If you’re a regular visitor of In Third Person, you’re probably wondering what happened with all the changes and assorted blog posts that all hit on the same day. I owe you an explanation.
video games
All For One and One For All
I don’t play too many games that are squad-based. Off the top of my head, the only two I can think of are the Gears of War series and the Fire Emblem series. While both of these games are great for their own reasons, the stake you as a player emotionally have for your teammates is negligible. In Gears of War, they’re essentially there to make you not feel alone, even though they won’t die and they don’t really help you, either. The back-story of your squad is practically non-existent, with only Dom having one major plot point to his name, and the others are there to shout expletive-filled one-liners. In Fire Emblem, that series does try to make you care through some back-story, endings for each character and the permanence of death, though ultimately each person feels more like a piece in your intricate game of chess more than anything.
Mass Effect has made me feel really weird about my squad in a way that other games haven’t for me. The game has so much story and so many moments where you can interact with them that you can’t help but build a weirdly fascinating connection to them.
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What’s My Motivation?
Having just finished Episodes From Liberty City, it inspired me to write something about the role of motivation in games, and how my motivation towards these two Grand Theft Auto IV add-ons made me feel very differently in spite of being different takes on the same core thing.
Poor Episodic Gaming: Puzzle Quest on iPhone
When I first bought Puzzle Quest on the iPhone on the first day it came out in December 2008, I fully knew that I could have gotten the complete game on the DS, XBOX Live or the Wii. However, I felt that this style of gameplay would serve me better on the iPhone. Despite the initial display issues (which were later patched), I was having a lot of fun with it.
That was, till the game ran out. You see, at a discounted price, you got 1/3 of the game, with the other two parts coming at an undetermined date at an undetermined price. I was able to get through that initial chunk within a few weeks. I said to myself, “OK, cool. I’ll wait for the second chapter.”
The Perfect Dark You’ve Always Dreamed Of*
I have made it clear that I love the original Perfect Dark and I know I’m not alone in this sentiment. For its time, Perfect Dark had no equal on console, not even Goldeneye (yeah, I said it). Not to say that the experience was perfect, because it definitely wasn’t. Most of the game’s problems came from the fact that it was just a bit ahead of its time. The Nintendo 64 could barely run this game, even with the memory expansion plugged into your console.
For years, I wished that this game would get a fair shake. It never got the love that Goldeneye did, even though Perfect Dark is arguably better. I also wished for a day where the game wasn’t bound by the technical limitations brought forth by the Nintendo 64.
Well, my friends, that day has arrived.
In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream
I’m about half way through Dead Space, and the game has put me me in a really awkward predicament. I think that the game is solid and very well done for what it is, but I don’t know if I want to play it any more. It has nothing to do with its technical merits, but everything to do with the fact that Dead Space scares the hell out of me.
Mapathy is an Expensive Condition to Cure
For those of you playing Modern Warfare 2 and are looking for some new maps to play on, Infinity Ward supposedly has the cure for you. The Modern Warfare 2 “Stimulus Package” contains 5 maps, two remakes from Modern Warfare 1 and three brand new ones.
I was hyped to get new maps for this game, and until I heard the price, this seemed like a no-brainer to me. But dude, 1200 Microsoft Points for 5 maps? Two of which aren’t even new?
Last Night, a DJ Saved My Life
The other day, I received my DJ Hero setup in the mail. Not having bought refurbished products before, and being a bit concerned over the condition of the stuff they sent me, I was very quick and thorough with my inspection. The game was opened, yet the disc and manual looked to be in mint condition. As for the turntable and mixer, it looked just fine as well. Considering the fact that I can’t even get DJ Hero used for anywhere close to what I paid for this refurbished version, it was a steal.
Mass Effect Proves It’s Not a Small World, After All
After years of completely ignoring the game and weeks of contemplating whether or not I should give Mass Effect a shot, I finally grabbed a copy of the game. I’m a few hours in and have all six potential party members on my side. I have a lot to say about this game, which I’ll dole out in a number of posts in the future.
What I wanted to focus on first is the scope of Mass Effect. Without question, this is the biggest game I’ve ever played. In a number of ways, the Mass Effect experience is absolutely colossal to the point that it’s intimidating the heck out of me.
Street Fighter IV on iPhone Makes Me Eat My Words
“…like the thought of eating a steak topped with ice cream, the recently announced Street Fighter IV iPhone port has made me throw up in my mouth just a little bit. I can’t imagine this being anything but an absolute nightmare to play.” – Me.
Up until the recent release of Street Fighter IV on the iPhone, I expected nothing less than garbage from this mobile port. In my previous post, I provided a bunch of reasons to support my initial feelings towards the final product. But then, the positive word-of-mouth online began to bubble. As a Street Fighter IV junkie, this was enough to push me over the edge and give this $10 app a shot. To my surprise, Street Fighter IV on the iPhone does very well considering the platform its on, providing players with a fun fighting game that controls well enough.
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