This has not been a good week for me when it comes to gaming. Two game releases I was watching out for and not enough time to properly review either. Ah well, at least there are these first impressions.
So Star Wars: The Old Republic finally released it's first expansion, Rise of the Hutt Cartel. Other than the level cap increase from 50 to 55, there are quite a few nice changes. Class talents and abilities have been tuned for the additional levels, but I cannot honestly say if any balance issues were fixed or if any new ones arose. There were some interesting playstyle changes due to some change, like adding yet another ability to the Jedi Shadow tank rotation for additional threat. I also did like making the Mercenary's Kolto Missile baseline rather than a talent.
Interestingly, gear levels didn't quite jump as high as I would have thought. A gear level of 126 is recommended for level 50 hard mode flashpoints and 146 for level 55 ones. That means that anyone already in Black Hole/Campaign gear will be able to just jump right into the group finder once they hit 55. This also means that they already outgear much of the new leveling content.
Case in point, my own Jedi Guardian is mostly in Black Hole/Rakata gear and the first set of quests really did not pose much of a problem. I was even ambushed by a level 51 champion droid while AFK (lesson: never afk in hostile territory) and still beat it with my companion dead and was down to 64% health when I got back to my keyboard. The first Heroic 2+ quest did not pose any challenge at all to solo. I am pretty sure newer players or those who has new 50s would find things challenging and may want to run some level 50 flashpoints to help gear up.
As far as new content goes, Makeb has a pretty interesting story. Granted, I've only finished one set of missions, so I cannot give much of an opinion on it overall. Same with the new operation and additional hard mode flashpoints.
From what I have seen, Rise of the Hutt Cartel is pretty much just more SWTOR. Whether that is a good or bad thing remains to be seen. I will be playing more once my time frees up, but I have yet to get really excited about it. Time will tell if Bioware manages to bring the game back up into prominence or simply maintained the status quo.
Highlights
- Finally! Transferrable set bonuses on old set gear! That has been on the want list for like...over a year. Better late then never I suppose. Now my Shadow and Assassin can look like less of an idiot. This also means adaptive gear is way, way more valuable. Well, the good looking ones anyway.
- Following up with the first point is that new gear looks absolutely awful. I really, really need to know what goes on when they design the gear.
- Consolidated planetary currency. Thank goodness for that. A definite plus for those leveling characters and they can allow currency earned to be carried over to the next planet.
- Bioware made sure to get more voice acting done for new content which is always very much appreciated. Nothing irks me more than content where my character does not say anything; likely due to not being able to get the original voice actors.
So some friends convinced me to give Defiance a try last weekend, so I gave it a try. I gotta say that I hope my first impressions don't last.
The game took a very long time to download - almost 30 minutes and was later plagued by a number of connection issues. While such issues are not new in online game launches, most end up stable enough by the first weekend. This was certainly not so and the most play i've gotten in the weekend was just past the first major story mission; maybe 1-2 hours in.
Over the past week though, I was able to get a few hours of gaming in and I am happy to say that it is a fun game. Not a great game by any stretch, but fun nonetheless. Still not enough to really give a full review, but it's impressions give me enough to talk about.
One thing to note first though, is that Defiance is not a redefinition of an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game), though it certainly fits the MMO category quite well. It is basically a third person shooter with a Massive Multiplayer map (seewutIdidthur?). It definitely does not fit well as an RPG. Other than a decent character creation screen, there are hardly any roleplaying aspects in the game. You play as a silent character that really just tags along with whatever the main characters are doing. So yeah, it's a typical shooter.
Speaking of the story, it is pretty lackluster. Considering that this game has a tie-in with an upcoming TV show with the same name, one would think that they will want to get people hyped up about the show through the game. I've seen the trailers for the show, and it came off as pretty bland, but I still definitely check it out. The game itself does not add anything to build anticipation nor does it even provide any good backstory for the world.
All I can gather is that aliens immigrated to earth which ended up devastated by....something. Mutants (mutated by what, I have no clue) and raiders (various factions, but all the same), form the token organized group of antagonists in addition to "hellbugs", insect-like aliens that are really rather generic non-human enemies. Some even remind me of Half-Life headcrabs.
