Amehdaus's GameLog

Super Smash Brothers (N64) - Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:42:22

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:42:22 CDT

Characters
As long as iconic video game characters have existed, the question of who would win in an all-out grudge match has been well-rooted – at least in my mind. Super Smash Brothers on the N64 is the first official title to shoot at reconciling this question. The Mario brothers, Donkey Kong, Samus Aran, Kirby, Pokèmon, an others all debut in a communal combative role. With a cast of twelve characters (4 of which are unlocked through gameplay) each with a unique set of moves based upon simple 2-button combinations, the game is simple enough to pick up, yet possesses enough variety to maintain interest.
For my play session, I select Kirby. You need nothing more when you’re “one tough cream puff.”

Story
The game is itself a diversion from eight separate “stories” from which the characters are drawn. It possesses none of its own, following a linear fighting-game pattern of attacking each of the other fighters in turn with a final min-boss and boss (Metal Mario and Master Hand, respectively). This is not a game for the person who requires a deep story, although may be the perfect follow-up for someone who has completed the represented titles, each of which is well-established in the industry.

Gameplay
In an ingenious method of pressing either A (physical attack) or B (special attack), the game develops an immense database of possibilities. These two buttons combined with a direction from the movement stick each produce a unique way to maim your opponents. For example, my choice character Kirby has these attacks:

(B) Inhale
?+(B) Final Cutter
?+(B) Stone
(A) Punch
(A)(A)(A) Flurry Punch
?+(A) Flip Kick
?+(A) Split Kick
?+(A) Strong Kick
in air
?+(A) Spin Kick
?+(A) Drill Kick (down)
?+(A) Drill Kick (side)

In addition, maneuvers available to every character include:

2D Movement (Left, Right, Multi-Jump)
Shield (blocks damage and effects from attacks but decays over time)

The game itself pits 2-4 characters (controlled by human players or the computer AI) in any combination on one of a number of interactive map levels that give tribute to the characters’ origins (such as Zelda’s Castle or Kirby’s Dreamland). The maps, despite simple features of interactivity as minor as a light wind or as great as shifting platforms an intermittent spaceships, each provide a unique arena and affect the strategies available during each match.
Furthermore, the game possesses an amazing variety of randomly spawning power-ups to further diversify individual matches, each of which hails of the included game characters. Examples include Mushrooms, Hammers, and Fire Flowers from Mario Bros., Pokèballs with a random assortment of pokèmon, as well as lasers, swords and landmines, oh my!
Even my brief gameplay experience for purposes of this log was enough time to run through the story mode of the game once and engage in a number of matches against computer opponents.

Innovation
As noted, this game is the first to bring it all together, as it were. Never before have game licenses been mixed and the protagonists (and villains) of such varied games (platformer, racing, rpg, shmup) been brought together under a single system and the result is amazing.

Design Elements (and Reward Structure)
Four characters are unlocked during gameplay to complement the initial eight: Captain Falcon (F-Zero), Jigglypuff (Pokèmon), Ness (Earthbound), and Luigi (Super Mario Bros.). Additionally, there is an unlockable stage (Mushroom Kingdom) that references the NES Mario Bros. title.
Adding an additional element to both the story mode and the versus matches is a point reward system that grants varying positive or negative score modifiers at the end of a match based upon your actions during the match. These include a massive bonus for Pacifist (win without using a physical attack) and penalty for being a Coward (for spending too much time out of the action).

Interest
The game, by its nature, draws interest from any and every player who has enjoyed one of the 8 game licenses represented by the playable characters as well as fans of fighting games.

Proposed Change
I would propose the addition of additional characters, levels, items, and a rebalancing of the existing but it has already been done in the game’s sequel on the Game Cube and will be done again with the next evolution upcoming for the Nintendo Wii. The second installment of the game also included a rather involved challenge mode that introduced additional elements tied to each character.
Perhaps, it would be interesting to include variations of the original game licenses from which the characters are drawn using the enhanced rendered avatars of the game to be included within the combat system. Well, it would be interesting, but not feasible.
Ah yes, one specific character to be represented in a future iteration of the game: King Dedede (the primary villain of the Kirby series) – although I am happy to see that the Kirby license will be expanded in the Wii release to include Meta-Knight (the archetypal villain-turned ally).

