Steam Challenge – A Valley Without Wind

This is part of my Steam Challenge Series (the full list is here).

Time played: 11.6 hours

A Valley Without Wind is an odd duck. It’s had this rather unique ability to both repel and attract me simultaneously. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface after nearly 12 hours, yet I also feel like I’ve seen most of what the game has to offer.

I hated the intro music. Over time I have become used to it, but it’s still just barely tolerable. I’m not a big fan of chiptunes, it never really clicked with me as a genre so all I ask from it is that it not be actively off-putting. AVWW failed that mission, so it was harder to get into the game as a result. I’m sitting here trying to recall the in-game music, which for the life of me I cannot do, so obviously it was either bad enough for me to suppress, or (more likely) it was just unremarkable. So that was the first hurdle.

Then there are the graphics. I have seen many, many reviews on Steam that just despise the art style in this game. I don’t understand that at all. I quite like the art direction now, although when I first started I had to overcome some cognitive dissonance. For a game that plays much like Terraria, it took a while to shake the feeling that a less pixelated, prettier art direction was appropriate for the genre. It’s pretty smooth, and although it has it’s own animation quirks, it feels like a good example of art design to me. In the beginning, though, I did have trouble coming to terms with it, which was another hurdle to full enjoyment of the game.

I’m very much torn on the gameplay. I like the minute-to-minute gameplay, exploring maps, collecting treasure and shooting enemies. I love the world-level objectives, where you have to push back the Wind, improve settlements and take down the continental bosses and their lieutenants. But there is a problem: there is nothing in between those two extremes. There is no intermediate objective that exploration is fueling, that in turn leads into the world objectives. You basically make it up for yourself.

For example, there are a tonne of missions that you can find, from boss towers to rescuing survivors to closing void portals. You get some world-map-level rewards from completing certain missions, but there is no indication as to what you need to progress. Do I only need one of these buildings, or should I keep farming for a dozen? Who knows? Since the world-level objectives are so far off, I find myself just poking my nose into every (procedurally-generated) map and building and dungeon because I have nothing better to do. It becomes very repetitive, even after you get used to optimising your map clears. Every so often I go back and remind myself to work towards taking out the lieutenants, but soon enough I get engrossed in map completion – and there are endless maps.

The point at which I put the game down for good (or for the near future, anyway) was realising that THERE ARE ENDLESS MAPS. This game literally does not end. When you defeat a continental boss, there are other continents for you to explore and liberate. And as far as I can tell, the world is infinitely big, so you will never actually beat the game. So, like I said at the start, I have barely scratched the surface of the mechanics (I defeated the first lieutenant of the first continent) and the world, yet I feel like I’ve been doing essentially the same thing all this time. There are hints of a deep and complex lore behind it, but it manifests so rarely that I have been satisfied with the bare background lore.

I do recommend giving AVWW a play if you can get it cheaply, it’s a fantastic take on the Metroidvania style of game. But it’s not something you will be able to sit on the fence about – either you’ll get to a point, like me, where you feel that you’ve done enough, and you’ll uninstall it; or you’ll become obsessed with it and sink a huge number of hours into it. I don’t think you can just potter around casually every few weeks in AVWW. It demands more.

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Cannot Be Gamed

I generally don’t talk about myself, but I’m going to participate in Jasyla’s survey, for Science.

When did you start playing video games?

I first played videogames while in primary school – grade 4 or 5. I can’t actually remember which came first: we got a Tandy something-or-other home computer (wiki doesn’t have the model I remember so I think it must’ve been some local branded version); or I started playing during lunchtimes in the school library. These events were pretty close together so I guess it doesn’t really matter. I didn’t spend that much time on them at this stage, though, I really only started getting into videogames a few years later. Then I was introduced to the C64 that friends had. Oh man, that was a great gaming system. It wasn’t until I was in uni that I first had any games of my own – we never had consoles and were rarely allowed to play games on the PC we had. That was strictly for homework.

What is the first game you remember playing?

