Feeling Stuck In Limbo

Uhhh...anybody there?

 Although it's not completely fair, I always lump Braid and Limbo into the same category because they're both artsy downloadable platformers that are given verbal falacio by the talking heads in the gaming business. Also, in both cases, I had to wait a year after their releases dates to actually play them because they were timed exclusives for XBLA and I'm a huge trophy whore. Be forewarned, spoilers coming.

The first proved well worth the wait because I really found Braid thought provoking as well as fun to play. The controlling time mechanic is fun and challenging without crossing into the realm of frustration while the story is, for the lack of a better description, fucking deep. Or at least gives the sense that its fucking deep. Not that I completely understood what the hell happened because, let's be honest, it wasn't that straight forward. But like a literary novel, the narrative in Braid had some great twists accompanied with great music and imagery that left a great feeling in my stomach like a plate of my momma's homemade veggie pizza.

Enter Limbo, a game cut from the same vein but with it's own soul. I was always dying to try it out, especially after it nabbed #26 on IGN's greatest modern games, beating Braid by a good twenty spots. But 3 hours later, after giving the game a run through, I'm torn about the experience. It definitely does some great things, but I can't decide if they are overshadowed by some headscratchers. I'm stuck, as some would say, in limbo...

See what I did there?

Anyway, the most immediate thing that stands out about the game is the black and white art style, with the entire landscape covered in shadows on top of fog while dabbling in something else grayish. It's definitely initially striking and unique, but after a hour or so, the novelty wears off. Not that it's bad, but I don't think it will be as memorable as a Braid or a Bioshock. Color just generally always beats no color.

Hey guys, nice stick ya got there!

 The gameplay is pretty simple: move your little boy from the left side of the screen to the right while trying not to die in the process. That isn't very easy most of the time - but more on that later. There is no story explicitly told, but you kind of piece together what's going on. Given the title, this little fella is dead and in limbo and he's looking for someone. I've read online that it's his sister, but I don't see the evidence. Could be his girlfriend. Could be just the only other person there not trying to kill him. Again.

Or is she???

It's not groundbreaking but it works, and the mood created by the setting, music and art style make you want to get to her. This world is scary and she is the light at the end of the tunnel. But to get to her, our little protagonist has to get through bear traps, giant spiders, industrial saws, crazy bug worms that control your movements, and a slew of other dangers. Playdead, the creators of Limbo, call the play style "trail and death" which is cheeky but apt because in Limbo you will die. Alot. It's not that the challenges are particularly hard. Actually, if you know what you're doing, its actually pretty easy. But the way the game is structured, you just need to die and die and die over and over and over again to just figure out how to proceed. There are countless dangers that you simply can't see until it's too late, either because they are hidden or off screen.

A prime example is towards the beginning when you need to make your way across three trees. Sounds simple enough. But when you reach the second one, a boulder comes flying out of nowhere and pummels you. Without exaggerating, it is impossible to dodge unless you know it's coming. It then took me a few lives of dying in different ways to figure out that I needed to time jump back to the first to make it through to the next section.

Yeah, this won't end well several times over

 I think this is my biggest issue with the game ultimately. Last time I checked, the trial and error game mechanic is not exactly highly regarded. Or particularly fun. Quite frankly, by this day in age, I thought moved passed it. The death sequences are shocking at first, but eventually I was just getting sick and tired of dying as a way to figure out a puzzle. Limbo doesn't shaft you in this regard thankfully, as the checkpoint system is extremely generous and you will often find yourself back just a few seconds before you died. While this did take away most of the frustration, I  felt rather stupid just going through puzzle by puzzle dying until I found the thing that didn't kill me, which is often what the solution is.

My other beef is that the story just freaking ends. Just like that. You reach the girl you've been chasing (or assume you've been chasing since you only see her twice in the game) and she perks up when you draw it close...and that's it. I actually enjoying the crashing through the glass the moments before more since I actually shared a connection with the boy. We've been through a lot together and I felt bad watching him burst through the glass in slow motion. When will he find peace?! I just wish Playdead gave us a bit more to go on for what happens next. Just a freaking hint. Not leave us twiddeling our thumbs, wondering if they'll live happily ever after or escape limbo or she tears his face off. I dunno, maybe there is more hints if I dig a little deeper with the hidden easter eggs in the game, which I plan to do now to get the rest of the trophies (except that play through the game dying only 5 times one because I know that won't end well) but I shouldn't need to dig to just understand the story.