Emergence
While not emergent in and of itself, the game does allow deeper bonding with each of the characters that enhance the experience of the respective licenses. Having commanded Kirby to fling Yoshi mercilessly to his peril time and again, my game experience in other license titles such as Kirby’s Dreamland and Kirby Pinball are somehow enhanced through the deeper bond we have formed. Don’t mess with the cream puff.

Flow
The game transitions quickly and smoothly from character select to battle to results screen and back again, with no notable downtime.
The battles themselves flow well with a respectable (but not tedious) number of attacks required to increase your enemies’ Knock % culminating in a one of three variations of a ring-out. Respawn time in instantaneous after a such ring out (I select 3 or 5 lives as a play option, although others, including Time are available). When lives are depleted you get to watch any remaining players duke it out until the next round starts. It is all extremely well-paced.

Conclusion
Play it. Play its successors. Kirby > All. How can you possibly lose when your special ability is sucking?

Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC) - Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:53:23

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:53:23 CDT

Note: I am attempting to format this post with some coding to see if and how it works so I apologize beforehand if (when?) it comes out less-than-legible. [Follow-up] As I noted in the previous (perhaps overzealous) Neverwinter Log, I was going to fiddle with the level editor in the game for the follow-up. Level Editor In short, the editor is rather fantastic - speaking from a DM's point of view (that's Dungeon Master to the layman, which I believe is Klingon for King of Nerds). As a video game tool, restricted to the parameters of the Neverwinter's bastardized d20 system (as if it wasn't bad enough to begin with), it is only so strong as the engine, and generally weaker due to the human factor. The interface is...daunting. In my mind, "daunting" is a good thing. No, I'll likely never exert enough effort to make use of every feature (or even nearly every feature - but the options are all there. It can allow for everything from basic map editing cut-and-paste to a complete retexturing of models and geography and likely a number of features I'd never think to seek. I restricted myself to an hour of fiddling and bear no fruit from that but an awe of the possibilities at reformatting nearly every aspect of the game for a custom campaign, from character design at the greater level to the fine details of creating fully customized classes and races (and additional possibilities are readily available online to expand the features. In truth, I know I scarcely scratched the surface. I was infatuated with the number of menus and submenus and all sorts of pretty things that simultaneously infatuate and appall the ADHD and Obsessive Compulsive aspects of my personality. The interface takes some getting used to but I'd reckon the curve is a great deal less restrictive than the Unreal editor or Morrowind's editor - even if the features don't allow quite so many possibilities in the 2d level design (a flaw of the system, not the editor). In light of the length of my previous posts and the attempt at formatting in this one, I am cutting this short as I go to fiddle some more with editor and hopefully generate something functional - even if only as a gaming aid for a tabletop roleplay session. I am presentently looking for a roleplay group, by the way. < /plug>

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (DS) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:39:39

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:39:39 CDT

[Part III] Proposed Change In light, put Sora and some Heartless into the game, maybe a hidden level. I can guarentee word of it would boost sales tenfold. In seriousness, including situations and opponents in the game requiring the use of the many nifty combos already in the game would help greatly in improving the game. Likewise, more variety amongst weapons beyond the aesthetic and three levels of damage would diversify the play experience. (Now, I'm not certain, but the parasol wielded as a weapon may have a random chance of stunning the foes but I cant be certain that it is the cause - if it is, kudos to the game designers on making it the best weapon in the game.) Brainstorming A lackluster game overall, and laden with everything movie-license games stand for - because license abuse is superior to gameplay. I'm not terribly surprised. I imagine companies have generic game programming already set up and simply insert license settings and avatars when they win the bid. Smart marketing, actually. Emergence Movie license games don’t need emergence. It happens occasionally. I can’t think of anything offhand but I’ll give the industry the benefit of the doubt. Theoretically, one could say that additional Pirates of the Caribbean story is "emerging" from the gameplay, but once you break it down the scenarios neither add nor reveal anything relevant. Flow The levels follow the course the course of the movie, filling in the gaps as they woud have occurred and moving geographically as well as as chronologically. After playing the first three levels, I believe I've seen everything the game has to offer as far as gameplay variety (outside of themed locales and villains) and if I continue to play it will be be out of a drive to see Davy Jones' avatar and how he attacks in the undeniably emminent boss battle. A level feels like an eternity, however the ability to restart from the last checkpoint (5-10 per level) helps break the game into shorter sessions. Social Interactions Hear is where the game shows potential I have not yet tapped. There is a cooperative mode tied to the DS wireless which just might make the game more interesting. Then again, one character fighting three incompetent foes may not be that much less interesting than two players fight six incompetent foes. Then again, the minigames might be promising. What could be more fun than a bunch of guys sitting around shooting the monkey? I'll spare you all from further elaboration Cut Scenes They exist... not so much as scenes as Cut Dialogue Boxes. There is some good humor in character with the movie and I believe I mentioned the levels opening and closing with movie dialogue. The witty repartee displays with a nice character portrait to show who is talking and utilizes the DS second screen so you can still glance at the paused action. Conclusion Avast ye scurvy bilge rats, best ye enjoy the game with rum in yer rotten gut! [Disclaimer: Underage or irresponsible drinking is in no way condoned by the author of this review.] Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (DS) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:39:22

