It’s been a while, but the recent A:CM traffic from E3 has got my Alien saliva flowing.
First thing’s first – check out the new trailer:
Just a little tease, but so sexy!!
Aliens: Colonial Marines – new teaser trailer!
Posted by Lance on June 15, 2011
Posted in Aliens, ColonialMarines, FPS, GearboxSoftware, JamesCameron, movies, PC, Playstation3, scifi, videogames, Xbox360 | Leave a Comment »
First Glance: Rock Band 3 Wireless Fender Mustang Pro Guitar Controller
Posted by Lance on December 1, 2010
I finally got to spend some time with my new Rock Band 3 Pro Guitar controller last night. While it is certainly not a real guitar, it translates surprisingly well – even for someone who actually plays guitar.
There are a few little niggling differences. The strings are all the same width, which sometimes makes it hard to find the correct string with one’s strumming hand. The fret buttons are also all identically-shaped (the string-shaped buttons don’t get narrower as they decend), which causes similar left-hand confusion. Lastly, unlike a real guitar, your fret hand can’t feel which strings are vibrating, which also removes a point of orientation.
One other difference from for-reals guitar slinging is that the game uses its own unique notation to display your finger and chord position. For those more familiar with tablature though, this isn’t such a stretch. The notation is relatively clear, and admittedly easier to sight-read during a play session.
Still, most of my fumbling is likely due to the fact that I haven’t played much at all for, say, 1.5 decades. Regardless, I quickly plowed through many sets of lessons, and was already able to learn two songs on Pro Hard difficulty in one evening. (One step up – Pro Expert difficulty – would be playing the song note-for-note, and I think I could probably have managed Expert on the two tunes I learned as well.)
Pretend-guitar confusion aside, Mad Catz has done a fine job constructing this controller. Previous to slapping down my plastic, I had been worried about the build quality, but this is actually a fairly sturdy contraption. For those of you on the fence, I think the unit will be sufficiently durable if treated well.
It’s pretty obvious that there aren’t many folks using the Pro Guitar feature yet, as I’m already in the top 25% of the global leaderboard. Trust me – I’m not a top-25-percentile kinda guitar player.
In all, this is a very, very damn fun way to learn some new songs, and a way more fulfilling way to play Rock Band for my dollar. I’m extremely excited to get my hands on the real RB3 Fender Squier Strat, which ships in early March.
Note that Rock Band 3 also features similar trainers for bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. There are extensive how-to-play lesson sets for each instrument, plus three coaching sessions for every Pro-enabled song (a list which includes all 83 songs on the RB3 disc and most DLC going forward). Harmonix actually worked with the Berklee College of Music to develop all the teaching and training scenarios, and the quality shows.
While it may sound like there’s not much tutorial content per my earlier comments, keep in mind that I played guitar for 15 years (before taking a hiatus when Zack was born), and was able to breeze through a lot of it. You literally could learn to play an instrument using this game. I keep finding myself saying this, but we really do live in the future, kids!
Posted in guitar, hardware, Harmonix, music, reviews, RockBand, RockBand3, videogames, Xbox360 | 1 Comment »
SCB: A New Chapter
Posted by Lance on December 1, 2010
We meet again, reader!
After a short hiatus, I began to miss writing and decided to bring SCB back up on a new (read: free) hosting service. Hopefully, I’ll have some interesting things to share, and I highly encourage everyone reading to comment and participate!
Please excuse the broken image links in legacy posts. Many of the images were not captured by my WP export from the old site.
Cheers,
Lance
Posted in blogging, Wordpress, writing | Leave a Comment »
Aliens vs. Predator: the Marine Campaign Review
Posted by Lance on March 2, 2010
A stand-up fight, or just another bug hunt?
After finishing Aliens vs. Predator’s Marine story last night, I wanted to post some thoughts. In a nutshell, die-hard fans of the franchise need not despair at the game’s mediocre critical reception – AvP is solid, playable, and fun.