Enemy AI is ... well, decent I suppose. There are some that dodge out of the way during combat, but I can't really tell if they dodge in response to an attack or just to move into position. There is also little variety with the AI among same types to the point that they become incredibly predictable. Much of the challenge in the game is really due to suddenly becoming overwhelmed by enemies. Many, many times, I carefully snipe 5 raiders and then find 6 others spawned right next to me.
But questions like, who these aliens are, where did they come from, what the hell happened to devastate the earth? Those things are just plan lacking in the game. Considering that it is an absolutely new franchise, backstory does allow more immersion in the world and would make us care about the TV show. Rift was a new franchise that did well to establish the world to it's players. Yes, it was rather simplistic, but it was enough to at least know what was going on and who we are fighting and why. In Defiance, we are just living to get by, with no real way to relate to it's world other than it's yet another post-apocalyptic Earth.
As for gameplay, it is a shooter. I am not exactly the best person to say whether it is a good or bad shooter, but it works out nicely. Coming from playing MMORPGs for years though, the controls were a bit odd. Not being able to mouse-move threw me for a loop at the start, but thats just me not being a shooter person to begin with.
Other shooter type gameplay elements include different weapon loadouts (although only 2 weapons per loadout can be equiped), regenerating health/shields (although healing weapons are available later in the game), and headshots...oh I love headshots. Controls are minimal compared to an RPG and really works better with a console gamepad. Still, the PC setup allows me to make some nice headshots. Did I mention that I like headshots?
The options interface was definitely harder to get used to and shows evidence that the game is a console port. It took me quite a while to figure out how to even exit from the game. Normally, the ESC button brings up the main menu, but this time it only shows the loadout screen. Hitting the spacebar for a radial menu is really not intuitive.
All in all, Defiance is a pretty decent game and, despite several gripes, is genuinely fun. Hopefully the story picks up later on and I actually do want to see the TV show become popular so we get to see how the tie-in works.
Highlights
- Have I mentioned Defiance is free to play? Well sorta. Updates are paid for, but the cost is still unknown. Season pass for all updates in the year is $39.95 but how many updates we will see is also unknown.
- Headshots! Most human enemies die with one well placed shot. Although I would have liked to see effects on different parts - like disarming armshots or slowing legshots.
- The EGO system is Defiance's talent system. Interesting but rather complex so I don't have much of an opinion if it yet. All I know is that I am probably doing something wrong.
- Vehicle driving is fun and has a bit of a learning curve. Being able to run over bugs was a pleasant surprise.
- I like that different weapons have different feel to them. A machine gun fire feels more weighty than a sub-machine gun. Goes the same with different weapons of the same class (i.e. different types of shotguns)
Even for someone who is only mildly into fighting games or DC comics, I find Injustice to be an oddly compelling package. Fighting games have always fascinated me with pretty fancy attack moves. I am not ashamed to admit that my attention to this genre completely depends on how awesome an ultramegasuperduperfinaldashpicnhmeinthecheek attack is. Challenge is low on the totem pole when choosing fighting games and my lack of skill with them only shames me ever so slightly. Granted, setting the bar very low for myself does allow me to enjoy the game even when another player is handing me my ass on a platter.
Since comics these days are all about being as flashy as possible, Injustice did make a lot of sense. I have to say that I did find the game rather fun.
The demo itself was pretty light with only 3 playable characters and one battle mode, but it should be sufficient to preview the most important aspect of the game - the fighting. I liked how playstyles differed with each character; Lex Luthor did feel like someone in a giant mech suit would be and is not as agile as Batman. Even without a change of difficulty, Doomsday felt like a more powerful and sturdy opponent than those before him. Controls were responsive and, thankfully, not too punishing to my clumsy fingers. I manage to pull off moves I wanted more so than most other fighting games.
Speaking of moves, I have to just prostrate myself in praise of this game in the fact that you can pin move lists in the fighting screen. One of the biggest difficultiesI have with this genre is the fact that I cannot memorize the more complex or more powerful moves. Being able to see specific moves without having to pause and go through multiple screens every time is something that ALL fighting games should do. No more excuses.
