It's really hard to jump into a brand new game without much, if any, knowledge of the franchise, previous stories and plots, or even the basics as to what makes the particular franchise different than others. I have encountered this dilemma several times over the last year, both with individual games I played randomly, but also in some of the "Week Of..." series that happened throughout the project. While it is fun to learn about franchises that I didn't know much about, I also found it somewhat difficult to just jump into the newest games right off the bat, as I always felt like there was just something I was always missing or not picking up on that I should know going in. Realistically, however, there just isn't enough time to go back and start all the franchises you've missed out on, so it's usually just best to jump into the cold water head first as opposed to dipping your toes in. When Killzone Mercenary came out a few months ago for the PS Vita, I had no reservations at all about jumping in, as it would be my first Killzone game I've ever played. Being a late adopter of the PS3. and not caring about it back on the PS2, i just never put much thought into the franchise. But when Mercenary came out, I didn't hesitate as I normally would, for one reason. It was a handheld version of the series, and if we learned anything from Resistance: Burning Skies, handheld versions of established console franchises usually don't hold much weight. Not to say Mercenary was on the same level as Burning Skies at all, because that's a very unfair comparison. I pushed through Burning Skies for the trophies but didn't overly enjoy the experience very much, where as Mercenary I thoroughly enjoyed what I played of it. (Yes, I still need to go back and finish the game. Trust me, it's looming over my head like a black cloud.) Regardless, I had to jump in to Killzone: Shadow Fall, as it was one of the highly touted launch games for the PS4 launch. Despite only knowing a little bit of the franchise from Mercenary, I had not choice but to pick it up. While I didn't feel comfortable starting the campaign yet, as I want to give my full attention to something like that, I tried out the multiplayer. In comparison to Call of Duty: Ghosts, I noticed that hardly anyone was actually talking to the matches. Also, the Warzones are really cool in the way that they are much longer, timed matches, with smaller, individual matches within it, all of which are different. You seamlessly transition from Team Deathmatch to a Search and Destroy type of mission, and so on and so forth. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the norm, which is fantastic. Sometimes that's all you need. Now don't get me wrong, I completely sucked while playing, as the motions and movements of the game and controls felt differently as well, which are probably normal for Killzone, but nothing I was terribly familiar with. That's not a bad thing, though, it just means I need to play some more, right? The Killzone franchise is ready for me to join. I'm up on the diving board already, ready to jump in. All it takes is one...more...step.
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Once again, leave it to me to go against the overall consensus and do things my way, the way I want to, for myself and no one else. You've read about it a lot over the course of this year, without question, so it should come to no surprise that I am at it again. Before the launch of the PS4, reviewers rolled out their reviews of all the launch games before hand, in different intervals, according to the review embargoes they were held to. All the reviews did in fact come out before the launch of the system, which was reassuring to consumers who were chomping at the bit to get their hands on some next-gen games. Sure, everyone probably had some sort of idea of what games they wanted Day 1, or at least were interested in, but with a lot of uncertainty of launch titles, many gamers that I know personally were waiting to see reviews for the titles they had their eyes on in hopes of making firm decisions on what games to buy. Trust me, I understand the logic. I read every review I can get my hands on for games I want, am interested in or even remotely curious about. I'm just a sponge and want all the information possible. Rarely does a review sway me from a decision I've already made, but I'm always curious to see what other people thing of games. Largely reviews are filled with nitpicking and overly critical opinions, and usually have less about all the good things the game does and more about the negatives. They usually bum me out, which is why I always try to find the best in games when I am playing them, which I have tried to convey on this blog. Like I said, I reviews for the thoughts and discussions they evoke, I just rarely let them guide my purchasing decisions. I knew I wanted Knack from the first time I saw it. An action-platformer that revolved around combat, unique animation style and an overall whimsical charm to the whole package. Sony also decided from the get-go that they were going to lean on Knack as not only a launch game, but as a mascot for the brand to carry the Sony flag into the next console generation. The notion of of this game being a flagship for the PS4 right off the bat fell flat for the most part, but that didn't keep Sony from pushing the character into the forefront of it's marketing campaign. For me, however, they didn't need to do a thing. Like I said, I knew this was a game I wanted from the start. The more I saw from it, and even when I got to demo it, there