Rebellion has done a fantastic job with pacing and tension-building, both feigned and (especially just as you finally let your guard down) mortally deserved. Sound design is the true star of this game, and sets the stage in every way – whether via the faithfully-delivered touchstone AvP sound effects, or through the fantastic usage of surround sound and contextual soundtrack. My heart literally kept pace with the pulse of my motion tracker, revving up predictably as the rising pitch of the gadget indicated an impending xenomorph rush.
That said, just as I won’t make excuses for the lukewarm A&P franchise sequels, likewise for this new AvP game. In many ways, the game is a throwback – a reincarnation of Rebellion’s original 1999 shooter, dressed up with (relatively) modern textures and high fidelity sound. Certainly, the game’s visuals have been the subject of some criticism, but I did not find them terribly lacking. In the end, the locales that the subject matter demands – cramped industrial compexes, pre-fab colonial structures, sterile research facilities, steaming jungles, and ancient temples – are all here and rendered sufficiently well. Sure, AvP is no Mass Effect 2, but a strong effort nonetheless and good enough for suspension of disbelief, and that’s what it’s all about, yes?
More pointedly, the game’s control offerings are a bit below the curve as well. Don’t misunderstand – I had no problems navigating, aiming, selecting weapons, etc. However, I did find myself groping for many of the conventions we’ve come to take for granted in modern shooters. Sure, a cover mechanic is not yet ubiquitous, and the lack of said option could certainly be forgiven – if not for my character’s inability to even crouch down behind a crate while taking fire. Perhaps his knees were damaged in the rough dropship landing during the opening sequence? I also found myself missing an “iron sights” ability to focus my aim down the length of my weapon, but the zoom function on the scoped rifle did serve as a partial replacement.
Lastly, the difficulty of the game was of a varying consistency. In places, I found myself almost stymied by a sudden, frenetic rush of xenomorphs in an otherwise nondescript map section, while several of the major setpiece chellenges were easily defeated and almost anticlimactic. One warning here regarding the game difficulty – Rebellion has not provided us with the option to adjust the game difficulty on the fly. If you find yourself overwhelmed, you’ll need to restart the entire campaign to bump the difficulty down a notch.
But let’s not point fingers at muddy textures and slightly-clunky game play per se – Dragon Age: Origins was no glamorous looker either, and its queued-up-action gameplay was positively frustrating at times. Still, DA:O received its laurels largely due to fantastic writing and an engrossing setting. In the same way, Rebellion’s fierce dedication to evoking the AvP franchise’s distilled essences has left me satisfied and temporarily sated. More soon as I progress in the Predator and Alien story modes…
Wait, Lance – what do you mean, temporarily sated? Why, faithful reader, I allude to nothing other than the forthcoming release of Aliens: Colonial Marines, currently in development by Gearbox Software. Yes, that Gearbox – the talented cats who developed a little shooter-looter called Borderlands. A:CM is a squad-based shooter with full 4-player story co-op, basted liberally in the juices of James Cameron’s classic film Aliens. Randy Pitchford and crew, I am drinking the Kool-Aid you’re brewing up!
Posted in Aliens, AvP, ColonialMarines, DragonAge, FPS, gaming, GearboxSoftware, JamesCameron, MassEffect2, PC, Playstation3, Predator, RebellionDevelopments, reviews, scifi, videogames, Xbox360 | 2 Comments »
Aliens vs Predator: Resist the Lure of the Hive Mind!
Posted by Lance on February 23, 2010
I came to an epiphany this morning. (Sure, it was a trivial and geeky epiphany, but don’t be judging on my epiphanies, man!) After reading the mixed critical reviews of Aliens vs Predator last week, I had decided not to purchase the game, or to at least hold off until the price dropped.
I realized that I was getting sucked in by the industry group think. Sure, an average/mixed review consensus of the typical title might prompt me to hold off, but this is the freaking Alien(s) and Predator franchises, for cripe’s sake! If there’s a bigger fan of those properties in the Lehigh Valley, I’d be highly surprised.