The superduperspecial attacks are also pretty nice and flashy as expected and easy enough to execute once the special bar is full (just press both trigger buttons on the XBOX). These attacks can be blocked however and, really, can end up being a disadvantage, even if it does succeed.
One thing I did notice was that the special power bar has more uses than charging the megabeatdown attack. Parts of it can be consumed to make character specific attacks more powerful like adding an explosion to Batman's batarang attack, and it can be used to even regenerate health via the wager system.
True to many, MANY, mainstream comics, the game allows for a head on head attack by both players trough a wager. Each player wagers parts of his/her power bar and they go charge each other. The one who wagers more power ends up the winner and can regain a certain amount of health. Not sure what happens when there's a tie as I've never actually won a wager yet. All this does introduce a level of strategy with, sadly, is way beyond me but is welcome all the same.
All in all, I had fun with the demo and I do want to see more of it. It won't be a priority purchase though and my getting it will depend on whether I am enthralled by another game or not.
Two assault soldiers slowly creeped their way towards a crashed alien scout ship. Not an hour earlier, their interceptor took this ship down with three well placed missile hits, but not without being almost destroyed in the process. The alien ship itself was still mostly intact, but holes in it's hull showed where it had been punctured and damaged structures inside can be made out from their position. As the soldiers approached one of the breaches, they saw it - a being of pure energy coalescing into a solid, humanoid body. It spotted the approaching troops and hid next to the opening in the hull. With a clear view of the breach and the main door, the alien was in perfect position to ambush any who come in sight. Needing this fight to be over as swift as possible, one of the soldiers took a run towards the enemy, deftly outmaneuvering it's weapon fire, and dropped the alien with a shotgun shell to the chest. However, three more aliens appeared from nearby wreckage, one of which moved behind the soldier, ready to make the fatal shot, but was promptly taken out by the sniper that was laying in wait from afar.
That terrible bit of prose is one of many examples of why the turn-based strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and most of it's predecesors, great. As with the original games, the new XCOM is far from perfect, but what defines the franchise is atmosphere. There is a sense of urgency in the game and a final confrontation that you know is coming, and coming really soon. The combination of combat strategy, base and resource management, and troop deployment all adds to the immersion of running an organization that is the first and only defense against the alien invaders. The fact that you can also customize each of your soldiers' names and abilities tacks on an RPG element to the game as well. Renaming troops with your own name and those of good friends makes for great conversation in get-togethers.
XCOM is not a game for twitchy or impatient gamers. It is also not a game for those looking to just pop in for a bit and exit; unless "a bit" means "at least an hour". Rushing into a mission with poorly geared troops mid-game will likely lead to a disaster and that goes the same with rushing into a blind spot like our gung-ho soldier in the story above.
The learning curve is also a bit steep, especially if you skip the tutorial missions. The tutorial itself is quite lengthy and it is really designed to be played through once just to get the basics down (i.e. never leave your soldier outside cover). For those newer to strategy games, the many layers of gameplay can be a bit daunting, and can take a few playthroughs to get used to the important mechanics. Being a total noob myself, my first playthrough had me pitted against armoured shock troops while still using starter assault rifles. Fortunately, there are lower difficulty modes for those of us who needs the extra confidence that we are not total losers so that we can try at a more difficult setting.
Speaking of difficulty, there is also an ironman setting where you cannot save the game at all. Making every decision you make count, and every loss more painful.
The tactical mission is pretty straightforward, and much more intuitive than the original game. With only 2 actions you can take (move + shoot/item/move), and limited soldiers (4-6), you will need to make sure you don't do anything foolish. Cover is incredibly important as an unprotected soldier will almost certainly be lost if she ends her turn flanked by a newly revealed alien. At no point will your troops be invincible, and even weak aliens can pose a threat. What I miss from the old games are collapsable buildings. While the environment is mostly destructable in the new game, you can't bring down a building on the enemy; then again, they can't do it to you either.
There is a heavy reliance on randomness in the game. As frustrating as it can be, like missing a 100% chance shot, it is also what makes the game so exciting. It also adds to the game's replayability. Not every new game will play out as you expect and not every mission will turn out the way it was before, even when the map is the same or if it is the same mission from a previous saved game. Terror missions, UFO sightings, abduction missions are also randomly generated and it keeps you on your toes. Sure, you can plan out your progress as best you can, but chances are also just as good that only difficult missions appear but your best soldiers are recovering from being wounded.