And that story is a short one too. I've read online that it should take 5-6 hours, but I'll be damned if I didn't finish it in under 3. Not that I care about time if the product in that time is worth it. I would be cool with it if it was only 2 hours and I enjoyed every moment of those 2. But with Limbo, I'm just left like I wanted more. More hints of the story. More puzzles. More explanation of what the hell was going on. The game definitely stands out and I'm glad I finally got to experience it, but I'm left torn deciding if it was actually worth the wait.

UPDATE: I've found my way out of limbo and have decided, no, I do not like this game. I just played through the "bonus level" added to the PSN version and it is infuriating. A great majority of the level is completely dark and requires some serious trial and error to get through. Nothing says fun like fumbling in the dark and having to listen for approaching chainsaws. C'mon Playdead!

Aged Like A Fine Corpse

That's right, I don't have DD's!

 Beyond Good And Evil was one of those games I missed when it came out years ago hanks to a lack of marketing. Fast forward 8 years and, after a delayed release thanks to the PSN debacle, the hd version finally has found its way onto PSN. Despite it's conspicuous lack of a platnium trophy, I gave it a download and thought this hidden gem from the past would be a nice way to fill the gaming void summer often brings.

After giving it a run through, I find myself simply confused and am starting to wonder if this was a trendy pick by reviewers since it was so under the radar back in the day. No way is this, as PSXtreme called it, an "established classic." Be forewarned, spoilers are coming.

That's not to say that there is nothing to take away from Beyond Good And Evil, even back then. The world is interesting and the voice acting is pretty darn good for video game standards (granted, that's not a high bar). While Jade is a little bland, it's nice to see a female protagonist who isn't overly sexualized. Double HH has his moments and I appreciated his charm as he bonehead sidekick. The gameplay is also pretty varied, offering big set piece moments, stealth missions, hack and slash action, and even some racing. But overall, I can only admit that the ideas where there, but overall the game is poorly executed.

This is about to get awkward...

 The most notable offense that missed all the progress action games have made over the years is the camera, which is downright awful and really derailed the experience for me. Anytime Jade and I got into some close quarters actions, the dodge command would send things in flux and I found myself looking at a wall rather than the dude with the hammer who is pummeling me. The setup screams for a lock on system, but it's nowhere to be found.

Continuing the trend of awkwardness is the controls for the hovercraft, which you need to spend a lot of time in. Again struggling with the camera, trying to see where you are going to successfully maneuver around a canyon or dodge a torpedo feels like controlling a wet sponge on ice...while blind folded. This, along with some confusing level layouts was a recipe for disaster, especially in the Slaughterhouse area, where not only did I have no idea what to do, just getting about was a huge pain.

The story also really pales in comparison with the world it's set in. I liked the idea of trying to start a revolution by capturing incriminating photos, but in the last 10% of the game, suddenly too much is thrown at you too soon. Jade's whole "special power" felt completely out of the blue during the end sequence since there really wasn't any hint that anything made her stand out from the other rebels. And the whole reason the Alpha's were helping the Domz ( "So we can suck out their fluids to make us live longer!) made me laugh more than nod my head in understanding. For a game called Beyond Good and Evil, everything seemed pretty black and white.

Overall, I wouldn't feel as disappointed if things weren't so hyped up for me. I went into it expecting a lost classic from yesteryear that never got its due. What I played is an ambitious game wrapped in a solid concept that is plagued with fundamental control issues, despite the hd makeover. Beyond Good and Evil just feels like a game that missed the evolution in action adventure titles in the last 10 years, as expected.

Back to the World of VG Blogging

Hello, blog world! Wow, it’s been awhile. Between moving, work, and a bunch of other writing related projects I have neglected you, This Gaming Life :( My apologies. I'll try my best to make up for it.