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:39:22 CDT

[Part II] Design Elements (and Reward Structure) The money accrued through blind violence and wanton destruction is utilized to purchase unlockable features such as concept art, characters, and weapons which are ingeniously listed and visible at any time so that you *know* you are just 5 bags of gold away from being able to see Will Turner in his oh-so-sexy wedding suit. I'm straight and I'm still drooling at the thought~ although it was the aforementioned Johnny Depp in tribal attire that was my first priority. "Replay value" is also emulated in the unlockable features as the special characeters can only be attained by finding a statue in each level - which is only avaiable if you've defeated the boss for that level at least once. This is actually rather obnxious. I've unlocked the Mortician who's statue was rather obvious, but located in the very last part of the first level, requiring a great deal of repetitive piracy to access. He doesn't have a special attack, by the way -- but is extra slow and has less health than the other characters to make up fo it... Yeah. I must admit, as a movie-license game, it provides far more entertainment than I was expecting even despite its simplicity. Y, Y, Y perfectly accompanies a Neverwinter Nights II loading screen or a World of Warcraft gryphon ride. The cartridge also sports three minigames which are no less intelligent, but take advantage of the DS stylus and provide a nice reprieve when they pop up. 'Shoot the Monkey' has Jack (Barabosa named the monkey Jack, remember) popping up behind crates and rigging on ship deck with a pair of suicidal pirates and you (as Jack... Captain Jack, not monkey Jack) race against Mr. Gibbs (who, judging by his reaction speed, has been reacquainted with his trusty flask) to shoot the monkey the most times before time is expired. You get a point when you click the monkey with the stylus and and lose one if you shoot the crew. The other minigames are far less entertaining and logical (I can understand wanting to shoot the monkey). 'Boom Barge' pits you in a cannon fight, but you can only shoot the flotsam between to two ships (using the stylus to angle the cannon) attempting to float it into the enemy hull. 'Walk the Plank' pits Sparrow in a duel against a generic pirate-y foe accross a cross-spar of the ship's sail. By quickly repeating the pattern of coloured dots that light up in sequence, you maneuver your foe off the far side to plunge to a water grave. Yarr! Nothing says "Pirate" quite like blue, white, white, red, white, green. Level Design The first level is the dungeon level. The second level is the city level. The third level is the jungle. The dungeon has nifty things like cages to destroy and random cannons to fire and barred portcullis that only open when you clear the room of ill-trained guards. The city has debris and torches to encourage pyromania while elizabeth (in her wedding dress) chugs rum and the English forces determinedly continue to poke her. I read no innuendo in that statement... none whatsoever. The jungle... has more things to light on fire and plenty of pagan natives to introduce to the brimstone. Conflict What could be more conflicted than a young girl forced to decide between Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp? The game provides wave after wave of unskilled swordsmen supplemented with Englishmen who favor the bayonet over actually firing their rifles. It would make a much more difficult game if Jack had to swerve off waves of fangirls - more sense too, in many cases. They have the numbers and the blind fanatcism. Interest It's Pirate's of the Caribbean. Therein the interest lies. Curiosity over which character will star the next level and which hole in the movie will be filled with bloodthirsty (and rum-thirsty) warfare drive me to play further into the game... during commercial break.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (DS) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:38:50

