Game Dev Tycoon

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If you’ve heard of Game Dev Tycoon, there’s a good chance it’s for one of two reasons. Either you’ve seen or heard of their anti-piracy stunt, in which developer Greenheart Games uploaded a version of their game to torrent websites, or because of the accusation that Game Dev Tycoon is basically Game Dev Story slightly reworked.

Gameplay

If you cut back on all the controversy, all of the curt Twitter replies, the negative feedback in comments across the web, Game Dev Tycoon is a decent title. You have a lot of control over the way you make games, the systems that you make games for and the sort of games you want to create. For fans of the medium, it’s a dream come true, and it’s all laid out in a slightly better way than any of its competitors. Even Game Dev Story – from which Game Dev Tycoon definitely borrows – is tougher to maneuver than this.

You start as a single developer in his garage, building a first game in a budding industry. As you build more games and develop new skills, an engine and gain a fan following, you’ll earn more money to invest in ways to improve your titles. This ranges from things necessary improvements like mono sound and 3D graphics through to odd inclusions like “sequels” (which I thought I’d been making for years) and “marketing.” Instead of developing plans naturally for things like this, it feels like there’s an over-reliance on research, even for things you should be able to do from the get-go.

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 When you’re low on cash, you’ll be able to take on contracts which will boost your funds. If that sounds dull, you can pair up with publishers who will foot the bill on a bigger project, but who will demand a certain level of quality from your work.

It isn’t easy to put out hit after hit, especially in the early parts of your development adventure. This is as it should be though, and it’s only through experimentation and developing in a certain way that things will go right for you. The only downside is that it helps to have certain knowledge of the history of gaming. If you have no interest in retro gaming, you may struggle more than the target audience, who I feel the developers presume know about the biggest hits on a given system.

This leads to a position where you feel almost as if you’re playing history, rather than making it. That’s fine for one or two play-throughs – as you suspend your belief and really get into creating your own games – but in terms of basic simulation, this doesn’t really work as you’d hope. Even in terms of genres, you’ll build games in a pretty exact way – using sliders to decide the time spent on dialogue, gameplay, graphics, etc – because you know that a dialogue heavy sport action title isn’t like to capture much attention.

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Rather than give you a chance to prove the naysayers wrong, you can pretty much presume the market there is non-existent, and build another fantasy RPG instead. It’s realistic, I suppose, but limiting to the experience.

All of this results in a title that is more than a little difficult, which doesn’t always seem to be playing fair and which isn’t always as fun as it should be. That’s all the more annoying because the really good bits are really good. 

Is Game Dev Tycoon a Ripoff?

The developers have been pretty adamant that, although Game Dev Story was a big influence on their title, Game Dev Tycoon is a completely original game made from scratch. That’s not easy to believe, as entire systems seem to be lifted with little to no change. Perhaps under the surface there are major differences, but the way that it’s presented is less than original. 

It doesn’t really feel like it matters though. If you can’t get at Game Dev Story or fancy something that’s a little easier to play, Game Dev Tycoon is a fantastic substitute. With that said I can’t imagine getting much out of playing both at once. Tycoon can definitely stand on its own feet, unlike the many copies of, for instance, Minecraft, which manage to lift some of the basic features but fail to capture the overall charm.

Graphics and Audio

Game Dev Tycoon looks the part, with game references lining every wall. This is a game that has been designed for the people that loved NES and SNES growing up, for the kids that talked the new Sonic or Mario game in school, for whom the original PlayStation was next-gen. It’ll all make you smile, and you can’t ask for anything more.

Animation is a little dull perhaps and the overall design isn’t going to knock your socks off, but Game Dev Tycoon has got it where it matters.

If only I could say the same thing about the music, which quite frankly just annoyed me. I turned it off pretty quickly, and there’s a good chance that you will too.

Conclusion

Game Dev Tycoon has its faults. It tried to be a serious tycoon game, but wanted to be a nostalgic trip down memory lane as well. It almost manages to pull off the mix, but for extended play you’ll start to notice that rose tinted glasses can take you only so far.

There’s also a problem with the difficulty curve which can mean you’re on top at one minute and that you’ve lost it all at the next. It doesn’t always feel like something you can control, although other times it’s just down to the game moving slightly slower than your ambitions.

But for all of that, it still manages to be a sweet game, fully deserving of the praise it has received and fully worth the price that Greenheart have placed upon it. It’s just a shame that everything else may just make Game Dev Tycoon a title that’s talked about more than played.