So since I've last blogged, I have platinum-ed LA Noire and am putting the finishing touches on Infamous 2. LA Noire has been on my radar ever since the first trailer came out and while I definitely enjoyed the experience, it didn't live up to the hype.Spoiler alert!

Tell me the truth, bitch!!!

  

    The art of solving a crime is a slow and meticulous process that requires patience and attention to detail, so it makes sense that LA Noire goes along at a similar pace. It's different in an ocean of adrenaline rushed experience full of explosions. I really liked the setup of each crime and how you slowly compiled clues for each case. But for a game that "feels" so open and under your control, there were too many points where I felt like I was being pushed towards the conclusion regardless of what I wanted to do. Although I understand it would have taken so much more work, I wish there were multiple ways to solve a case rather than the player either finding all the clues or just stumbling through it, all leading to the same spot.

The interviews were an interesting mechanic that definitely could use some work as well. Like often with Mass Effect and other games that use the dialogue wheel, I often found Cole saying what I didn't want or expect. As exaggerated by the picture above, our boy wonder detective would often fly off the handle unnecessarily. I think there was just too much vagueness with the choices, as you weren't allowed doubt certain elements of what a suspect said. Interviews in general felt disjointed and ultimately ended up into watching to see if the suspect's eyes were moving or not more than anything else.

Cole himself was also just a missed opportunity, as I really didn't care for him that much. I thought it was a real head scratcher that his family life was so invisible through most of the game and then suddenly pushed to the forefront when he cheats on his wife. That was literally the first and only time she is shown. He had kids, what? Why is he so interested in this Russian chick? On the flip side, his war background was much more dissected and I was glad to see that he was far from the perfect soldier and just looking to prove himself.

My biggest worry going into the game with the case-by-case nature was the thought that the story was going to feel too disjointed and sadly, that's what it turned into. Other than the newspaper headlines, there was nothing really pulling things together. Cole's family life would have been a perfect way to fill in these points - maybe showing how each case was affecting his life as the memories of the war plagued him, but it all felt like pieces that followed each rather than linked together with some greater story arc.

   Overall, I won't crap all over Team Bondi's baby, even though the horrors of its development are now coming out, with hundreds of people who worked on the game being left out of the credits and insane working hours to get the game out on time. In the end, LA Noire is a stab at something different and there is more to like here than dislike.

No worries, I got dis

On the other hand the other Cole from Infamous 2 met my expectations. The first one was a load of fun and, while the story isn't as great, Sucker Punch's followup didn't disappoint.

Cole's new voice took me a little bit of getting used to, but after a few hours I felt back in control of an old friend. Cole and I kicked some ass and I was glad Zeke was still around to balance him out and make him feel really human with relationships. The scene where the two of them ignore their phones to relax with a few beers was one I'm gonna have on the back of my mind for a long time and is a perfect example on how to really round out a character.

Kuo and Nix are a nice evolution of Trish and Sasha, each adding their own personalities to the mix and lending Cole new powers that really take the game's combat up a notch. Sure, the morality system leaves little-to-no grey areas with decisions, but that really let me fall into the role of being the good vs. evil guy and created two playthroughs that feel distinct from each other. 

The city is also well done, full of people, neon signs, cars, etc. It's no GTA but it felts alive and ripe for the taking. I think I connected more to Empire City a bit more, but New Marais is a solid setting that stood out among the sea of other game locals, especially the flood town section.

My only grip is the world of Infamous is starting to feel a little far fetched. I liked how Cole was the by product of a freak ray sphere accident. Unique and seemingly chosen to stop the Beast. Now that there are so many new conduits, it waters things down a bit.

Given the ending, I'm very curious to see where things go from here. 3 seems to be the magic number for game series most of the time and, given the impressive week 1 sales, Infamous 3 seems like a foregone conclusion. I wouldn't mind seeing a new face lead the charge, but I would like Cole to make one last hurrah and find himself some peace.

Anyways, that's what I've been up to. Hopefully it won't be a month before my next update ;)