Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=467https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3208I chose a game from the classics because I did a game-of-choice last time.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:50:44 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3208&iddiary=6039https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3208Summary: "Rayman Raving Rabbids" is a party game, the common enemy in this game are the "Rabbids." The essential goal of this game is to beat the Rabbids at their own game by going through trials of mini-games. Gameplay One: "Rayman Raving Rabbids" is very much like the "Mario Party Series." It is a party game, consisting of various mini-games for up to four players. The ame may be played in two different modes, ”Story Mode” or “Score Mode.” In Story Mode, Rayman is imprisoned by the Rabbids for 15 days. Each day, Rayman (the player) must complete at least three trials in order to advance to the special “boss trial.” The special boss trial may be a first-person rail shooter using plungers as your weapon, or a racing game in which the player controls a warthog and uses a flyswatter as a riding crop. With each completed trial, Rayman (the player) earns a new costume. In addition to a new costume, Rayman also earns plungers which contributes to his escape to freedom. Gameplay Two: I found that the first person shooter is very enjoyable with the Wii controller. With the Wiimote, the player is able to take complete control of the plunger gun. Where the player aims is where the plunger will go. The mini-games are also fun as they also utilize the Wiimote’s capabilities. Much like the “Mario Party” series, in order to win mini-games, the player must use the Wiimote to perform tasks. For example, in one particular game, the player must use the Wiimote as a balance beam. The character is crossing a thin rope and the Wiimote acts as a balance beam, extreme movements with the Wiimote would cause the character to tip over and fall. “Rayman Raving Rabbids” is a very good party game, and could be fun for players of all ages. Design: With the first-person “boss trial” in particular, I thought the developers did a great job with level design. Each boss trial is very different than the other. They did a good job with utilizing the setting, making the “Rabbids” pop out of objects such as barrels, roofs, or even fall from the sky with a parachute contribute to the challenge of the game. With the mini-games, if you’ve played any Mario Party game then they would seem familiar. The overall design of each game isn’t that much different to the mini-games you would see in any Mario Party game. However, with the Wiimote, the developers were able to be more creative with how mini-games are played. For example, a game that requires you to chop wood, you would now have to actually perform the wood-chopping-movement rather than rapidly tap “A” and “B” simultaneously.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:50:06 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3208&iddiary=6038https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2656TAs: I didn't realize we had to do a game from classics list, is it okay if I just do a game from the classics list for my next gamelog?Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:33:12 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2656&iddiary=5031https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2656Summary: Devil May Cry 4 is the 4th installment to the hugely successful “Devil May Cry” series. Devil May Cry 4 is 3rd person action/adventure game, where the player leads the newly introduced protagonist “Nero” and “Dante,” the protagonist to the previous titles, through a gothic supernatural world. The game focuses on stylish combat techniques and includes a highly varied arsenal of weapons to chose from. Gameplay #1: Devil May Cry 4 is definitely worth the $59.99 price tag. The gameplay of Devil May Cry 4 is similar to the previous title Devil May Cry 3, featuring many stylish moves and combat techniques. New features to DMC4 include: an improved combat system, new weapons, foes, moves, characters, and a more cinematic feel. One thing that I really enjoy is that Capcom, the developers of this game, encourages the player to perform various combinations. They do this through the style meter, which gives you more style points the more moves you perform. A new feature Capcom has added is the ability to change styles on the fly. When the player assumes the role of Dante (Yes, you get to play as two different characters! I will discuss this later), the player is able to chose from four different styles of combat: Trickster, Gunslinger, Sword master, and Royal Guard. In the previous title DMC3, Dante is only able to use one style and if he wishes to change styles, you would have to go to a checkpoint. I found the on-demand style change to be very useful in combat, in additional, it makes gathering style points a lot easier. Another new feature I found intriguing is the introduction of “Proud Souls.” In the previous title, “Red Orbs” was the universal currency to purchasing new moves, weapons, upgrades and items. In DMC4, Capcom has increased the level of difficulty in doing so by requiring players to purchase new moves using “Proud Souls.” Proud Souls are accumulated by completing missions, the amount of proud souls you acquire is based off what grade you get on the mission. Gameplay #2: After an hour of running around, I found that you travel to the same areas a lot. This got annoying because it got confusing at times, the developers made it so that you have to figure some things out without hints. This is where the puzzle aspect of the Devil May Cry series comes in. At times, the “rooms” itself would become the actual puzzle you’d have to figure out. For example, there is a room where the path splits into 3 other paths. Choosing the right path will bring you into a new room, similar to the previous one, and