I had previously played Rebellion’s original 1999 AvP game on PC, as well as the 2001 follow-up by Monolith. A quick check of Wikipedia shows that the original AvP received 80% scores from the major houses, and AvP2 roughly 60%, and I had a complete blast with both games!
So what the hell was I thinking? This is a major release involving my favorite movie ever (James Cameron’s Aliens – duh!), and I was going to give it a pass?? I suppose this example serves to illustrate the prodigious mojo that game reviews (let alone the mighty and impersonal Metacritic score) exert over the modern, highly-wired fanbase.
Having recognized that chilling fact, tonight I throw off the chains of the IGN/Gamespot hive mind. I can already vividly hear the increasingly frenetic ping of the motion tracker, the chatter of my M41A pulse rifle, and the elephantine screams of my inhuman, horrific foe. So beware, xenomorph queen, and cower in your steamy, dark lair – I come for you tonight!
Posted in Aliens, AvP, FPS, GameSpot, gaming, IGN, JamesCameron, Metacritic, movies, PC, Predator, RebellionDevelopments, reviews, scifi, videogames, Xbox360 | 5 Comments »
Mass Effect 2: Class Consciousness
Posted by Lance on January 26, 2010
So, here I am, hot new copy of Mass Effect 2 in hand, work day complete, free time carved out, and ready to head home for some sweet, sweet sci fi gaming. Everything should be awesomesauce for Lance. Except one little thing – for the life of me, I can’t decide which class I want to play!
I played a Soldier the first time out, and I am leaning that direction again for several reasons. First, the gun nut and paintballer in me likes the idea of access to assault rifles and heavy weapons. Second, I’m thinking it would be cool to perpetuate the most “human” experience. In other words, playing a “normal” Soldier who’s been thrown into this crazy new world of biotic muties, aliens, and other post-contact nuttiness.
Still, playing a Soldier was an easier choice in the last game, since the ME1 biotic powers pretty ho-hum. Now that they’re super-cool, I’m all bi-(otic)-curious. I’m just trying to reconcile losing the coolest weapons vs. gaining a few neat space-psychic powers.
If I do take the biotic route, I’ll probably choose Sentinel for the best of all worlds. Although the Vanguard powers are very, very cool too, and offer access to shotguns. Ugh, indecision!
I have been able to narrow my choices slightly. I think the Adept class would be a bit much, and would almost feel like playing a “wizard”, making the game feel less purely sci fi. Conversely, the Engineer seems a bit too underwhelming, so there’s another elimination. The ME2 Infiltrator looks supremely cool, but I don’t think I want to go the stealth route. Perhaps Infiltrator would make cool second playthrough?
Back to the front (as it were), I usually prefer more realistic shooters where the action takes place at fairly long ranges, hence my Soldier leanings. That said, playing a hunter in WoW has taught me that long range classes sometimes miss out on close-ups of all the cool enemy eye candy. So, maybe being restricted to submachineguns and shotguns would actually be a boon in such a visually stunning game? So that leaves Sentinel. And Vanguard.
But, assault rifles and the bullet-time Adrenaline power are so cool! Someone help me decide!! I guess too many options is a good kind of problem to have…
Posted in Bioware, gaming, MassEffect, MassEffect2, RPG, videogames, Xbox360 | 5 Comments »
Happiness is a Sore Thumb
Posted by Lance on December 21, 2009
[Insert “Wow, it’s been a long time since I posted” remark here.]
Recently, I tried the demo for Jak and Daxter: the Lost Frontier on my new PSPgo. (I’ll expound later on that excellent little handheld platform.) This enjoyable experience lit a tiny fire in my brain.
I have some very fond memories of playing through the first Jak and Daxter game (subtitled The Precursor Legacy) with my son Zack back in 2001/02 – he would have been about 6 at the time. He hadn’t been quite old enough for the game’s sometimes tricky difficulty level, but had enjoyed sitting with me as I played.