was no question in my mind I wanted the game. It was actually at the top of my must-buy list for the launch. But then, the reviews came out, a couple of days before launch. One after another, reviewers kept labeling Knack as okay, decent and not bad. No one really seemed to like it a lot, however, which disheartened me. But did it change my mind from buying it on day one? What do you think. I've heard everyone share their opinions on why they wouldn't be buying this game. Some say it looked like a kids game. Others said it just looked boring or uninteresting. A few people said it didn't look like it belonged on the PS4 at all, noting the graphics being sub-par for what they expected. And a select few even questioned why they should buy the game now when they could just get it for free from PS Plus in a couple of months (hypothetically, of course). Well, for all those gamers out there who decided to pass on Knack, let me just say this: You are all missing out, greatly. This game is ridiculously fun. I have spent far more with Knack then I have any other title on the PS4 this far. I just can't stop playing. There isn't any puzzle solving, but the game is still a lot harder than you could even imagine. It looks like a cute little kids game, but the difficulty is crazy at points, even on a medium-difficulty setting. Playing through, I can't help but think that this game is deserving of at least a second play through, for sure. And remember that iOS game I played a little while ago, the companion app for Knack called Knack's Quest? It works flawlessly, and it is such a pleasure to instantly import all the unlocked treasures from the iOS game directly in Knack. It's a great addition to my experience with Knack, and I couldn't be happier with both. Overall, this game is shaping up to be my favorite PS4 game of the launch line-up for sure. Granted, I haven't wrote about a few other notably impressive games yet, but as it stands now, Knack has stolen my heart. Just like I knew it would from the beginning. I already wrote about Resogun, a free game offered by Sony for PS Plus members that was available day one of the PS4 launch. For non-PS+ owners of the new console (which is ridiculous to even think about), the game can be purchased for $15, which all but proves how much of a value the service is. And they aren't just garbage, throwaway or older games either, as Resogun clearly shows off that Sony isn't afraid to give away GREAT games. Sure, members would have be perfect;y content with such an awesome game like Resogun, as I would assume most day one adopters of the new console probably picked up at least one PS4 game to play on the new system. I can't imagine someone spending that much money, time and effort into getting a brand new system and not getting a game to play on it, especially considering games just don't come packed in with new consoles like they used to be. Actually, was that just a Nintendo thing? Has any other console ever packaged in a game to a new console, that wasn't a package deal of some sorts? I honestly don't know the answer to it, and if I wasn't writing this blog, I would go research it. And by the time I'm done here, I will forget to look it up, so alas, I turn to you dear readers. If you know, let me know! Educate me! I dare you! Anyway, before I veer too far off the beaten path, let's get back to the matter at hand. Day 322, game 322. I played Contrast, which amazingly enough, is another free game for PS+ members to enjoy on their new PS4 systems. Contrast is a breath of fresh air, especially for gamers who may not like the hyper-frantic pacing and visuals of a game like Resogun. It's not a shooter, it doesn't have a leaderboard to stress and obsess over, it doesn't take place in space, and definitely won't come close to giving you a seizure after a few minutes of gameplay. You see, Contrast is a puzzle-platformer that is oozing with a noir feel, as it takes place in the 1920's in Paris. It tells the story of a little girl and her imaginary friend, on an adventure together. The thing that makes this game unique, however, is the clever use of lighting, and more specifically, shadows. You switch from 3D adventuring around the world to 2D platforming, all with the push of a button. You play as the imaginary friend, and she is capable of turning herself into shadows which allows her to use every other shadow in the game as platforms in order to make it to previously unreachable parts of the map.. Switching between 3D and 2D is the key to traversing the city, as mastering the light sources and manipulating them to your advantage is your only hope of survival. Thankfully, the game doesn't punish you for dying, which makes it feel encouraging to go off and explore at your will. I understand this game won't be for everyone, just like Resogun isn't. But the fact that these are two excellent games for gamers to enjoy for free on day one of the new PS4 is something you can't shake a stick at, as they say. You don't have to download them if you don't want to, and you don't have to risk your hard earned money for something you might not like. Kudos to Sony, for reaffirming the dominance of the PS Plus service as an industry leader. I've talked before about how Sony got it absolutely right with their PlayStation Plus service. It took a little while for them to get their feet under them with it, but once they did, they hit the ground running and never looked back. At the time, they didn't have any competition for what they were offering from either Microsoft or Nintendo, but they didn't want to leave any doors open