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:38:50 CDT

[Part I] Characters Much of the cast of the second movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy are available to play in the DS installment of the game. Each level places the player in control of one character with a unique special attack. In the first, Jack Sparrow (sorry, *Captain* Jack Sparrow) armed with his trusty pistol and ricochet ammunition (clearing enemies on the screen). In the second, Elizabeth Swan dual-wielding swords (to clear a line of enemies). The third features Will Turner (with enough throwing axes hidden on his person that American Dad's "Ocupado" rings in my head). Beyond these I cannot say with my limited time playing the game, although a "Mortician" (generic guard of the prison), Lord Beckett (the East-India Trading Company entrepeneur featured as a villain in the movie), a tribal warrior, a "Voodoo Doll," "Captain Pirate," and Former (and once again?) Commodore Norrington are named in the unlockables menu as potential characters. Also, alternate outfits are available for the characters including Jack's tribal chieftain (god?) costume and Swan and Turner's wedding clothes. An interesting and notably unique aspect of the game is that once a character/alternate outfit is unlocked you can switch freely to that character during a level. For example, using *Chieftain* Jack Sparrow to complete Elizabeth's Swan's level. There isn't much difference, play-wise, amongst the characters but the option is interesting and it only just occurs to me that I believe I missed some cutscenes when I did just that. Story The game delves into the path of the Matrix video game licenses by supplementing the movie rather than reliving it as an obstacle course. In the film, Jack Sparrow is introduced evacuating a coffin he'd utilized to escape a prison wherein he'd stolen a drawing of a key. No screen time is used to extrapolate on the experience. The game begins with the player in control of Jack Sparrow migrating from a cell of the prison to the location of the drawing and ultimately to the boss battle that gives Jack the method he needs to escape. Likewise, Swan's adventure extrapolates an urban chase and Turner's an exploration of a jungle island in search of Sparrow. It adds an interesting element as each level opens and closes with dialogue from the movie but works a play experience (swashbuckling exclusively) into the gaps. Gameplay Y, Y, Y. Theoretically there are are other buttons that may even do things like kick or block, but I've seen no need for them. Occasionally I'll add in some Left trigger action if the opponent likes to block, but that comes up far less often than one would think. It's a shame, one of the many unlockables are combos of buttons leading to leaping attacks, eye gouges, spinning attacks, and all sorts of piratey nonsense -- but with that handy Y slash, there isn't really any need. Well, to be perfectly honest I've used the "eye gouge" with Elizabeth for my own entertainment as her variation is a slap. Another wasted element of the game is the amazing variety of weapons, from swords to spears to guns to the almighty parasol... each of which is defined by nothing more than a visual change and a difference of dealing light, medium, or heavy damage (with a porportionate decrease in attack speed). I don't quite see how a cleaver deals heavy damage while a cutlass deals light or any other logic as to how weapons were assigned their damage values... but que será será~ (I will be mildly aggravated if the accents on the 'a's do not display properly) Also, as weapons decay after a only a few swings, attachment to a single one isn't conducive to play. Meanwhile, Rum restores health (what lesson are we teaching our children?), blue rum restores the special attack bar (who knew they had Midori in the Caribbean?), and bags of coins drop from chests, barrels, pirates, and crows ("No girl can resist a sparkly" - somehow I foresee this reference falling flat). Innovation I didn't get the game because I wanted a quality entertainment experience and stimulation of otherwise dormant braincells. I have the game because it is Pirates of the Caribbean. Savvy? It's a side-scrolling swashbuckling game offering nostalgia for the SNES Turtles in Time and essentially boils down to three enemies appearing on screen who must be killed... before three more invariably spawn. Once the waves of charmed ones are completed, you get to walk a few paces to something resembleing a change of scene (slightly differently shaped fighting area) and repeat the process. Y, Y, Y.

Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:26:45

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:26:45 CDT

[Part V] Flow The game flows smoothly enough, offering new quests and reward over the next ridge (metaphorically speaking) or in the next zone (literally speaking). A bit of momentum goes a long way towards a lost night, completing just one more quest or clearing one more forest of lizard men and spiders to gather the goodies they store in poorly protected crates and suspiciously abundant chests. (I notice my commentary grows ever shorter as the overall entry lengthens and the sun sets. Alas. I will also take this moment to apologize for my wordiness to anyone that has actually read this far and thank the very same for doing so - commentary appreciated... and all that jazz.) Social Interactions & Cutscenes I'll group these as they are mostly related. The cutscenes ar rendered in the game engine and are basically dialogues without options for the player to decide on a response. Either way, I find that more often than not rapid clicking to move to the next caption (I read far faster than I listen) and fast forward through the scene overpowers my interest to follow the voices. Likewise, scanning the dialogue options for the response that is least offensive or most likely to open an otherwise hidden zone and then selecting the next response without actually listening to or reading the dialogue is more common than not. If I happen to pick up a quest in doing so, it will appear in the quest log with more than enough information and if a zone is unlocked, it will appear on the world map. The dialogue is witty enough with the personalities involved and some inside humor for the genre will give me a decent chuckle, but no scene or dialogue has been rewarding enough to merit repetition to revisit the joke. A Final Gripe One quest I was assigned involved ignited three flammable nodes (a wagon and 2 stacks of crates) to burn down the city watch. Having just recieved a fire-specialized sorceress in my party, I thought I'd be clever and have her stealth just ever so carefully outside of view of the patrols and use the Combust spell (range 30 yards or more). 1) Casting magic apparently breaks stealth as the spell begins casting. 2) In this instance, the combust spell would only work at touch range. 3) The combust spell *did* light the stack on fire aesthetically but did not meet the programming trigger criteria which apprently requires you to use a torch. 4) When I was fed up with the quest not allowing my cleverness and just walked up in front of a guard and lit the wagon on fire, the guard didnt respond. 5) When the last guard finally did respond at the third node when I lit the crates right in front of him, I nimbly succeeded in my Bluff attempt and told him I was just getting ready to report the blaze having just innocently wandered by. He bought it. I must be a darn good liar - then again I d have Beguiling Influence (Warlock spell granting +6 to such checks for 24 hours...or until you change zones.) Final Final Gripe r.e. GameLog 1) Apparently I talk too much, needing to break my single entry into 5 seperate posts due to a maximum url post length of which I was not forewarned. I am profusely thanking the Muse that advised me to backup the post in Word before sending. Offerings of rice... or maybe a firstborn may be in order. 2) The posts apparently don't keep my paragraph indentation which makes them *even more* difficult to read.

Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:21:16

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:21:16 CDT

[Part IV] Brainstorming Because this game has nothing to offer the genre that hasn't been done, it does little to spark the imagination. At best, it offers me some quest ideas for the next tabletop roleplay session I lead - and that is only if none of the players has tried the game... and assuming they are new to roleplaying in general as "the oldest trick in the book" rehased tends to fail in an experienced group with infinite options. Emergence It is the largest d20-based digital game to date with the most complex story and some interesting magical items (although nothing so entertaining as the cursed girdle of sex-change in Baldur's Gate). It creates a digital representation of one of the long-standing Dungeons & Dragons world, Faerun adding flesh to characters and places previously restricted to writing, stationary illustrations, and tabletop imagination. Only the level designer which allows for live online play comparable (if only barely) to a live gaming session is likely to leave a mark on the industry as a whole. Again, I haven't sampled that aspect as so will reserve commentary for the time being. Reward Structure The typical RPG leveling system allows reward in that aspect of increased power and options. Likewise, magical items increase in power and frequency to reward the player for advancing the plot and wandering off the the required paths to wade through optional encounters. The d20 system allows for (and encourages) a high degree of "twinking" - gathering equipment and abilities to master a niche role and abusing that power with gusto. It is not my idea of a good time, but I know a number of people who find it to be rewarding.

Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:20:48

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:20:48 CDT

[Part III] Conflict "If it breathes, we can kill it." - Cpl. Hicks If it has a talk bubble, use magic to increase your conversation skills and talk to it. If it has a sword icon, increase you combat skills and kill it. Occasionally an ambush will "surprise" you but if it does, you can just reload and prepare your party an retrigger it. People are good, monsters are bad -- it's all very cut and dry and the voice acting will usually betray a traitor long before they turn. (Ah yes, there is decent voice acting for major characters - which immediately informs you which ones are the most important characters likely to reappear later on). There is also token conflict within the adventuring party (no one seems to like anyone else, except the protagonist, and they will initiate small cutscene dialogues -- I imagine later in the game, one must choose between one or another in different cases based on who you like and whether you respond to the world in a manner befitting "good" or "evil." Intrerest As I've just installed Windows on my Macbook, I've been rather starved of any game outside of World of Warcraft of late and my roommate happened to have Neverwinter Nights II lying around - making it the perfect candidate as a game to pick up an play. I've a vested interest in tabletop gaming and a number of Dungeons & Dragons books in my collection (which have been gathering a rather stifling coat of dust) to have initially viewed the game with both blind vigor and expectant cynicism. True to form, it is entertaining enough as a whole and a nice variety from grinding reputation with the Timbermaw tribe in World of Warcraft but nothing special the underlying history of gaming (tabletop or digital). I'll continue playing a little more to complete this portion of the story arc but will likely move on to something else before long. Proposed Change Use the World of Darkness storyteller system rather than d20, keep d20 roleplay to the tabletop realm, don't reiterate every fantasy archetype, incorporate z-axis... all wishful thinking. Well, z-axis is the one feasable change that would would change the game immensely and all for the better increasing feelings of immersion in the dungeon and living true the roleplay experiences of spiders on the ceiling and being limited in light sources and other perceptions (note that every race in the game except human can inherently see in the dark). Also, a forgiving system is nice but also poorly aligned to the genre and the heritage. Arguably, there should be no ability to save the game at all - or at least a reward for not doing so in flavor of the tabletop sessions. Also, in vein of the forgiving system, there is no recorded passage of time. There is no penalty attached to holding off on saving the townsfolk as you take time to loot their homes - they'll usually be invincible if you need to talk to them and doomed to die regardless of intervention otherwise. Also, the pressing task of delivering the artifcact that forms the basis of the story is not quite pressing enough to encourage the party to refrain from looting every room in the irrelevant bandit camp or lizard man temple - or slaughtering the drunken sailors with big mouths just before petitioning the village elder for aid.

Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:19:51

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:19:51 CDT

[Part II] Innovation In a word, none. The system is based completely on the existing d20 roleplay system adapted (that is restricted) to the parameters of the game world. The story is a tale as old as time -- only you can bring the magical ring to Rivendel for the elves to scrye its true nature! -- err, bring the silver shard to Neverwinter so that a wizard can scrye its true nature... Design Elements The game fits tidily within the 2 1/2d niche, possessing pretty 3d environments and characters but limiting interactions to a 2d plane. the characters can't even jump - that always makes me sad - but, at least thus far, no terrain has been dynamic enough to incite the desire. The d20 system is the industry standard for tabletop roleplay (unfortunately, as it is a rather poor system) and the basis of the game engine. For the mechanical issues (usually issues that empower the character), the system works well for the conflict resolution ingame, and is simple and repetitive enough, operating in the background, to allow the story to progress without inconveniencing the player. Far more forgiving than its digital predecessors, a "game over" is only suffered when all members of the party have been reduced to 0 hit points. After a conflict, any downed characters are automatically restored to 1 hit point and candidates for the plentiful healing magic, potions, and bandages. Even with a party death, the only penalty is to pick up from that last time the game was saved - which can be at any time. Thus the process of saving as the enemy is spotted or just before a conversation to ensure the best result is encouraged. For myself, I try not to reload unless killed completely to try and progress the story for story's sake rather than achieving the best loot. Level Design As noted, the game is 2 1/2d, and both dungeons and wilderness seem distressingly linear jaunts of ensuring you've killed everything in one room and its offshoots before moving on and ensuring everything is dead in an area before leaving the zone -- because, as everyone knows, if you can kill it, you'll get xp for doing so~ and even more xp if you talk to it first. For the linear nature of the design, the aesthetics are pretty and varied and that aspect, at least, is no letdown within the genre. This seems like a good moment to point out that the game has a level editor to make your own adventures although I have not yet played with it. I think I'll make a point to review that aspect for the second post.

Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:18:54

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:18:54 CDT

[Part I] Characters Protagonist: In homage to its predecessors (Neverwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate) and, more importantly, the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying game, character creation encompasses a dutiful selection of races including the seven core races from the roleplaying game (Human, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Halfling, Half-elf, Half-orc) as well as several subraces (such as Dark Elf and Wood Elf) and two "outsider" races gifted with demon or angelic blood. In addition to race (and gender), numerous options are available to customize the avatar further to better emerse the player in the game including skin and voice, hair colour, and hairstyle. (I must say none of the voices was particularly appealing for the impending barrage of acknowledgements each time the character is ordered to perform an attack or other action.) For my initial character, I was able to make a human appearing rather similar to myself. The eleven classes from the core roleplaying are all options at character creation to fulfill any of the archetypal fantasy roles and all are very accurate representations of the tabletop counterpart within the confines of a closed system. In addition, a twelfth class is represented from the expansive supplementary books of the system adding an extra "caster" class to the mix. I selected this new class, Warlock, as my class of choice, hoping for the same powerful options it allows in the tabletop (including unlimited ranged magical attacks). Characters are defined by six attributes (Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) and the next step of character creation is to distribute points amongst these on a sliding scale. For my purposes, high Charisma for spellcasting, and equal emphasis each to Dexterity (to hit with ranged attacks and decrease how often I am hit), Constitution (to increase how much damage can be suffered before dying), and Intelligence (to increase the amount of magical items I can use). I find it interesting that a "standard" character for Dungeons & Dragons recieves 25 points to distribute in the roleplaying game while Neverwinter grants 32 points for a considerably more powerful character. After selecting my skills from those available to the class (emphasis to Bluff for lying to enemies and avoiding combat, Use Magic Device for lying to magical items, and Concentration and Spellcraft to aid im magic), and a selecting a feat (a specialist ability), the game dropped me in the middle of a nice cutscene introducing a distant foster-father and a nice basic delivery quest. I feel I should take a moment to mention that I took the long route of character creation as I am well-familiar with the Dungeons & Dragons system and its options. For the less savvy or those that might be intimidated, simply selecting a race and a class is a perfectly viable option, allowing the game to automatically assign skills and feats characteristic of the choices - a nice alternative. As the game progressed, I was given the option at each level up (triggered by accruing an ever-increasing threshold of experience points gathered by communication, combat, and questing) to advance as a Warlock or dabble in one of the many other classes. As a purist, I've stuck with the class and have advanced to level 8 as a Warlock (out of a maximum level 20). True to the tabletop, the game is based around a party of adventurers rather than purely on a single character, however it is only this first protagonist that is so customizable. As additional members sign on over the course of the game, each is locked within advancement of a single class and with a set personality that works to advance the underlying plot. Story The story begins with an optional tutorial introducing the player to the mechanics of conversation, basic questing, magic, melee and ranged combat, stealth, and trickery (lockpicking and pickpocketing) through a series of competitions in the town's annual faire. After the tutorial completes, the town is handily ransacked and you are informed that only you have the power to deliver an ancient artifact hidden near the town to the city and game namesake, Neverwinter. I have yet to reach the city for the number of sidequests and obstacles en route (including a barricaded fort and angry lizardmen that have been sinking boats along the only viable route to the city -- quite inconvenient). Gameplay Gameplay is smooth overall, allowing the game to be paused at any time to issue commands to each of the members of your adventuring group (with a nice artificial intelligence that allows them to operate fairly effectively even without guidance). Only the druid (who should be fulfilling the role of a healer seems to forego the use of anything useful and favor a rather nasty habit of transforming into a badger at inopportune times (thus being unable to heal what with the lack of opposable thumbs). Most of the game is as simple as hover the mouse until you find something you can interact with and a relevant icon will tell you exactly how to interact (loot, disarm trap, pick lock, talk, etc.). Occasionally you can hold the mouse to reveal extra options (such as attempting to pocket the trap for future use). Most actions are tested based on your skills and attributes using the "d20" system - that is, the game finds a random number between 1 and 20 and adds your bonuses. If the total equals or exceeds a required threshold, you are successful - if not, try again. This system holds true to combat as well, rolling the same odds against the target's armour value. Play incudes interactions in the city quest hubs allowing a number of options in conversation with the townsfolk that affect what quests you will recieve and the potential rewards of those quests. In many cases options exist to refuse a quest outright, or fail to recieve it by insulting the townsfolk and sewing the seeds the discord. I've discovered that getting caught robbing them also seems to sew malintent. These quests (or just general exploration) yield a number of "dungeon-crawls" and wilderness travel, which provide an acceptable variety in the play experience - albeit the restriction to stay on the marked paths is somewhat saddening in light of the completely open-ended basis of the game. While no specific aspect of play is particularly innovative outside of the precursor d20 system, the hours do slink away while playing and that next quest that's just over the next ridge calls in typical rpg fashion.