The new game's graphical upgrade over the original from almost 20 years ago is very much welcome, but introduces a lot of odd glitches that range from laughable (shooting something behind a wall) to frustrating (the top of an enemy ship hinders sight for movement). Fortunately, the glitches do not occur often enough to detract from the game itself and I have yet to encounter graphical problems anywhere else in the game.
The game also forces you to make tough decisions. Do you blow all your money and resources to build the alien containment this month or use the money to make more laser rifles and armour for the troops? Do you send troops to a high panic location or one that will give you more engineers to allow you to make upgrades? Even troop deployment can be a challenge. Having 6-8 highly trained and experienced soldiers can be great, but unless they have decent replacements, any of them being lost will make later missions all that much harder.
Story cutscenes are well done and do add to the immersion of the game. As generic as characters are, they are well characterized generic characters. I do enjoy some of the dialogue they offer that looks into your support cast's personality. While praising the effectiveness of the head of the research team, I would keep a good distance from her as she has been labeled to be an "effective" interrogator. I'd probably make sure I keep my sidearm handy as well.
The story goes at your pace, but the difficulty ramp up is not dependent on that. Neither is it dependent on how advanced your XCOM team is. It is refreshing to know that aliens will not wait for you to develop laser weapons before deploying troops that will take 3 of your soldiers to take down.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is very much a worthy successor to the classic games from two decades ago. It is certainly a huge feat for a game to bring back the immersiveness and atmostphere of the original games without actually WANTING those games to be back. It is also a great statement to make - who'd have thought turn based strategy still had a place in gaming for this generation?
The rest of the team has fanned out and covered the area around the store. Two of the alien "mutons" - heavy assault units - lay dead behind the cash counter but they know there are more. An eye up top is needed to provide cover for the rest of the block. The sniper deploys the grappling hook to the roof and lands deftly up on top; only to find 3 more mutons waiting. They fan out with two dropping to ground level while the remaining muton takes aim and fires. The squad takes defensive positions as the signal from the sniper turns to static after a brief yell of pain.
Yeah, it's been more than a month since Guild Wars 2 released, but as it is with any MMO, the true test of quality is longevity. I am sad to say that I can't even remember the last time I logged into the game itself. Maybe last week to check something quickly, but definitely not any significant amount of time to get anything done. I clocked more hours playing Diablo 3 than Guild Wars 2 and it has taken me a very long time to find out why.
Guild Wars 2 is a good game. A great game, in fact. Combat is fluid, environments are amazing, and I have had some good fun dealing with the dynamic events. I thoroughly enjoyed the leveling process as I moved from zone to zone, story to story and, before I knew it, I was at max level doing the hardest content in the game. I loved the fact that I could help friends who were lower level and there would still be a challenge. I was less impressed with World vs World PvP and didn't really care much for structured PvP, which is arguably the best content the game has to offer, and this is most likely why I am no longer putting time into the game.
I'm really a PvE player. In terms of player vs game, there really isn't much of it in Guild Wars 2. Like every MMO, there is a grind to obtain more currency for buying items, and like every MMO, there is a carrot on the stick. However, the carrot on the stick in Guild Wars 2 is cosmetic items - to make your character look good. But what happens if I already like how my character looks? That's right, there's no more incentive to do the grind.
I have checked every other piece of gear available, and they don't look as nice as what I just crafted for myself. Sure, there are a few pieces here and there like weapons, but that's really it. In some cases, I just use a low level item model because I just happen to like how that looks. Nothing so far has compelled me to run the same dungeon 60+ times to get enough currency to buy an entire set of armour. It doesn't help that there's no group finder in the game. I loved the leveling so much in the game that I didn't bother doing dungeons at level and, frankly, I completely forgot they even existed at one point.
Dynamic events are better overall to rerun, but the options for the karma currency are quite limited - and some are also quite ugly. There is also little variety to dynamic events. They do happen frequently enough, but that has been detrimental to the overall experience. It no longer really is dynamic when you can wait for the event to just happen and when everything in the event is expected and by-the-numbers.
