More Good Things
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Super Mario Galaxy1. Insert disc.
2. Smile.
3. Start game.
4. Smile even more.
5. Play for two minutes.
6. Start laughing with joy.
Repeat 5-6.
More than any other game in recent memory, SMG is fun. Pure, wild, genuine fun. It took some effort to put it down long enough to write this post.
Portal
SMG is fun, but Portal is funny. The first-person comedy puzzler is a crazy genre notion, but it's a good one. The writing is often smart and hilarious, and the story is great. You'll get no spoilers from me, but I will say that the payoff for finishing the game is wonderful. It actually brought a tear to my eye from the simple beauty of it.
I can't review Mass Effect yet. It's just too much. Is it the best game ever? I don't know. It's a place I lived in for a while. It was a game? Yeah, I guess it was. All I know is, I was a starship commander and damn... what a life that was.
Labels: video games
Some Good Things
Sunday, November 18, 2007
No Country For Old MenThere aren't very many perfectly crafted films. This is one. It's a brutal poem that is a thing of beauty from start to finish.
Assassin's Creed
If this is next-gen gaming, count me in. The presentation and execution of this game are breathtaking. Walking the streets of 12th century Damascus and Jerusalem is worth the price of admission alone. The story is interesting (a bit cliche, but that's hardly damning for a video game) and the gameplay is fun. Strangely, the weakest moments are the actual assassinations, which are basically cinematic set-pieces. Not bad, per se, but not what I was expecting after being brought up on the more thoughtful, puzzle-like killings of the Hitman series. Still, a real gem of a game. I eagerly anticipate the sequels.
Call of Duty 4
In contrast to the graceful beauty of Assassin's Creed, COD4 is a sledgehammer to the face. It is loud, chaotic, explosive, and a rocking good time. One of the keys to a good shooter is the presentation of the guns and their effect on the world around you. This game gets it very right. Like the other Call of Duty games, this one delivers every muzzle flash, bullet hit, and grenade blast with powerful authority. The game is very fun, but the thing I muttered most through the single player campaign (as large caliber automatic fire pounded all around me) was, "God DAMN, war sucks."
Labels: video games