Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=554https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3203GAMEPLAY The second hour of play proved to be more emotionally attaching than the first. Our band is getting very into the game, and as our fan base grows, it is increasingly important that we do not lose fans from a poor show. The game fosters a large amount of social interaction, not so much during play, as players are concentrating on hitting the right notes, but after play, as players brag or argue about who performed the best, etc. Also, people who happen to be in the room tend to gravitate towards watching us play. I would imagine this is because all the songs are very well known, and the game is much more entertaining to watch than someone just pressing buttons on a controller. Plus, people probably wonder why someone with such a bad voice is holding a microphone! Rock Band, though it does not have a huge storyline, flows well. Moving from gig to gig feels smooth, and it does not seem like just going from one level to the next. The addition of different virtual vehicles to transport the band adds to the flow of the game. The game can be very rewarding and upsetting at different times, which is a good sign. Overall, the physical performance aspects of the game and the good tunes make for a very interesting gameplay experience. DESIGN Though it may seem at first to be a knock off of Guitar Hero, which to some extent it is, Rock Band is very innovative and brings a lot of new elements to the table. The band players create is highly customizable. Players can dress their avatars and pick appearances, and a band logo can be made. Rather than complete predetermined lists of songs, like in Guitar Hero, performances consist of single songs, multiple song sets, "make your own" setlists, and mystery setlists. There is also the occasional "risk vs reward" decision, in which bands need to choose which sized venue they perform at carefully, as a poor performance at a larger venue poses a greater threat of the band losing fans. Similar to betting, players can accept an all-or-nothing style option, where a five star performace yields high reward. The venues in the game are very well developed, as they are inspired from real life venues and display local art styles from their respective cities. Player rewards include band managers, roadies, security personnel, and sound guys, as well as a recording deal with a record label. Rock Band offerer many different modes aside from Band World Tour mode. Solo Tour mode allows for single player fun, solo quickplay and band quickplay allow for players to get out a few quick songs without sacrificing their band's reputation. Another big social aspect of the game is the online play, which has more modes of its own. Perhaps the best design element of Rock Band is the instruments. One complaint I have is with the guitar that comes included with the game. Frankly, it doesn't compare to the guitar hero controllers. Thankfully, a Guitar Hero controller can be used as well, so I recommend just substituting out the stock guitar right away. The drums are quite difficult to play, but they are a lot of fun. The foot pedal is tricky but adds a large amount of realism. The microphone is also of fairly high quality build, and it gets the job done. Rock Band does a great job of offering alternatives to classic controller gameplay.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:06:09 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3203&iddiary=6028https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3203SUMMARY Rock Band allows players to form virtual bands by allowing up to four players to perform using 3 different "instruments". A scaled-down guitar is used for bass and lead guitar, a scaled-down drum set for drums, and a microphone for vocals. Players must hit notes on screen at the appropriate time to create music. GAMEPLAY Having played a lot of Guitar Hero, getting started with Rock Band was no difficulty at all. The mechanics of Rock Band are very similar to Guitar Hero, DDR, and most musical games. Myself and two friends started a band in the Band World Tour mode. After customizing our characters, we began to rock the house. From the start, this game is very addictive, especially if you are playing with other people. In the same sense that Guitar Hero is fun for the competition, Rock Band is fun for the sense of team accomplishment. Completing a song is very much a team effort, so at the end of songs the game feels very rewarding. I also like how your band collects a fan base. This adds some realism to the band feeling and also increases the sense of accomlplishment. A bad performance will result in lost fans, which is also a good gameplay element. Players who are overconfident in their performance abilities or not trying their hardest will be punished accordingly. In the first hour, we unlocked a van to further our tour, which was cool. Playing the game can be an intense experience, as players can "die" if they perform particularly poorly. Other players can revive a lost player if they have their Overdrive meter full (basically Guitar Hero's Star Power) and use it. Another fun aspect of the game is solos, which if performed flawlessly yield big points. Drum solo's are particularly fun, since you can just go crazy. So far this game is a lot of fun.