Sure there are still things to do, like finish off quests and world completion, but I've never been a completionist. In addition, since the game has a monthly subscription fee of $0, I can take my time to do all that and not feel like any money is wasted. At this point in time, there is just no reason for me to log back into the game.
In terms of the PvP aspect, yes, I do not live in the World vs World maps. Perhaps I am missing out by not doing structured or tournament PvP, but that is just not the kind of player I am. I do enjoy sprinklings of PvP as I move around the world. Moments when fights erupt between factions and escalate to a full blown war are some of my fondest memories in MMOs. Yes, I suck at them, but it is fun in it's own merit because it feels like it matters; it makes a game world feel more organic and I will punish the other side for whatever atrocity they have commited to ignite this war - no matter how petty or if it is my side that started it. Sadly, this can never happen in Guild Wars 2. All PvP is limited to the designated instances and, ultimately, it leaves the main game world quite stale and sterile. Dynamic events cannot really make up for spontaneous player activity.
I will not argue that PvP is where Guild Wars 2 is strongest at. World vs World standings exist and tournament PvP appeals to all those who just loves competetion for the sake of competetion - and winning. But, as an MMO, that just can't be where this game can stand on.
Probably my biggest issue is that, with all the posturing ArenaNet has been doing by saying it has eliminated the grind, that all there is in the game. There is no better definition of irony than this. Yes, you do not need this gear to do any content, but grinding for the gear is all that is left to do. And since I have already achieved the gear-related goal of finding armour I liked, then my character's progress is done. Level 80 and looking good.
Do I regret buying Guild Wars 2? Not at all. At the very least, it is what I would have paid for a single player game and I certainly have put quite a number of hours into it. I have not uninstalled the game, as I would like to revisit the world of Tyria again...but right now, there is just no reason to do so. Despite my pre-launch misgivings, I really wanted to love the game, but it didn't help that all my criticisms were realized in the end.
TLDR Version: WTF!?!
OK. This is a rant, plain and simple. Probably with my tone, it's clear how I feel about this dungeon/story and there will be massive spoilers (SPOILERS!). Proceed at your own risk or just stop now and call me a whiner.
The city of Arah is Guild War 2's level 80 storymode dungeon. Yes, others have exploration modes that require level 80, but I'll steer clear of those for now .... because that's another rant altogether.
The dungeon is also the culmination of both your character's personal story as well as the story of Destiny's Edge, this world's team of legendary heroes. My own personal gripes regarding the story's presentation aside, this dungeon story is supposed to be the epic climax to what was building up for 80 levels of gameplay. To fight Zaitan - one of the Elder Dragons - beings of ridiculous power that merely waking up caused massive damage to the world.
As flat as the story has been presented so far, I can't help but get somewhat excited. I was prepared for a flat presentation of sacrifice, friendship, and victory over an unbeatable foe - and the knowledge that there are 3-4 others we will need to deal with eventually. I braced myself for a fight that will require utmost group coordination and cooperation to beat.
I got none of that.
Instead, the dungeon was on par with all others - trash monsters and bosses were actually quite easy to deal with. There is a lot of friendship in the story, but the sacrifice I thought was done ended in a cop out last minute (and off-screen) save. My own character was relegated to chump in the story. In fact, considering it was through your character's efforts (albiet as a backup role) that managed to get this far, not spearheading the assault on Zaitan just felt a bit off.
And the fight with Zaitan?
Rarely in any game have I gotten so upset about a boss fight, but this one barely even qualifies as a fight. The most you get to do is kill trash that attempts to board the ship. Then you shoot Zaitan with cannons. For ~4 minutes. Maybe more, I wasn't counting. There also really isn't much to the cannons as Zaitan and the ship are stationary. You just aim it at his general direction and press the fire button. For several minutes. Then it's over.
When what should be an epic boss battle can be won by subbing in a drinking bird novelty toy, then something is just seriously wrong. Yes, I understand that epic doesn't necessarily mean we have to beat bosses ourselves, but it needs to be challenging and, most importantly, fun. The Zaitan encounter was neither.