for either of them to try to swoop in on their game. Recently, Microsoft joined in on the reindeer games, but ultimately, it doesn't even come close to PS+. While the services are somewhat different as far as what they offer the customers, they both now offer free games to subscribers. Sony has offered several amazing games for free for quite some time now, while Microsoft has delivered sub-par and dated games since they started offering free game to their Gold members. With the release of the PS4, the PS Plus membership is now required for online play, which never was the case before. While most Sony fans should have been PS Plus members already because of all the free games and discounts, now it's a necessity. But fear not, because they aren't changing how they go about business and what they actually offer their members. As of day one for the PS4, all PS Plus members received not one, but two free games to download for their newly acquired PS4s: the unique puzzle-platformer utilizing shadows and light called Contrast, and the insanely hyperactive arcade shooter called Resogun. Resogun is from the developers of the Stardust games that have graced a few of the Sony platforms. When the Vita was released, Super Stardust Delta was at the top of the list for must-have games for the system, despite the fact that it was merely a downloadable title from the PSN. Well, that same development team is back with a new spin on the classic formula they had perfected already, delivering another exceptional launch title for a new Sony platform. This time, however, they offered it up for free for PS Plus members. Sony knows what they are doing, folks. No one is allowed to question that at this point. The game itself is fun. It's really hard, but a lot of fun, and thankfully, it's perfect for picking up and playing for a minute and not being forced to invest a lot of time into it. The graphics are insane, and with so much movement and chaos on the screen at once, it's obvious immediately how the upgraded processing power of the new console will be able to propel gaming to heights never before dreamed of. Having two free, complete games right off the bat thanks to Sony was just another reason why the launch of the PS4 made me smile. Even if Resogun quickly turns that smile into sheer frustration and hallucinogenic visions of space particles everywhere. "[BLEEP] you and your stupid dog, [BLEEP]!!!" This is how my thirteen year old son and I were welcomed to the fabulous online community after our first match we played together. Oh, Call of Duty ... how I missed you and your ignorant, childish, bigoted and bullying ways. Or not. One of the several games I picked up for my PlayStation 4 on launch was Call of Duty: Ghosts. I was going back and forth on which system to pick it up for, either the PS4 or the upcoming Xbox One, or whether I was even going to get it at all. For some reason, however, I really wanted to play it, after skipping out on the last couple of Call of Duty games. Yeah, I had bought them for my son, but I have't spent very much time at all with the series in a few years, and quite frankly, that itch was back. So on a whim, and because my buddy James was getting it for the PS4, I decided to pull the trigger and go for it. Did I want to play it for the single player campaign, the new extinction mode, or for online multiplayer? Well, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find out that I actually did get the game for the multiplayer mode, because it's Call of Duty - why else would I want to play it? Okay, to be fair, I actually do want to play the single player campaign, mainly so I can play the mission in space. But for the most part, the multiplayer mode was calling me. And with my son over for the weekend, who has been playing Ghosts on the 360 since I bought it for him when it first came out a few weeks ago, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to jump in and experience the definitive version of the game first hand. Sorry, Microsoft fans, but the PS4 does boast true 1080p for Ghosts, while the X1 only has 720 scaled up to 1080. In reality, this doesn't really matter that much at all, and you could only really tell if you had both versions running side-by-side simultaneously, or so I here. For the normal gamer who isn't looking to find minor flaws in things, it's all the same. Playing the game, I ran into the same problems I always do when I jump into a new Call of Duty, or any multiplayer FPS for that matter. I have no knowledge of the maps when I start, and I spend most of the match running around like a maniac, spending more time trying to figure out the lay of the land and my way around then actually killing people and participating in the team activity. For what it's worth, I'm just not that good at these types of games, and usually end up on the losing team because my kill/death ratio is horrendous. Every once in a while I'll accidentally have a good match, but it's more of a fluke than anything. I always have fun playing though, despite my shortcomings on the battlefield, and that's what's important. My boy, on the other hand, is awesome. Of course, these are the only type of games he really plays, but still, he is good at them. He knows all the weapons, all the maps and best places to rack up the kills, and best load outs for the maps. Watching him play is really cool, but playing along side him is fun and frustrating at the same time. I mean, he's 13 and I'm almost 30, and have been playing video games for twice as long as he has been alive. I shouldn't be relying on him to give me advice