These recollections of time well spent led me to wonder how much these memories were simple nostalgia and how well the game would hold up today. So, instead of simply grabbing the new J&D installment for my PSPgo, I decided to pick up a copy of the original and give it another whirl. If I liked what I discovered, I’d continue to play through Jak II and Jak III before finally tackling The Lost Frontier. (I’d never completed the second two games the first time around. The series became more serious as it progressed, and I’d thought it a little too gritty for Zack at the time.)
Seeing as Eastern PA was socked by a fairly major snowstorm this weekend, I enjoyed a good deal of free time after knocking out my household obligations. Luckily, The Precursor legacy has thoroughly lived up to my fond memories.
I’m a little over 60% of the way through the first game, and having a ball. The game isn’t without its frustrations, but by in large Naughty Dog’s excellent craftsmanship has stood the test of time. (You may have heard of a little game – game of the year, that is – that Naughty Dog recently released, titled Uncharted 2.)
I think my enjoyment of The Precurser Legacy has to do largely with the feeling of exploration that it imparts. Naughty Dog has crafted a very compelling setting, and their level design is masterful. The game unfolds before you as you progress, revealing new environs, enemies, and gameplay options at the perfect pace. About the time you’re finally tiring of a new area, you’ve organically completed most of the required tasks, and new locales are made available to Jak and his crazy were-otter-weasel sidekick.
Likewise, the story and game world are actually quite compelling, with the story doled out in both cutscenes and in-game expositions. The voice acting throughout is fantastic.
I have encountered some frustrations. The difficulty level is quite challenging at times, and the gameplay certainly old-school. Miss one jump and you’re dead, Lance – try again! There’s also a little necessary trial-and-error at times as the player tries to determine exactly what he’s supposed to in a given situation. Still, you are presented with infinite lives, and you typically respawn relatively close to the site of your untimely demise. In all, while I’ve become slightly frustrated in places, the sense of accomplishment when I finally overcame a given obstacle has been glass-half-full.
In any case, it’s been quite some time since I showed up to work Monday morning with a noticeable jump-button bruise on my right thumb, but I like it. It’s a good kind of pain.
There’s something to be said for a 9 year old game that I’m preferentially playing over Dragon Age: Origins and Assassin’s Creed, which are both currently waiting patiently for my return. They may wait a bit longer – I’m very much looking forward to the slightly different, open-world play of the next two Jak games.
Posted in gaming, Naughty Dog, Playstation 2, PSP, videogames | 1 Comment »
Runic Games' Torchlight – a Review
Posted by Lance on November 6, 2009
I finally carved out some more quality time for Torchlight this week. My one-line take: this game is nearly everything that any Diablo fan could have wanted.
Still, let us first tackle the oliphaunt in the room – we would have liked multiplayer functionality. That said, it must be noted that Torchlight was developed from scratch in only 11 months, which in itself seems amazing.
Moreover, Runic Games has a plan. The single-player Torchlight release constitutes Step One – namely, introducing the Torchlight license to the gaming world, and thereby paving the way for their free-to-play Torchlight MMO (slated for release in 18 to 24 months).
Enough about Runic’s future, though – we’ve got a game to discuss, and what a game it is. Hold on to your mouse, kids – Torchlight is gorgeous, charming, and most importantly, buckets of fun.
Runic has crafted an extremely-approachable dungeon crawler. Whether you are an old hat or new to the action RPG genre, this game will likely draw you in. The premise is familiar: meet new and interesting monsters, and slay them (grabbing their treasure in the process, of course). Upgrades to your gear are frequent, and the decision between your own trusty helmet and one recently looted from a slain skeleton is half the fun. About the time you’re in danger of becoming bored with your current configuration, your character levels up or finds some new equipment, offering new options in combat.