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:37:36 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3203&iddiary=6027https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2756GAMEPLAY As I said in the last log, the game is very immersive, and I've been failing a motorcycle chase mission over and over, which is frustrating. I've also been failing a drive-by shooting mission, which is even more frustrating. But I still am enjoying the game very much. I'm glad it's challenging. The story hasn't really begun to develop considering I know that this game is supposed to have a huge plot. But already the story is getting complicated, so I would assume after another 50 hours of play or so I'd be involved in something incredibly more complex, but still very fun. This game is very unlike any other game I've ever played in that it is about gangs but is very brutal and real. This game is definitely for adults, Rockstar has not dumbed this down to be made easy for a more broad audience, but I approve of this, they take their games seriously. DESIGN My favorite thing about this game is it's unique and groundbreaking design. The older GTA game had a very immense and free world to play in, but San Andreas brings this to a new scale. There are loads more vehicles, I don't think I could ever find them all, and now players can swim, ride bikes, boats, planes, etc. Another great aspect of the game is its level of personalization. CJ's clothes and accessories can be changed, and your gang will change to wear your colors. Also, going to the gym builds muscles and running or eating too much can make you fat or skinny. The only thing left to be included in this game to make it more real would be using the restroom, and I'm glad you don't have to do that. Some parts of the game that I don't like are some of the driving physics, especially on bikes/motorcycles. It can be very hard to stay in control of these vehicles, particularly at high speeds. The fact that you get thrown off the bike in a crash adds realism but can be annoying (this happened to me on an overpass and I flew off the side and fell to my death in the middle of an important chase). The controls aren't incredibly tight, and the graphics render a little slow at times, probably because the PS2 has trouble supporting such a huge game. There are a bunch of different types of challenges in the game, from driving to minigames to robberies to ordering food to tagging graffiti. The immense variety of things to do at once makes this game hard to play for those who like to get every coin and kill every baddie in Mario. But in the real world, being a perfectionist is hard work, and it's the same in San Andreas.Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:12:13 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2756&iddiary=5177https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2756SUMMARY After living in a different city for a few years, Carl "CJ" Johnson returns home after hearing of his mothers death. He finds that his family and gang are both not doing so well without him. The player, as CJ, has to fight enemy gangs for control of the area and sort out other issues with various people around town, like the police. GAMEPLAY GTA: San Andreas is formatted similarly to the previous two GTA games. The core elements are the shooter/driving parts of the game, in GTA's trademark huge open environment. Most of the environment is interactive in some way so players have a lot of freedom. The characters in this game are very diverse and abundant, it's almost hard to remember everyone. They are convincing characters and the voice acting is particularly good for a video game. The plot of the game is very consuming and in-depth. The scale of the plot is huge. After an hour of play I can tell this game still has tons and tons more to reveal. The game is very convincing and engaging, I felt like I was actually a member of a family gang in some part of LA. There are many little elements to the game that make it very real... but without being too real. As such I felt very frustrated after losing a mission and having to re-play it. The game is full of cut-scenes to help the flow and narrative progression. These cut-scenes are also very well animated and convincing. So far this game is very fun to play, I really enjoy the freedom you have in the environment... there are many missions available at once and I can pick and choose what I want to do.Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:53:28 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2756&iddiary=5171https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2482GAMEPLAY God of War 2 continues to live up to its predecessor. The game gets the adrenaline pumping, especially on hard mode. My heart was pumping after various crucial battles. Kratos is gaining new powers which are just as cool if not cooler than the first games. The powers this time are granted by the Titans, who have vowed to help Kratos on his quest to destroy the Gods (Zeus killed Kratos in the first level, but the Titans have granted him new life and have agreed to help him seek revenge on the Zeus). The combat continues to impress me. The variety of methods available to kill enemies is more than any action gamer could ask for. Each killing move is just as brutal and twisted as the next. I find myself rolling out of the way of a cyclops attack only to bust out a fantastic slashing combo, which feels very seamless. DESIGN The game world in God of War 2 is beautiful and vast. The graphics are arguably the best possible on the Playstation 2. The design of every area is incredibly convincing and elaborate, even more so than the first God of War. The environments are not only full and beleivable, they are also highly interactive, in that much of the surroundings are breakable after a few swings of your choice weapon. The aren't really levels, but each area is very unique and presents puzzles that are far from repetitive. The art design for this game is extensive and beautiful. Every landscape is full of rich detail and context. It seems as though everything is placed somewhere for a purpose, not just as filler. I would compare the game to the movie 300 (assuming the reader considers 300 a good movie), in that each scene is aesthetically pleasing as well as incredibly bad ass. The game does not bring a huge number of new elements to the table in light of the original God of War, but this is by no means a bad thing, in the sense that is hard to make a perfect game any more perfect.Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:15:03 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2482&iddiary=4710https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2482SUMMARY God of War 2 follows Kratos, the new God of War (he killed Ares in the first game), who is just as pissed off and independent as always. He doesn't take orders from Gods or even Titans. In this action game, players use multiple blades and magic attacks to reap brutal combo's against various mythological enemies, while running into many important mythological figures. GAMEPLAY The action starts very quickly. A giant Colossus statue comes to life at the will of the Gods, in attempt to subdue the reckless Kratos. The first "level", more or less, is an incredibly intense gaming experience. The entire level is basically a boss fight, but across variety of settings and situations. The scale of this game is very massive, and I felt like I was a part of something very big when playing. The story of the God of War series is also very interesting. Almost every main Greek mythology figure appears at some point in the series. And though the ways in which Kratos interacts with these individuals is obviously not true to the myths (as Kratos is not a real mythological figure), each character is very true to their own myth. Prometheus is found having his liver eaten out by a bird every day, just like the ancient myths tell us. This myth accuracy really adds to the game. God of War 2 has very fast and fun action. The battles can be difficult, even for the seasoned God of War player. Most big fights involve some combination of puzzle solving and violent slashing, which is always a plus. There is a very large variety of enemies, which are all very fun to kill, since Kratos has a huge number of killing techniques up his sleeve.Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:32:03 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2482&iddiary=4685https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2154GAMEPLAY The game has presented a few more types of gameplay, including a level where the player surfs on a stingray. I have also encountered new types of power-ups, from an increased health meter to Bee-Mario who can buzz around in short bursts. The second session of play has made me more hooked on this game. I really like the characters in SMG. Most of the characters I have seen in previous Mario games, like Toad and other talking Mushrooms (like Toad). SMG has upped the size of all the various characters wardrobes, and the result is Toad dressed as a mechanic, etc. The costumes really add to the gameplay; seeing the same Toad guy again and again can become repetitive, so the extra outfits are a welcome addition. I have unlocked around 5 galaxies total and fought maybe 2 bosses, and am having a great time doing all of this. DESIGN From what I have seen, SMG has top notch game design. Of course, any Mario game gets a head start in game design as long as it follows the basic principals of the Mario platformer series, which has been a huge success. The outer space aspect of the game brings a very innovative and interesting spin on the Mario world, which gamers are beginning to know almost too well. I really like the planetesimals in the game, the design of the game Spore has this element and it caught my eye but has not been released; it is very fun to finally be able to play a game with planetsimals, especially when they have interesting physics: I can almost throw myself into orbit around a planetesimal when I long jump in areas! The music in SMG is also very good. I don't notice the music too much while playing, but when I do listen I realize that it fits the gameplay very well, so that music is mixed into my overall play experience and I don't regard it as an isolated aspect of the game, which is good. The soundtrack is classic Mario with a hint of space and wonder. Another aspect of SMG which I really enjoy is the level design. Each galaxy (level) is very unique and each presents an all new array of objects, enemies, and puzzle solving. The developers have come up with a huge number of ways to utilize the planetesimal style of levels; the levels are unique and varied even though each level has planetesimals. The racing levels and other non-platformer style levels are a pleasant change from the normal gameplay as well. The only problem I can point out so far in the game is perhaps some minor camera issues. Mario is moving around planetesimals very quickly and the camera can have a hard time following. The issue is very small and I haven't been frustrated by it at all.Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:49:33 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2154&iddiary=4204https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2154SUMMARY: Super Mario Galaxy has a fairly simple story: The player is Mario, who must save Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Bowser after he kidnaps her and takes her into space. Mario goes after the Princess with the help of small stars called Lumas, who allow him to travel through space via their space observatoy. Mario must collect Power Stars (bigger stars) which power the observatory allowing him to travel to more distant galaxies. GAMEPLAY: Super Mario Galaxy is arguably the most far-fetched Mario to date, as he has never before adventured in deep space. However, the game still feels like the Mario we are used to playing. The story is simple; the game is very happy and positive. Even boss battles aren't very dark, which is suitable for a Mario game. I usually am not a fan of games with text-only dialogue, but in SMG the text is kept very brief, and I am glad. Too much text can make a game almost tedious, and this game is far from tedious. The storyline is simple but interesting. Of course, most players will already know the basic story elements of any Mario game: save Princess Peach from Bowser. Apart from the basic plot, the space elements of the story are very interesting. The physics of the game can be a bit tricky to master in the first 30 minutes, but the player figures things out soon after this point. The game executes the planetesimal gravity idea very well, especially considering few other games have this element (such as Spore), and I don't know of any platformers with this element. The game flows very nicely, the story moves along constantly and there have yet to be any mundane aspects of play. I played longer than an hour because I lost track of time absorbed in the gameplay! (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:22:33.)Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:32:07 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2154&iddiary=4149https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1687GAMEPLAY: The gameplay has not changed much overall in the second hour of play, apart from increasing katamari size. I have been picking up full size people and small vehicles. The game is still entertaining to play, and the story is still unfolding; apparently the children in the cut scenes are fathered by an astronaut... The main two characters in the game, the Prince and the King of all Cosmos, haven't developed much in the second session. The story is managing to stay oddly enticing, maybe the astronaut will connect with the Prince and King of all Cosmos? There is a secondary type of level, in which Constellations are made by collecting a certain number of a certain type of item (i.e. crabs for Cancer). This provides a slightly different gameplay, which is good a addition for variety. This mode is less simple than the collect-anything mode of play, which makes for a new challenge. The game still proves to be strangely humorous, featuring Space Rainbows and other interesting things. DESIGN: The game brings a very new and unique concept to the field. Rolling a sticky ball over random objects does not sound like a very interesting game concept, but Katamari Damacy makes the idea fun with odd Japanese influences and an attitude like "We know this is a silly idea so we'll flaunt it as one". The game was taking a risk in trying a very new and simple concept and I think it paid off, the game is very innovative and fun. The soundtrack of the game is particularly interesting. I think the strange yet fun soundtrack is a big addition to the game's overall mood. The music makes me feel happy and fun. Also the level design is good, especially in the sense that levels become larger as the katamari gets larger. It is an original concept, where previous barriers can become building blocks in the near future of the level. This design element requires the player to remember levels in interesting ways. It is helpful to remember the location an item that is currently much to big to roll over but will perhaps be benificial once the katamari has grown a bit. I also like the level design in that there is a set time limit for each level, and in that time limit you must reach a certain size goal, but if the goal is met before time is up you can continue to increase the size of your katamari. This allows for beginning players to beat the game at the minimums or advanced players be generous in their katamari's size. The game keeps me interested because I am always wondering what I'll be able to roll over next. The level environment allows almost everything to be rolled over at some point, so the limits to what you might add to your katamari next are near endless. Katamari Damacy reminds me that games with new and unique can be very successful even if incredibly simple. The capability in a game for all skill level players to compete or be challenged is a major plus in game design. Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:31:36 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1687&iddiary=3459https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1687SUMMARY: In Katamari Damacy, the main objective is to roll your "katamari", a small ball that objects stick to, over objects of increasing size. You start out rolling up very small items, like thumbtacks, and progress to roll up bigger and bigger items as your katamari's size increases. GAMEPLAY: The story behind the game is that the King of all Cosmos, a god-like figure who can create and destroy stars, accidentally erased all of the stars from the sky. You, the Prince (son of the King), are very very small, but must roll up objects with the katamari which can then be turned into a star by the King. Slowly, you will fill the sky with stars again. The story is partially revealed through the King's narration, and also through quirky cut scenes involving children watching the news, which reports all the stars missing. The whole game has a very bizzare Japanese feel, which adds a considerable amount of humor to the game. The controls of the game are very simple, and the objective is very simple, but the game still provides a good deal of challenge. Navigating away from objects too big to roll over and moving objects proves as a fun challenge. The game is surprisingly fun considering it's simplicity. The tutorial was very quick but I was still able to start playing the real game easily. In each level, there are presents, or secret items, which can be found and rolled over to collect. These presents serve as clothing accessories for the Prince to wear. In my opinion, these presents are a bit too difficult to locate. There are few clues as to where the presents can be found in each level, and locating a single object is hard when there are so many different items scattered around to be picked up. So far, the game is very fun to play. It is particularly fun rolling up certain items, like small children or animals. For some reason there is a strange satisfaction in rolling up children. The game serves as a good stress reliever, because of it's simplicity and flow, and because the game is a humorous aggression outlet from rolling up random objects. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:58:08.)Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:52:11 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1687&iddiary=3406