At school (Apple computers) there were two games which I don’t know the names of. One was a car-body design game to teach you about aerodynamics, the other was a platform adventure game that played a lot like Prince of Persia but in a Conan-style setting. Both of these were miles ahead of the first game I played at home, which was called Return of the Killer Tomatoes. It was a Pacman-esque game and was, like all our other games, on cassette. We also had a wild west shootout game – think Pong, but instead of a single “ball” bouncing back and forth you had two players able to shoot across. Add some cacti to hide behind and presto! We didn’t even have a colour monitor.

PC or Console? 

PC for the most part. I do not own a console at this time, the last one I did own was a PS2 that only got played for a couple of months before being relegated to DVD duties. My first console was an N64 and was much beloved. I’ll probably pick up another one in the future and hunt down the games I never got to play when they were current.

XBox, PlayStation, or Wii? 

My first choice would be Nintendo, but PS4 would be a close second. Daylight third, then XBox.

What’s the best game you’ve ever played? 

I would say that the Civilisation series (including Alpha Centauri) has received the most of my attention and love over the years. There is, however, a case to be made for Goldeneye, and its successor, Perfect Dark. The developer, Rare, totally carried the N64. Seriously, without Rare, that console’s game lineup would have been almost uniformly subpar.

What’s the worst game you’ve ever played? 

I’m gonna say Starcraft.

…

The attempted port to N64. An RTS with no multiplayer capability, no ability to designate groups, no ability to map jump (only scroooollllllllliiiinnnnggggg) and trying to play it with a controller? Madness.

Name a game that was popular/critically adored that you just didn’t like.

Quake. I loved Wolfenstein and Doom, but Quake just did nothing for me. The next shooter I loved was Unreal, then Half-Life came along and blew me away. I hated Morrowind, I don’t think I got more than an hour in. I’m enjoying Oblivion, however. And even though GTA San Andreas is one of my all time favourite games, I couldn’t stand GTA IV.

Name a game that was poorly received that you really like.

There was only one fighting game of note on the N64, Fighter’s Destiny. It seems that I was one of the few who liked it, despite its flaws. Steel Storm: Burning Retribution is a more recent game that I have played a good way through and enjoyed it, though apparently it wasn’t liked by the general public. And I am not sure if it was poorly received per se, but Diddy Kong Racing was an excellent game that suffered from being forever in the shadow of Mario Kart. I much preferred DKR.

What are your favourite game genres?

I don’t really have a favourite. I find that I get burned out or bored by the same type of gameplay for very long, so I mix it up by playing one genre for a while and then moving to another one when I feel the need for something different. I am not a huge fan of racing unless there are weapons involved (see DKR), sports games, or fighting games (I think I’ve moved away from them).

Who is your favourite game protagonist?

Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate! I love the way that he is full of bravado one minute, and sheepishly self-conscious the next. He resembles an overeager puppy that is learning how to growl threateningly, only to bound over and start licking your face. I love that he has a porcelain phobia. “Grog me, barkeep!” should be a part of every adult’s lexicon.

Describe your perfect video game.

My perfect videogame would be able to tell what kind of gameplay I really want at any given time and direct me to, or create, that type of experience….it’s basically a Holodeck.

What video game character do have you have a crush on?

I gave Aywren a bit of grief about this, so I fully expect to get it back with interest, but I don’t really have a game crush. Unlike her, though, I just assume that it’s because I simply haven’t found my crush yet. I suspect it’ll be a character from an adventure game if it does happen. The closest I’ve come to a crush was Cate Archer from NOLF – she seemed to be a combination of Liz Hurley’s Vanessa Kensington and Heather Graham’s Felicity Shagwell from Austen Powers. And I got into her pants…>.>

What game has the best music? 

I am actually in the process of downloading the OST that come with my Humble Bundle purchases. So far there have been some amazing tracks and I can’t choose any one game as having the best. Some examples of my favourite game music:

Digger in-game music.

The Secret World theme music.

All the music from Goldeneye and NOLF.

