Phil Fogg's in hiding for a week, Tom Towers is in biding [of his time], which means it's time for some shameless hustling by Aarny, in the form of a release trailer. If games journalism was a captcha, robots would still pass.
Coming out in but 12 days as of writing (which will be first, Hollow Knight or the next episode of the Game Under podcast?), Hollow knight is apparently shaping up promisingly. Read Aarny's first impressions here.
- Tom Towers
Knowing nothing about Hollow Knight going in - besides that it was a Metroidvania - I was extremely surprised that a hand drawn 2D game could evoke the gloomy and utterly depressing atmosphere of From Software’s Souls series.
The parallels between the games don’t stop at the aesthetics, as Team Cherry - a three man team based in Australia - took inspiration from the Souls series’ intertwined levels that are filled with hidden shortcuts and secret treasures. While exploring the caves below the city of Dirtmouth, I found myself facing many locked doors, initially unreachable platforms and giant enemies, who, in one case, inadvertently destroyed a section of wall which led to hidden treasure. On your travels you meet an array of colourful characters who provide you with the lore of the world and, when you eventually reach the surface, will provide you with essential tools and abilities used to navigate and conquer the chasms below. You buy these tools and abilities through coins collected from fallen foes, treasure chests, and various mineral deposits scattered throughout the decrepit caverns.
Insectoid enemies are the norm, and while the combat starts simple, it requires some relatively precise dodging and, judging by the way the game was progressing, will eventually get more complex. Outside of the bugs, there is a nice variety of humanoid-insect hybrid enemies that attack in different ways, including one that charges head first with a deadly spear on his head. There are also, of course, various bosses and mini-bosses within the depths which provide a great challenge. When you die, you are stripped of your coins and your body splits with a dark spirit. To reclaim your wealth you must return to the dark spirit and destroy it. It’s an interesting twist on the Souls series’ bloodstain mechanic.
This is all brought to life by a hauntingly beautiful hand drawn aesthetic, which is coupled with a sparse and ambient soundtrack that encapsulates the isolated, foreboding and hollowed ancient world you explore. Characters and enemies are distinct and colourful enough to never blend in with the desolate backgrounds.
I’m really surprised at how much I enjoyed the Hollow Knight Sneak Peak, considering it was an added bonus in this month’s monthly Humble Bundle. I’m greatly anticipating the full game, especially since it ended just as I started getting really into it.
You can pre-order Hollow Knight at http://hollowknight.com/ which is coming early 2017 on Steam (PC, Mac & Linux) and the Wii U.
Yes. Just like THAT! Woah, sick hyperlinking dude. Yes I know. Episode 93 of The Game Under Podcast. This episode we start examining the state of so called triple A development and start with Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4.
You'll hear analysis you will not hear anywhere else, so even if you are not interested in Uncharted 4 you will have an enjoyable hour or so listening to the unique perspective fo Tom Towers, and to a lessor extent, Phil Fogg.
Thanks for listening.
- Phil Fogg
Final Fantasy 7: An Oral History
Not only does it features "oral" in its title (which is a word that sounds like "aural"; Phil Fogg's favourite descriptor for reviews on the show), but also because it's one of the few pieces of long-form writing in videogames that deserves its reputation as being good, not simply long.
The key to successful videogame criticism is verbosity. Even popular "short" videos on YouTube, such as Game Maker's Tool Kit, work on the principle of taking a subject that may be covered in a few minutes, then finding a way to wax lyrical verbosity for ten or more minutes about it instead.
But the development of Final Fantasy VII and the impact of its success on SquareSoft is a subject substantial enough that it actually justifies tens of thousands of words of commentary.
A recent exchange with Jamie Galea of newgameplus.tv, friend of the show.
In this footage Kevin Cloud, one of id's original creative team, proves he is the master of the no-blinking competition for not blinking for 121 seconds (first blink at 10 seconds, second blink at two minutes and eleven seconds). That's over two minutes without blinking. The average adult human blinks ten times per second, which means that Kevin Cloud saved over 20 blinks in the first 2 minutes of this video. Outstanding.
This is the kind of video game Journalism that keeps you listening to the Game Under Podcast.
- Phil Fogg.
I'm about a third of the way through Sukeban's Game VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action, which many have compared to Papers Please, my GOTY of 2014. I'll cut to the chase, this "ain't no" Papers Please.
Which isn't to say there is not something noteworthy of the game. So not to spoil future impressions, I'll say that if you like the Trauma Center franchise, this game is right up your alley.
Umm... I think this is taken out of context.
As with that series, beware that there is more text than gameplay, and at times you will feel like you are playing a clicker if you are prepared to skip the copious amount of text.
More impressions in a future episode of The Game Under Podcast.
- Phil Fogg
3 January 2017
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today fined Valve $3 million for breaching Australian Consumer Laws relating to false and misleading statements to consumers relating to their return policy.
Valve, which had a reported revenue of $3 billion USD in 2015 and has over 2.2 million Australian customers, "...formed a view …that it was not subject to Australian law…and with the view that even if advice had been obtained that Valve was required to comply with the Australian law the advice might have been ignored” according to Justice Edelman, who determined the penalty. He also noted that Valve had ‘contested liability on almost every imaginable point’
In addition to the fine, Valve must also publish information about Australian consumer rights on their website, implement a compliance program for their staff and system and cease making their representations to Australian consumers immediately.
For more information: ACCC Website
Rod Sims, Chairman of the ACCC (Not the creator of The Sims).
Game Informer's podcast typically publishes a weekly panel of their review staff talking in the usual prescribed format. Ocasionally they go above and beyond, as they did this week when, "Ben Hanson interviews Gary Whitta, Double Fine's Tim Schafer, Emma Westecott, Robbie Stamp, and Infocom's Steve Meretzky about sci-fi comedy writer Douglas Adams and his work in the game industry."
Even if you have no interest in Douglas Adams it is both informative, touching and entertaining to listen to (I have not watched the above video format). I hope you get something out of it as well.
- Phil Fogg