on playing a game! Well, long story short, during our first match, he was talking about the guard dogs in the game, and how much he liked using them. He was talking with excitement and youthful joy in his voice. I didn't think about it before hand, but with my PS4 Camera that I had set up, it was acting as a microphone as well, thus picking up our conversation the whole match. My daughter was even singing the song "Radioactive" throughout the apartment, as she listened to it on my iPad, so I'm assuming everyone heard that as well. And honestly, I don't care, because that's why they include the option to mute people you don't want to listen to. So because of my son going on about the dogs, it apparently rubbed someone else in the game the wrong way, and he felt the need to go on a profanity-laced tirade after the match. Was he mad we lost? Was he mad that a 13 year old was the top scorer of the team anyway? Was he just annoyed by the talk of how cool the guard dogs are coupled with a five year old girl singing "Radioactive" in the background? Who knows, and I certainly never will find out. But one thing's for certain. I didn't really miss the online multiplayer community of Call of Duty at all. As you may or may not know or remember, I started this year long project of daily gaming and blogging at the beginning of this for one reason. Looking ahead into the future sometime late last year, it was quite evident that 2013 was shaping up to be one of the biggest and best years for the video game industry of all time. Not only did we have one big title after another scheduled for release, but we had the end of two consoles' life cycles and the beginning of two new, "next-gen" systems in their places. Back before I started the blog, no one really knew anything about the new Sony and Microsoft consoles, other than they would probably be coming out this year, and all the information we would need would be presented at the 2013 E3 conference. Without the details ahead of time, I didn't really know what to expect from the new consoles, and even if they were worth being excited about, but ultimately, I didn't need them to be awesome. For this year-long blog, just them being released would aid me in adding some content to the blog, good or bad. I hoped for the best, however, as I really wanted this year to actually be remembered as the best of all time, as that would only add more clout and importance to my project both immediately and in the long run as well. With that being said, I pre-ordered both consoles immediately after watching their E3 press conferences, as that was the soonest I could officially begin the wait for the next generation of Sony and Microsoft consoles, the PS4 and the Xbox One, respectfully. The tagline for the PS4 marketing campaign was "Greatness Awaits." Well, the wait is over, and I, like many of other people around the country, finally have a PS4. And boy, is it great. But I'm not here to write a review for the system, as clearly I need to put it through its paces before giving my full impression. No, I'm here to do what I've been doing all year long, and that's write about games. Among the handful of games I played on my PS4 the first day, one of them was strictly for my five year old daughters sake, and because my curiosity wouldn't allow me to wait to check it out. The Playroom is an application/game that's installed on every PS4, whether you like it or not. At the very least, it's a glorified demo that showcases the new, reinvented and redesigned DualShock controller, aptly named the DualShock 4. Of course, this is all The Playroom is good for if you only have a DualShock 4 to use. Aside from showing off the new controller, however, The Playroom is a "proof of concept" game developed to utilize the new PlayStation camera and show how developers could integrate its functionality into games. Think the Microsoft Kinect, only more like the PlayStation Move controllers, as the light bars on the controller are read by the camera, just like the old PS Eye did with the Move controller wands. It also incorporates Augmented Reality much like the Nintendo 3DS did and later the Vita did as well. In The Playroom, you can interact with a flying robot on the screen with hand gestures, you can play a virtual game of air hockey with a second player using the new touch pads on the faces of the DualShock 4 controllers, and you can hang out with a mob of mini-robots that call home inside the controller, allegedly. All of the different games and interactions you can have within The Playroom are far too hard to fully explain, as they really need to be seen to completely understand their charm. My daughter loved playing with me, and in all honesty, that completely justified the purchase of the camera alone. Sure, there will be more games coming to use the camera, as DLC for The Playroom has already been announced, so I'm not worried of it not being used ever. Also, you can use voice commands with the PS4 via the microphone in the camera, and they work well so far. Best of all, there are trophies to be had within The Playroom, and that was an unexpected surprise that was the cherry on top. The potential is there for this technology to fully enhance gaming as we know it, now it's just a matter of time before developers take it seriously. But even if it remains more of a niche gimmick, as I half expect it to, it is still fun and a great addition to the new console. Can't wait to check out the Kinect 2, but that won't be until next week. For now, it's just me and my PS4, all week and all alone, right up until the launch of