from there on the same situation continues until you reach where you have to be. If the wrong room is chosen, you are brought to a room full of demons. After defeating these demons, a portal is opened and you are returned to the beginning of the puzzle until you solve it. Puzzles like this occur throughout the game, in my opinion, it adds to the gameplay rather than having a typical action/adventure where you “kill-advance-kill-advance.” I also ran into a couple of secret missions, which still retains it’s difficulty as it did in DMC3. Design: The Gameworld of Devil May Cry 4 is simply breathtaking. The graphics of DMC4 is absolutely gorgeous, especially with the more cinematic feel of this fourth installment. When I first put the disc in, I had almost forgotten I was playing a game because the introduction was so epic. With that said, I think the developers did a really good job with the in-game cut scenes. It was enough to add a hint of humor and action but not too much that it dragged (like Assassin’s Creed). I thought the developers did a excellent job in reusing rooms that were already previously explored by Nero. The game starts out with the player controlling Nero, but as you progress you will eventually assume the role of Dante. With that, the developers did a great job with not making the player repeat what Nero has already done. One example of this is in reference to my earlier example of the different paths for you to choose. As you change from Nero to Dante, the pattern of the paths changes. So for example, if Nero went north, east and west to get to the other end – the pattern is now different for Dante and you must figure out the new pattern. The developers did a great job of utilizing rooms to their full capabilities. The only complaint I have would probably be in reference to the shadows in the game. It’s funny because everything else looks phenomenal, but then you have these shadows that look really pixilated. This is especially noticeable when you’re in the forest, this could definitely be improved. P.S. The secret missions are ridiculously difficult…Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:29:03 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2656&iddiary=5030https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2343Oh, and don't expect any crazy-dramatic-epic ending. You'll only be disappointed ;)Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:16:03 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2343&iddiary=4481https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2343Summary: “Assassin's Creed” is an Action/Adventure game set in Jerusalem, 1191 AD. The player assumes the role of the main character Altair, the goal of the game is to kill important figures assigned to you by your master. Game play: Wow, what can I say? The game play of “Assassin’s Creed” is absolutely amazing. Although the control scheme of “Assassin’s Creed” was pretty difficult to master, I eventually got past button-mashing fights. The combat system of “Assassin’s Creed,” in my opinion, can give you hours of entertainment. The player is able to perform a high profile kill – which makes the game, that much more epic, or a low profile kill which is a lot more subtle. The player is able to choose from 4 different weapons: your fist, the hidden short knife, throwing knives and the long sword. Throughout the game, you get assassination missions from your master. These missions are difficult as you must perform them in stealth and at times, you must travel long distances to get to the target(s). If I was able to change something about the game, I would add a bit more variety to the missions because after about 10 hours of play, the game will start to get repetitive (however, the game play makes up for this!). In addition to these “main” missions, there are many side quests to be accomplished. Thus, it can lead up to 60 hours of game play. Game play #2: The dialogue of Assassin’s Creed is, in my opinion, the game’s only weakness. There are no cut-scenes to the game, the entire story is told in-game. However, in order to progress in the game you must investigate and find clues. This process gets really dull and boring as the conversations you have tend to drag. On the positive side, freedom is a key aspect in Assassin’s Creed. The player is able to climb any building (that is possible to climb, in other words something you can step on), jump off any building, hide in haystacks, sit on any bench, and even blend in with a crowd – you have total control of how to escape or hide from guards from an assassination. This can also add to the level of difficult because the guards have the same amount of freedom as you – which means escaping the guards isn’t as easy as you think it is. As far as the story goes, you go back and forth in time trying to recover the memory of your ancestor. Yeah, this was puzzling to me as well – but it starts to make more sense as you get further into the game. Design: The design of Assassin’s Creed is up to par with the game play. You are able to travel to different cities, all of which consist of a highly detailed environment populated by many people of different types. The level of interactivity is remarkable, as the player interacts with the environment, the people around Altair will respond in logical and predictable ways. For example, if the player chose to climb a building, the people will crowd around him and comment on the unusual activity. The graphics are incredible; I love the “focused - out-of-focus” concept (you’ll understand if you play the game). I wouldn’t go as far as to say this game is perfect, but it’s pretty close. By the way, Altair is a BAMF. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:18:11.)Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:13:16 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2343&iddiary=4480https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2161Summary: "Wii Sports" is a game of various sports, with the Wii-mote the player is able to perform an action resembling that of the real thing. For example, playing Wii Tennis requires that the player swing compared to say, "Top Spin" for Playstation 2 where you only need to press a button to hit the ball. Gameplay: In my opinion, "Wii Sports" is a game which exercises the "Wiimote's" capabilities pretty well. My favorite Wii Sports game is Wii bowling, thus I played bowling for about 45 minutes. The game play of Wii bowling is done very well, the scoring, feel, and control resembles that of actual bowling. For those who know anything about bowling in real life, you probably know of the spinning technique professional bowlers use. To my surprise, you may actually use this technique in the game IF you maneuver the controller correctly. Wii bowling is definitely a good party game. For those who have deep pockets, Wii bowling can support up to 4 players - so if you got the cash for 3 more controllers then you have yourself a great party game. Gameplay #2: “Wii Sports” is not a very good game to exceed an hour of gameplay if you are playing by yourself. (unless you’re trying to beat a high score or something, but even with that I’m sure it’ll get old) I actually have two controllers, so I played various games with my little brother. For the second hour, I played “Wii Golf” which does not feel as authentic than bowling does but who’s complaining? The control scheme of Wii Golf is pretty much the same as if you were playing real golf, however there is something about it that just doesn’t feel real. Although wind (which is pretty much the only obstacle you have to overcome, that is, if your aim isn’t horrible) actually exists in this game. Again, Wii Golf is a good example of the Wiimote’s capabilities. The IR sensor senses even the slightest movement, which adds a bit of difficulty to the game. I would say the only complaint I have is the fact that Nintendo made everything so cartoonish, but then again it IS a family platform. Design: The design of Wii Sports is very cartoon-ish, however we must take into consideration that the Wii is more of a family-based console - meaning it was meant for children of younger ages to play with their daddy or mommy. The design of the settings in each game are pretty precise. For example, the bowling alley looks and feels like a bowling alley. There are even computer players bowling in the other lanes. The golf course is pretty authentic: sand pits, rough areas, trimmed areas, and even out-of-bounds ponds. Wii Sports is pretty much Nintendo’s showcase of what the Wii is all about. The level of interaction between the player and the game world in Wii Sports is incredible as the player pretty much has full control of the character. Wii Sports is a terrific party game for all ages.Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:09:01 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2161&iddiary=4135https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1810Summary: EA Skate is a skating game, which introduces an innovative new flick-it system. This new system gives the player total control over the skaters body, thus giving this game a more authentic feel than any other skating game created. Gameplay: EA Skate is a very enjoyable. Though it may seem difficult to maneuver the skater during initial stages of play, after taking all the tutorials you will find that it really isn’t that difficult at all. The new flick-it system is skateboarding realism at it’s best. It gives the player total control which is key. Unlike previous skating games such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, EA Skate gives you a more authentic skating experience. You are no longer able to perform a 1080 with 1 feet of air. With that said, I would like to add that the physics of this game is amazing. The way a skater bails is exactly that of if you were to be hit by a car in real life. Although EA Skate is a 1-player game, there is the “party-play” option, which requires Xbox Live; I wasn’t able to try this out for the reason that I do not have Xbox Live yet. Gameplay: After the first hour of play, I find myself to be addicted. The overall objective of this game is to become a known professional skater, and even after you’ve done so – there is much to do. There are many competitions and objectives to go through. For example, there are best trick contests in which the highest scored trick wins each round. There are 3 rounds. In terms of the objectives, there are certain spots around the city, which you must “own the spot”, by performing a certain trick or jump over and score the amount of points set. For those who are familiar with the X-Games, I believe the X-Games is the final competition however I have no gotten so far so don’t quote my on that. Design: The “flick-it” system is probably the most innovative element in this video game. I have not played any other game, which uses this system, and I believe it to be the best thing that’s ever happened to a skateboarding game. The game takes place in a fictional city and is basically divided into 4 parts: The Suburbs (where you initially learn how to skate), The Res (residential area), Old Town and Downtown. I really like the design of the environment; it pretty much resembles a real city. There are pedestrians who walk around and knock you over every now and then, cars that run you off your skateboard every now and then and other skaters whom you can follow to find “spots.” One difficulty I faced was the cars and people who walk tend to get in your way a lot when you’re trying to “own the spot.” For example, there was a spot that I had to skate down a hill and gap a flight of stairs from one bank to another. While trying to do so, 40% of the time I either got hit by a car or a pedestrian tripped me. I got a bit frustrated over a period of time but I guess that’s what makes this game difficult.Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:42:29 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1810&iddiary=3587