Bastion end theme.

As Syp puts it in his Massively article: “If you’ve played through Issue #7 and explored a certain nursery, then you’re already familiar with this song. Sleepless Lullaby is the music that Orochi was using in its experiments on the lil’ kids, and it’s everywhere in the mission, from lyrics scrawled on the walls in blood to playing over radios in mostly empty rooms. It’s haunting and sad and more than a little creepy.” The song he’s referring to? This one.

Most memorable moment in a game:

My last relationship was with a Japanese woman I met in Japan when I lived there. Then I went home, we had a long-distance thing going for a year, then she came to Hobart to live with me. At that time, I was playing an RTS called Sacrifice a lot, and in that game you have a Navi-like advisor that yells at you when things are happening. The most common thing he yelled (in a fake British accent) was “Your creatures are under attack!” This line became a hilariously mangled part of my partner’s English vocabulary. I regret nothing.

Scariest moment in a game:

Up until last week, it was System Shock 2. The first time a ghost materialised in front of me I emptied my pistol into it – while yelling in fear – before I realised that it wasn’t going to hurt me. The sound effects in that game were incredible for inspiring dread: the slow decay of the doctor’s voice as she leads you towards her location, the hybrids pleading for you to kill them as they hunt you down, the cyborg nannies crooning softly, and those fucking monkeys…ugh.

Last week I saw the scariest goddamn demo video I have ever encountered. The new Silent Hill game. J3w3l has it up on her blog (it’s the last video), go check it out if you have the guts! I was terrified but couldn’t stop crying with laughter at the commentary.

Most heart-wrenching moment in a game:

Probably the ending in Bastion, the slow march (where that end theme from above starts playing).

What are your favourite websites/blogs about games?

The ones that are written by intelligent, thoughtful, passionate, interesting individuals.

What’s the last game you finished?

Analogue: A Hate Story. I have a post about it on the way…

What future releases are you most excited about?

This year: Beyond Earth, the new Alpha Centauri. After that: EQ Next, Elite: Dangerous, Star Citizen and No Man’s Sky.

Do you identify as a gamer?

I do. True story: Last year, while doing a business admin course, I was talking to my trainer about what to put on my CV. She wanted to see some hobbies/interests there, so I took a breath and brought up gaming. As expected, the doubt and subdued disapproval emerged pretty quickly, but in an attempt to be diplomatic about it, she started asking about when and how often, what kind, etc., but my answers were confusing her. It took me fully 5 minutes of conversation to realise that she assumed I meant casino gaming (gambling), not video or board gaming. And then it took another while to explain to her just how widespread and varied gaming is…I still shake my head a little at that memory.

Why do you play video games?

You don’t want to know the true answer to that.

Steam Challenge – Little Inferno

This is part of my Steam Challenge Series (the full list is here).

Time Played: 4 hours

You guys. This game! I love it so much!

I’d seen the trailer a few times over the course of a year or two, each time it piqued my interest – but not enough to purchase it. Finally I saw it as part of a Humble Bundle and by Crom I snatched it up! Even so, it lay neglected, installed on my Steam list for many more months (years? I can’t tell) before I got the urge to actually hit Play. I was expecting an idle time-waster in the vein of mobile games, something that I could pick up for a half-hour or so of pyromania and then put aside in favour of “real” games.

Hooooooo boy, was I wrong. Firstly I discovered that there is a puzzle element to it, with the combos. As shown in the trailer above, you buy things from the store, and burn it. That’s it. That’s the gameplay. But you open more areas of the store (more catalogues) by earning stars. Stars are earned by burning two or three specific items together. Each combo tells you what items to burn in a cryptic way – some are easier to unravel than others. So there’s your first hook – solve the riddles to earn more stars to unlock more riddles and so on and so on. Suddenly an hour has passed. Games like Civilization have that “just one more turn” hook – Little Inferno has “just one more combo”. Then there’s the story.