I have played World of Warcraft for several years. I have played other MMOs like RIFT, SWTOR, Age of Conan, DCUO, etc. and I have never seen such a badly designed encounter. I've seen bugged encounters, fights that take long to beat simply because of very small margins for error, but never one so deliberately bad. It is very unambiguous that this fight was meant to be the way it is. And it isn't even the slightest bit difficult.
It certainly didn't help that the story was also very bland and played it safe. There was some effort to make Logan's reappearance meaningful. But that's the thing, the new airship would have been there no matter what and Logan's appearace wasn't even necessary. I don't know, but perhaps Logan's legacy would have been helped by being part of the cost of beating Zaitan.
Maybe this was ArenaNet's idea of an epic encounter? I can't really see how. Perhaps they were running out of time when developing this dungeon? Now that's just cynical. Whatever the reason, this encounter has really soured my gaming experience. It's a shame because, despite several gripes, I have had a lot of fun with the game itself.
Now excuse me, since I have friends that have yet to kill Zaitan, I have to invest in a drinking bird so I can help them out.
Highlights
- Ever the optimist. Zaitan does have a very unique model. ArenaNet's artists have really gotten down the whole "primeval dragon of death" thing. Though I thought he would have been bigger.
To make sure proper context is provided, the "holy trinity" of MMOs means having the core roles of tank, healer, and damage dealing in a group to deal with player vs. environment (PvE) encounters. A good majority of MMOs make use of this group setup and the responsibilities of each member of the group are pretty straight-forward - most of the time.
ArenaNet has been using the lack of this group setup as a major part of their hype machine for Guild Wars 2. While this certainly ramped up talk about how people are discontented about the "traditional" MMO group design, this discussion has been around for a very long time.
Group cooperation is never really an issue. No matter how a game is designed, having proper communication and planning will always be superior to just getting 4-5 random people together and just hope everyone knows what to do.
No, a lot of the talk revolves around damage dealers having trouble finding groups - because few people decide to take on the tank and healer roles.
Being a tank or healer in a group is about taking on a lot of responsibility. The tank usually ends up controlling the flow of the encounters while the healer ensures the right people stay alive long enough to finish the fight. Both roles have to make decisions on the fly and mistakes by either are the most visible and so blame easily falls on one of the two...or even both. I have personally seen the extra responsibility take it's toll on players and it often leads to tanks and healers to play a different role, refuse to run random groups, or just stop playing altogether.
So damage dealers can't find groups because of few tanks and healers. Tanks and healers get burned out easily and stop playing their characters. It's a vicious cycle, and it won't stop until people just wake up and realize they need something that is sadly lacking with the human race in general:
Personal Responsibility.
So my little gaming article now has become a social commentary piece? Online gaming has always been a social hub, whether one likes it or not. There is no doubt the worst of people can show up in an online game, but also can the best of people. You can tout all you want on how good or terrible an MMO is; terrible graphics, great game mechanics, balanced classes, etc, but the social aspect are online gaming's true heart.
The lack of personal resposibility means that the dislike of the "holy trinity" boils down to a social problem rather than a game design issue. In the past few years, games like World of Warcraft and RIFT have been putting more emphasis on personal resposibility. Concepts such as avoidable damage in encounters puts part of the resposibility of staying alive on each individual. The encounter Ultraxion in World of Warcraft is a good example as it becomes very obvious who failed to activate the ability to avoid the instant death attack. Encounters such as these are always the hardest in the game, not because the fight is designed to be hard, but because individual failures can cause the whole group to fail.
And that, in my most humble opinion, is exactly how it should always be.
Removing the "holy trinity", such as in Guild Wars 2, does the exact same thing other MMOs have been working towards for a while now. Granted, not having a dedicated tank or healer, it becomes even more important for individuals in GW2 to make sure they do their part in controlling the encounter and staying alive. It has to be clear though, that repeated failure to do so is not about being stuck in the "holy trinity" mindset, but about not able to, or not willing to, go the extra steps to ensure the group is a success.
I suppose the question is whether I dislike the "holy trinity" myself. No. Neither will it's absence bother me. No matter how a game is designed, it will always be the player that makes a group a success of failure. Always.