Bioshock Infinite Review

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Its definitely an understatement that I love Bioshock. I practically live and breathe it. The environment, the richly detailed architecture, everything about Levine’s masterpiece still resonates within me 5 years later, as does its predecessor System Shock 2. It seems that whenever Irrational Games the creator of both of these titles take on a game they make it better than the last, something that was reaffirmed for me when I played through Levine’s second take on the Bioshock brand, Bioshock Infinite. I approached this game with many questions and mixed feelings.

“Would it be as good as the first I asked myself?

Would I be okay with that?”

its one thing to love a game and its another to try and love its kin. There have been many instances in my short gaming life that I have in fact been disappointed with sequels or prequels or mostly because I didn’t like the final product (SimCity) but some because it simply detracts from the memories and emotional rapport I have made with the series. Bioshock 2 did this for me. It detracted from the narrative severely in my opinion and destroyed (quite literally) the world that Levine had made ending my fantasy of Rapture (the city in Bioshock 1). However the worst thing to eventuate from this was the devastation of my own imagination which had been robbed of dreaming up the countless scenarios that might eventuate from this underwater dystopia.

“To put is concisely: Bioshock Infinite made amends…”

Infinite has to be at least as good as if not better than the original Bioshock.

I don’t say this lightly as I consider myself a hardcore fan of the series and would never trust these words with a game undeserved of their meaning. You arrive at a lighthouse as Booker DeWitt who living up to his name has to get the girl and wipe away the debt. You eventually end up in Columbia, the city in the clouds during a  ‘war of the worlds’ style entrance. THe opening sequences of your arrival to Columbia are breathtaking leaving one with quite a ‘spiritual’ experience as you absorb the faith and beliefs of its people. Gameplay wise plasmids have returned as ‘vigors’ powered by salts (eve) as well as the usual arsenal of weapons. The skyline introduces a vertical aspect to gameplay as you jump and fly throughout levels nailing foes as you go.  The girl A.K.A Elizabeth is possibly the best NPC companion I have ever had the pleasure of playing with, in a game. Narrative wise she adds so much she absorbs and makes references to her current surroundings as you or I might opening our own eyes to how human she behaves in every aspect. She will casually start talking to you about her life or Paris which she seems obsessed on getting to; for me these little touches such as the guitar easter egg  add so much more to character development and you gain an emotional attachment to the story meaning you care about these characters.

“When was the last time you actually cared what happened to a character? Hell even Bioshock 1 didn’t have this.”

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I won’t spoil the plot here  However know this, this game should be played immediately, before someone lacking my own common courtesy does spoil this amazing game.

Whats wrong with the gaming industry?

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There is nothing ‘wrong’ with the gaming industry per se however there are a few areas pertaining to the areas of consumerism and corporatism that require attention. 

Earlier this month the latest remake of the popular Simcity dropped. In fact when it dropped one might say it kept on falling because of those who picked up this game very few were able to actually play it owing to launch difficulties. These difficulties involved the overpopulation of the servers used to handle the game. Needless to say fans were disappointed in this remake, the game receiving fairly good reviews despite this. 

 

I would like to elaborate on the launch issues but I wont because most people seem to know of them. But I will say this as it is pertinent to this article. The always on Digital Rights Managment required to play Simcity is degrading for the fans. Most if not many people seek a solo experience when playing Simcity and it was something I was looking forward to as a gamer. I didn’t care for the multiplayer aspect that was the ‘vision’ of the maxis developers. I would like to challenge them if a rapidly depleting fan base and broken game was part of this ‘vision’. To date the game still has key features patched out to deal with the server load such as ‘cheetah’ mode which enabled the player to speed game time up substantially. 

 

Now that is said I will continue with the main point of this article. EA and Maxis released a game that consumers didn’t demand, couldn’t play and wanted altered (offline play). How could a company lack this foresight? They don’t they just don’t care. Because that unfortunately is the nature of a Monopoly. The seller sets the market. Hell EA could have released Battletoads 2 and slapped a sims logo on it and sold a million units. They didn’t but they might as well of. Its all good to have an original idea but when you congest it with, online DRM and no singleplayer offlinemode for what is by all means a predominantly singleplayer series you are selling a lie. 

 

The problem remains, that the consumer no longer has the power in the market. Back in the early 90’s if a game developer wanted to make a successful game they required the backing of the consumer, because come release if they didn’t want it the seller went home at a loss. Now however major corporations can supply linear reconstituted titles without batting an eyelid because they now use consumerism to their advantage, that is the compulsive acquisition of goods we see time and time again whenever a game like battlefield or call of duty drops. The difference is back in the 90’s the consumers demanded a quality product by banding together. 