Each character class is thoroughly playable; well-varied talent trees give ranged classes viable melee options, and vice-versa. All classes are given the choice of a pet dog or cat to fight alongside you, help to carry loot, and even run back to town on their own to hock said booty, saving you a Town Portal scroll and freeing you up for uninterrupted delving! Moreover, a fun little fishing minigame offers up a variety of weird fishies that, when fed to your pet, transform them into number of powerful monster alter-egos.
From a visual standpoint, Torchlight may be the newest touchstone for action RPG art. Sure, the basic theme is a tried-and-true fantasy setting, but Runic has woven some cool steampunk elements into their particular tapestry, and it very much works. The engaging player characters and numerous, varied foes are also crafted in an edgy, cartoonish style with heavy-lined art and vibrant shading, setting the actors apart from the sublime, slightly painted-looking backdrop of the dungeon settings.
Further setting it apart from its predecessors, Torchlight’s environments possess a distinct sense of verticality. As your character navigates the mines, crypts, and dungeons below torchlight, the view from balconies and suspended walkways reveals glimpses of levels below, complete with their resident brand of creepies crawling about in the gloom, unaware of your impending intrusion.
Torchlight’s sound design is likewise masterful. From the crisp jingle of your dog’s collar during an idle moment, to the protests of startled dungeon dwellers, the audio is perfectly timed and crafted. Weapons possess a visceral impact, and the combination of a perfectly-timed audio cue with a subtle screen shake lends a sense of real power to your attacks. The Vanquisher’s Ricochet shot crashes palpably around corners, scattering hapless Ratlins, and the close melee attack from the Alchemist’s wand connects with a very satisfying bang.
Likewise, Matt Uelmen’s soundtrack will likely give you nostalgic shivers. His signature here is unmistakable – atmospheric tracks heavily-laden with echoing guitar work – but the mood is light and upbeat enough to set it apart thematically from his Diablo tracks. Here’s to hoping Runic deigns to release an official soundtrack! [clink]
In closing, go play the game! This is $20 US very gladly spent – the lure of exploring just one more dungeon section in search of ever-improving loot is a siren song. It may lose you a few hours of sleep, but you will be glad for the experience. I’m actually looking forward to my business trip next week, as evenings in the hotel will be spent playing Torchlight (with a microbrew or three close at hand, gods willing). The game is truly a perfect choice for gaming on a less-than-stellar business laptop.
One last comment: while I had no problem installing and validating the game on my iMac (running Windows 7 RC via BootCamp), I did have some trouble on my Dell Latitude work laptop. At home, I was unable to connect to the key authenticator either by wifi or wired ethernet, but I reached the authentication server on my first time on my connection at work. Runic is aware of this problem, and I’m sure they are hard at work to eliminate the issue.
For those interested in Torchlight’s art development, check out this well-written article over at Gamasutra – a very interesting read.
Posted in gaming, PC, reviews, RPG, Runic Games, Torchlight, videogames, Windows | Leave a Comment »
Torchlight
Posted by Lance on October 30, 2009
I heard about this new indy release while listening to the PC Gamer podcast on my commute this morning. After checking out the website, I must say I’m very eager to check it out.
Torchlight appears to be a Diablo-style, loot-collecting action RPG, and the art design is a gorgeous-looking cartoonish, steampunk / fantasy hybrid. Moreover, the music has been composed by none other than Blizzard ex-pat Matt Uelmen, whose chops include contributions to the StarCraft, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and WoW: Burning Crusade soundtracks.
Now, it’s not that I really need something more to play this season, but the system requirements are quite forgiving, and the price tag is a very-reasonable $20. So, at the very least, this game is totally getting installed on my work laptop for evening entertainment on some upcoming business trips.
The developer, Runic Games, consists of a bunch of folks previously with Blizzard North (Diablo series) and Flagship Seattle (Mythos), and President Travis Baldree created WildTangent’s 2005 title Fate. No question that the action RPG chops are prodigious at Runic. They are currently working on a playable demo for Torchlight, and a Mac OS X Snow Leopard version is slated for a January release. Can’t wait to give it a test drive!
