Tired of being left behind in games conversations, I've just watched the games I've begun watching others play games I've wanted to see. It's not usually the ideal method, obviously, but some of the elements in most games can be enjoyed no matter how you experience them.
Showing 1-10 of 28 items
It's been a while, but I was always fascinated by this game in the preview magazines. It was one of the games that had me debating whether or not I'd get a TG 16 when it was standing alongside the Genesis. I went with the Genesis (good choice) but its allure had my acquaintance's TG-16 always looking exotic and interesting. He never got this game for it, though. Maybe I didn't quite complete this, come to think of it. Ah well, close enough as I'm likely to get.
I'm adding this relatively late, but I just remembered that this was actually one of the first recent games I ever watched from start to finish. I watched it like a film, and in that respect it had its interesting elements. Because it was a game, though, ultimately I didn't feel enough of a connection. If I want to write anything more than this I'd probably have to watch it again. The end choice is interesting, although from my perspective it was a bit confusing what the consequences were supposed to be. Sometimes these canned choices are exhausting.
Well, I have to say that this game surprised me. The combat was a slog (and I assume a slog to play as well as to watch, it hardly ever felt visceral enough to feel like you were actually in combat), and I could see that even on a decent system this game would chug along. But man, this story had ambition. Strip away the game and you have an interesting mindbender of a story that has definite literary aspirations. If only all games were willing to take these kinds of risks!
I love the idea of using HR Giger's art in a game. The twisted, sexual, surreality is awesome to see in digital form... but man, is the use mundane. I kept hoping for something more mysterious, more awesome and weird, but it never got close to that. I think it could have stood being a little more adventurous in its use of this alternate world. At the same time, as an adventure its puzzles were pretty obscure at times, and the humor was good in places but never reached a level where I felt like "yeah, OK, it's supposed to be funny, I get it now. Better than nothing." It could have gone either direction, but it didn't go far enough. Disappointing, but still a great experiment.
DigitalLameFan's hilarious runthrough on Youtube helps ease the pain of this punishing, one-hit one-kill platformer/shooter from Data East. The backgrounds were very beautifully drawn and thought out, even when you have snow in an endlessly Gaudi Barcelona, and Olmecs and Moai living together (mass hysteria).
I loved the style of this, and watching this game with a highly skilled and experienced player at the helm is a movie-like experience (too bad he kept skipping the plot elements). I'd love to see something like this on the big screen, edited down to the essentials of the running and jumping with the plot more clearly laid out. Just one long, continuous take in the first person (however that might be accomplished). Would be epic. This is partly influenced by the fact that the whole thing I watched was a speed run :)
Beautiful design, some of the best SOUND design I've ever heard in a video game, interesting and unique theme, dealing with some questions that I don't remember many games addressing before. And you know what? The thing people don't like about this game is often the shooter/weak customizability/scavenger hunt elements. So I sorta skipped those just by watching (well, not so much scavenging, but I just ignored it when it got boring and listened to the audiotapes), even if the tension takes a hit because it's not MY character getting shot at.
The black humor of this great game translates well, even if every little snot who had a playthrough tended to rush through the puzzles so fast that I couldn't tell what was going on and missed the writing on the wall (so not to speak), as well as the computer's wonderfully dark monologues getting cut off sometimes. Thankfully I found someone who at least kept the subtitles on, so I got to catch most of it. One of my favorite moments was from a deactivating sentry robot, but the whole game was full of great lines :)
My wife pointed out how there were more hours watched here than in entire television series that I've followed in the past, more than four straight days of game time. I have to admit my eyes glazed over in parts, and I don't remember the last thing I watched where I yelled at the TV at people who totally couldn't hear me :) But it was fun, and there was some interesting depth to the characters, with intelligent, nearly flawless localization that, at the same, time wasn't afraid to keep this game in Japan. It speaks to the game's features that I don't think I'd mind playing it despite having seen the videos, which go into exhaustive detail.
Wow. I had no idea. It's like I've been looking for a game like this my whole life.