 

What can we do about it? Nothing. Petitions? They wont listen to. 

There is irony in all of this. Because the very DRM they implemented will be there downfall as pirates from all over flock to illegally acquire this title, some out of pure spite and determination, others so they can simply play the game how they want the game to be played. 

 

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War Thunder

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ImageYou’re climbing as you watch your altitude meter to 16,000 feet. Your twin engine craft makes the climb easily as you level out over the Atlantic even with your heavy load of 1000lb bombs. Suddenly your right engine bursts into flames from a torrent of fire from your left. You have a number of important decisions to make at this point. Do you take the position of your rear guner and vanquish your adversary? Do you have faith in your crew members and soldier on to the enemy’s airfield to deliver your payload? Or do you limp back to base with one engine and go at it again? 

These are only a few decisive decisions you must make as you battle through the skies in war thunder. The options are virtually endless. You can take the battle to the fighters that pester your bombers in a vast array of ww2 and post ww2 planes. The game currently has 5 countries being the main powers of ww2. Germany (including Italy), Great Britain, America, Japan and Russia. 

This game is free to play. Yes thats right free. the magic word. F-A-R-EEE! Contrary to popular opinion this doesn’t mean the game is pay-to-win. The game works off a series of levels that means the player cannot pilot x plane until he/she reaches level y. Planes do need to be purchased. However this is not a problem as you earn currency based on your performance in games from kills/assists/hits etc; called lions. Alternatively you start with 250 “eagles” the premium currency anyway. 

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War thunder also gives the player the ability to heavily customize their planes. From flashy decals to devastating weapons. Decals are free and earned from achievements in game, where additional slots can be purchased for these decals (you start with 2 anyway). Weapons are different for every plane but I have found the cost to be minuscule (its in-game currency anyway)

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I would thoroughly recommend this game to all. War Thunder is an MMO combat game dedicated to World War II military aviation, armored vehicles, and fleets. You will take part in all of the major combat battles, fighting with real players all over the world.

8.5/10

 

 

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Retro Review!! (sought of)

Nuclear Apocalypses, Ethical stalemates and Epic Fun.  Sounds like the opening scene of a Fallout game? Wrong

Introversion Software created DEFCON back in September, 2006 its developers highlighting its claim to fame:  – “It’s Global Thermonuclear War, and nobody wins.

I picked up this game about 6 months ago and absolutely adore it. I’m not one for indie games, although I tend to buy a bundle every now and then. This game completely blew my slight discontent with independent developed games away. This game is insane fun for a LAN and makes a significantly gratifying if not stirring presence when played with background audio turned on. Coughing,  the sound of crying children and a particularly grim score tickle the tip of your ears as you begin to comprehend the gravity of the situation you as the player must endure.

The title gives it away. You play the role of a military Commander hidden deep within an Underground bunker. Your mission – to successfully exterminate your enemy’s civilian population whilst disabling their ability to attack your own. As you fight your way through the levels of DEFCON you start by launching your battleships, subs and bombers in order to decimate your opponent’s defences.

However it is at DEFCON 1 that the Nuclear warheads launch.

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Trajectory arcs dominate the screen as the missiles near their targets. Some are thwarted by keen strategic placement and might. Although there is no denying the inevitable. As the title says, “Nobody wins” but maybe – just maybe – you can lose the least.

I give it 8.5 out of 10.

“Instantly engaging and almost unbearably tense…
Buy it immediately.”  -Pc Gamer

Defcon is currently 75% off on steam.

 

No plans for a Steam release for Halo 3

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Despite the title showing up in the Steam database, Microsoft has been firm with their denial that Halo 3 is coming to the PC. The denial was as firm as it could be, with the company saying, “We currently do not have any plans to release any Halo titles on Steam.”While rumors of a PC release have lingered for a long time, it could be that Microsoft was just trying to gauge the level of interest or that the company really has no plans to bring Halo 3 to the PC.

It would seem, however, that PC gamers are or would be anxious to get their hands on a PC version of Halo 3. Still, we have seen these flat out denials before, only to later be told that it is actually happening. While it isn’t surprising that Microsoft would not at least consider a release of Halo 3 for the PC, the company is apparently stretched in getting new exclusive titles ready for their next generation consoles that are already rumored.