, so long as the title was downloaded and not physically purchased, it can be played on Vita.
Sony is trying to keep the Vita alive by integrating more with other hardware.
A Gaming PC
How Much: A good PC can be built for as little as $300. Completed models usually run between $500 and $1000.
Is that Price Likely to fall: As newer and better PCs are released, prices fall accordingly.
Games: Pretty much everything you can think of, from now back through the last twenty years, provided it has been updated on services like Steam and Good Old Games.
There’s More Coming, Right: The PC will receive pretty much every major release going forward.
There’s Other Games to Play: The system also has an unmatched selection of Indie games. Provided you ever finish reliving the nostalgia of a back catalog that spans decades. Oh, there is also modding.
I already own a PC: Keep it upgraded and in working order and you can play anything.
Yeah, it is tough to argue against that library of classics old and new.
So there you have it. As a non-PC gamer, I will say that I believe a gaming PC is by far the best option out there for those looking to play the most games and spend the least amount of money. Yes, the system itself may cost more initially but thanks to services like Steam, games are available at a fraction of the cost. For a gamer looking to play every major release out there, I recommend a gaming PC and a Wii U. Nintendo’s series are the only thing guaranteed to skip the PC market.
For those out there not tech savvy and not wanting to spend a ton: the 360 and PS3 are still supported systems. They receive practically all the same big releases as their next-gen counterparts.
Colin McMahon 