Yes, you read that correctly. I was surprised when I realised that there was a story. I didn’t realise it until maybe a quarter of the way through the game. At first it seems like just flavour, something to distract you from burning stuff. But it develops, and becomes more and more important, until you’re no longer doing combos for the challenge of unlocking more catalogues, but to unlock more story. It’s one of those stories that is vague enough that you fill in most of it yourself, that immersing yourself in the world is made possible by the hints and clues that are given to you. I feel that it’s a deeply philosophical story too, which is why I love the game so much.

It helps immensely that the main activity, the actual gameplay, is so incredibly well done. The fire is perfect, the way that various items react to being torched is sometimes creepy, sometimes guilt-inducing, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes satisfyingly awesome. The sense of being in front of a roaring fire is so well done (geddit? eh? EH?) that it makes just faffing about burning random things an absolute pleasure. I used to live in a house with a fireplace, so the nostalgic buttons were pushed for me on that front too. And the fact that you literally cannot get stranded without money means that you can simply relax and watch things burn without worrying about optimisation or hurting progress or “doing it wrong”. Everything you burn gives you back slightly more money than it cost to buy, plus there are occasional spiders that venture out that can be clicked on or burned for a little cash too. It’s just a great, relaxing experience, perfect for those times where you want to game but don’t want anything demanding.

In the end I clocked up over 4 hours on Little Inferno, but that is because I didn’t attempt all the combos – I raced through the story because I needed to see how it ended! I think if you took your time and went through all the combos, you could easily get another couple of hours out of it. And just sitting there, burning things in your fireplace and giggling, is a completely legitimate life choice that you will never be judged for.

This is a must play, in my books.

WoW: The Accidental Killer

I’m just going to say it: WoW killed innovation in MMO’s.

This is a slightly different take on the recent wave of “MMO’s are dying” sentiments floating around the blogosphere. I don’t believe for a moment that the MMO genre is dying, for the same reason that I don’t think the FPS or RTS genres are dying: there is still a steady stream of big name titles being developed and released, even though the rate of releases seems lower than a few years ago. But I think the prophesising of doom that has been going on for a while is due to the vast majority of MMO’s playing very very similarly. Similarly to WoW.

Yes, yes, I know that there were a number of MMO’s that came before WoW. But WoW was an iteration on those formulae, and we haven’t really seen anything revolutionary since. EVE Online grew up alongside WoW, which could explain why it has flourished for as long as – if not as spectacularly as – WoW, despite being so different. So why have there been no substantial advancements in the genre since Blizzard was crowned King?

I believe that the major reason is that WoW showed the industry that MMO’s could be big business. When you get the kind of money that Blizzard was raking in in the mid-late 00’s, other businesses want a piece of the action. Given that most of them were starting way behind Blizz and SOE, they needed to catch up quickly or drop out of the race entirely. They’d see the sheer amounts that WoW was making and their development model would not even consider the “build up a small but loyal following and expand slowly” idea – it’d be all “we need to tap into the existing playerbase”. They had to, in order to justify the money that investors were injecting into these projects. When you are dealing with that kind of investment, small and steady returns are not attractive.

Investors looking at WoW’s revenue stream would be dissatisfied with anything less than stellar returns from their own projects. This would mean that anything innovative, that wasn’t proven to work (as attractive gameplay) already, would be heavily frowned upon as a potential waste of time and resources. Thus, the path of least risk would be to copy the gameplay of WoW. Sure, you had to have something to distinguish your product, but it couldn’t be too radical a departure from what Blizzard had perfected. LOTRO would rely on the draw of the IP, as would STO and SWTOR and TESO. TSW would lean heavily on the setting and skill system (and my favourite, investigation missions).

When you are trying to steal players from another game, you can’t offer anything too radically different, or you have no foot in the door. By being able to say “this is what you are used to, but better!”, you can entice players away from Blizzard. On the other hand, as we have seen in the last few years, that works the other way too, where Blizzard has kind-of-copied popular aspects of other MMO’s to draw players back (or away from those games). But Blizzard was there first, already comfortably established, so any net loss after this exchange of player loyalties is something they can afford – the newer games cannot afford it nearly as much.