Posted in Blizzard, gaming, Mac, RPG, starcraft, videogames, Windows, WorldofWarcraft, WoW | 2 Comments »
Sonic Breadcrumbs
Posted by Lance on October 28, 2009
I’ve become quite a soundtrack fanboy over the past year or so. My responsibilities at work have shifted such that I’m spending much more time in my office and less in the lab. That said, my brain is wired in a fashion where music with lyrics is very distracting when I’m writing or reading.
To me, lyrics are as integral to the experience as the music itself, so I’ve never been much of an instrumental music fan. As such, I’ve had to augment my library to accommodate my new position, as no music at all would probably cause me a similar productivity hit (and/or psychological break).
Enter the video game soundtrack. To some extent, this pursuit started with the excellent computer RPG The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Friends will recall that with the purchase of this title, I practically dropped out of society during my off hours in feverish and sleep-deprived exploration of this ashen and wind-blown virtual island.
Part and parcel to the consentual Morrowind hallucination, however, was composer Jeremy Soule’s incredible, atmospheric soundtrack, which happened to be included on audio CD with my collector’s edition box. I found myself listening to that disk frequently during my commute and off hours, and I found it to be very evocative of the game experience, and always filled me with the serene wonder I’d felt wandering the isle of Vvardenfell. This album still remains my go-to piece when I’ve had a stressful day at work and need to wind myself down.
Flashing forward to recent months, game soundtracks constitute a large slice of my on-the-clock music consumption. Much of the work is really quite amazing. Granted, as the gaming industry continues to grow, projects become more monumental, and production budgets inflate by orders of magnitude, it is no surprise that the quality of soundtrack composition has evolved as well.
The Halo series is a perfect example. Marty O’Donnell’s work on Halo 2, Halo 3, and now ODST is really some great music for the workplace. Both energetic and evocative, and the perfect compliment to spreadsheet slaying and inbox immolation.
Another fantastic album is the Mass Effect soundtrack. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick’s compositions are an amazing atmospheric tableau, and so reminiscent of 80’s sci fi movie soundtracks, including some crazy, frenetic John Carpenter-esque keyboard work.
Of course, I can’t discuss video game soundtracks without mentioning Blizzard Entertainment. These folks’ quest for quality is understood among game geeks, and their audio has always been a step ahead of the industry at large. The Burning Crusade and Lich King soundtracks were fantastic, as well as the Echoes of War compilation courtesy of Australia’s Eminence Symphony Orchestra.
Here’s to hoping that Gearbox deigns to release the OST for their recent bazillion-gun-laden title Borderlands – some of the driving tracks that cue during big combats are quite catchy. The title track in particular caught my – well, ear – and after a quick Google, I immediately snagged the Cage the Elephant album from Amazon’s MP3 store. Happily, these guys have become my favorite new rock act for the year.
I’ll leave you with an obscure one. The Frenchman Cristophe Heral’s soundtrack for the original Xbox sleeper Beyond Good & Evil is some amazing stuff. Quirky, whimsical, upbeat, and featuring some truly interesting vocal work, this one is worth the efforts you may have to expend to obtain a copy. I’ve been enjoying this album for some time, and to be honest have only finished the first couple chapters of the game itself.
If you find yourself enjoying the soundtrack for the latest A-list Xbox release, or your favorite sci fi TV show, get out there and look for the soundtrack. I’m certain you’ll find them a great addition to your commute or workday audio. The Jason Hayes’, Derek Dukes, and Bear McCreary’s of the world are out there working their tails off to spice up our games and shows – buy a few CDs and support their exemplary efforts!
Posted in Blizzard, Borderlands, geeklife, Halo3, MassEffect, music, ODST, Soundtracks, videogames, WorldofWarcraft, WoW, Xbox360 | Leave a Comment »