I think that the repeated attempts to challenge WoW for sheer profitability were the result of investors treating the MMO industry in a similar way that several other global markets operate. Take the mobile phone or tablet industry, for example. It is dominated by a couple of names, but they all do practically the same thing. Same with the console market. I don’t think that anyone really anticipated that WoW would not share the market at all. I think people – not least of all, the people with the development cash – expected one, maybe two major rivals to rise and compete with WoW, and then there would be all the satellite MMO’s picking up the niche scraps. And I think that the reason so many MMO’s over the last 10 years have been WoW ‘clones’ is because they all tried to establish themselves as that major rival. The result has been an MMO bubble, that is going to burst in the next couple of years.

I’ve recently become disillusioned by ArcheAge from the reviews/impressions of some bloggers in the beta, I don’t think that there is enough new in the game to really differentiate itself (at least, not in a good way). So that leaves me with my fingers crossed for EQ Next, and the two space MMO’s Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous. No Man’s Sky is also intriguing but I’m not sure how much of an MMO it is at this stage. I have a feeling that the only ways forward from here are either massively improved AI to provide both challenging, dynamic combat and immersive interaction, or a proper virtual world that is player-driven and basically just curated by the developers rather than designed by them. I have a dream game along those lines, that I’ll try to lay out in depth on this blog, but I fear we may be waiting at least another 5 years before anyone attempts anything truly innovative.

Steam Challenge – Serious Sam: The Random Encounter

This is part of my Steam Challenge Series (the full list is here).

Time Played: 22 minutes

Aaaaand another swift and brutal post on the challenge. I was never a fan of the Serious Sam franchise – I tried it once and it just didn’t click with me. Having got this game in one of the Humble Bundles I gave it a shot after reading (somewhere) a few conflicting reviews.

This and a couple of other games were created as indie spinoffs of the classic FPS franchise. Each one attempts to bring the world and feel of the SS brand to a new genre. In this case, it’s a hybrid turn-based dungeon crawl/turn-based side-scrolling shooter. The first part of the game is standard fare – you move around a map one square at a time trying to get keys or defeat bosses in order to unlock the exit to the next map. When you encounter a monster, you move to combat, which is the really innovative part of the game. I liked that they tried something new with it, but it was simply too frustratingly hard.

That was the one thing that all those conflicting reviews had in common: this game is disgustingly difficult. Unfortunately it’s in an overtuned, RNG-type way. There is certainly skill involved in the combat, but only up to a point. After that, you’re pretty much depending on luck. And it feels like anything less than perfect luck means defeat (which means starting the whole map over) or being so beaten up that you’ll definitely lose the next fight.

I played long enough to realise that the game was going to cause more anger than enjoyment in me, then uninstalled with a clear conscience.

Probably only for the die-hard Serious Sam enthusiasts.

I have one more game to post about before I have caught up to my current progress – and that one, finally, is one I’m excited to tell you about!

Steam Challenge – Faerie Solitaire

This is part of my Steam Challenge Series (the full list is here).

Time played: 2 hours

This is a mercifully quick one.

It’s…solitaire. I don’t know what I expected, or why I expected something more than what was delivered, but I did and so I gave up after the 2 hours. I’m not really a solitaire person – I am happy to play a game here and there to kill time, but it’s nothing I’d seek out. I played over a week or two, 15 minutes at a time. This game is basic solitaire except with odd rules. And, of all things, a story. Pets to collect that don’t actually do anything. Earn gold to buy stuff that helps with the odd rules.

Graphically it’s great. Sound is great. There is nothing actually wrong with the game, it’s just solitaire. I don’t really want to know what it says about me that that didn’t sink in until nearly 2 hours of play. I think it was when I discovered that the pets were mere decoration that I caved to reality.

If you love solitaire, this is a decent version. Might be good for kiddies too, it’s quite pretty and fairies.