the Xbox One. That is, if I can actually pull myself away long enough. As it stands right now, that is harder than it sounds I think. I have been waiting to write this blog literally all year. This has been the culmination of 317 days of waiting for just the right time to finally - FINALLY - write about this game. Going into this year of gaming, there were a few games in my library that I absolutely insisted writing about, for one reason or another. Metroid: Other M was one of those games I had picked out ahead, patiently waiting to speak my mind on something that I have had burning inside of me for over three years now. You see, there used to be this television show called X-Play, that aired on the G4 network. It usually followed the wildly popular Attack of the Show, and was focused entirely on video games and the industry itself. It was a TV show version of like an IGN, or other popular news sites. I watched the show whenever I could, despite them usually being a day or two behind on the news ad reviews. I really liked one of their hosts, Adam Sessler, but unfortunately I couldn't say the same about his co-host, Morgan Webb. From the get-go, there was always something about her that didn't sit right with me. I'm pretty sure a lot had to do with her self-proclaimed disinterest in all things Nintendo, as she more often than not made it point to let everyone know where she stood on that subject, and always talked about their games in almost a demeaning fashion. So when she was pegged to do the review for Metroid: Other M, I was perplexed to say the least. Why would someone who had no interest at all in Nintendo game be reviewing a big game from the Nintendo publishers? I was down-right appalled by her review. She completely assaulted Other M, mocking it for its design choices, game play elements and overall experience of the game. She was cold, ruthless and unrelenting, almost to the point where it felt like she was actually trying to upset Nintendo fans. Of all the things she complained about, I was most taken back by her disgruntlement over the Samus character and how the new developers, Team M, decided to portray her. By not being able to find solid, substantial quotes she actually said about the game, she basically said that the developers made Samus more human and more feminine than past games, mainly pointing out the cut-scenes throughout the game make her more into a woman and strip her of her overall solid and stable frame of mind. By this point, everyone knew Samus to be this strong, independent lead character who is seen as a pioneer for equal rights for female characters in video games. But according to Webb, the development team stripped her of her toughness because they portrayed her to be emotional, loving and a little needy. You know, they basically showed her as being human. *spoiler alert!* I played Other M, and I absolutely loved it, and while I understand that all types of opinions matter and have some merit, I can't say that I take Morgan Webb's opinions too seriously from here on out. Sure, they showed Samus without her gear on, creating a more feminine character than the bounty hunter we all knew and loved, but that's one of the things I liked most about it. Other M didn't make Samus less of an awesome lead character, but instead made her more human, more realistic and easier to attach yourself with. It's important to remember that this game takes place after the events of Super Metroid but before Fusion, so it is totally realistic to think that the entire ordeal messed her up a little, caused some emotional breakdowns and made her more like you and I. Of course once you start playing the game, you are shown a cut-scene of the events at the end of Super Metroid for those unfamiliar with it. Then the game turns her back into the familiar bounty hunter role. So yeah, Samus has some issues and she needs them resolved. The game play switches back and forth between first- and third-person perspective, which adds a certain level of challenge to the game, trying to see the world in a different light than we are used to. The graphics are great, and the controls work well once you get them all figured out. What's funny is that most critics loved the game play and loathed the cut-scenes and dram put into the game. But by today's standards, with storylines being the most important thing in the world, this game may have gotten perfect 10s if it had come out today instead of three years ago. I guess it's just hard for me to let go of a grudge. I mean really, three years later and I am still obsessing over this game with sketchy-at-best attitude when it comes down to the amount of money they have and plan to bring in. I don't hate Morgan Webb as a person, but as a gamer, I feel like she bit off more than she cared to chew with Metroid: Other M, and that's the real shame, because it is an all-time classic in my book. Speaking of which, I did do this blog on the eve of the Playstation 4 release. While that observation has no real baring on what I've typed down on this blog, it's important to say one thing. Greatness Awaits ... me, tomorrow. The Nintendo Wii will always be highly regarded for revolutionizing the way we look at gaming controllers. This isn't just my opinion, pretty much the consensus from the industry as a whole. Trust me, I did the legwork, conducted the research and polls, and decided that yes indeed, I am right in my opinion. Sure, the Wii will forever be known and remembered for bringing in the largest casual gaming audience since possibly the original Nintendo, but far more important was the Wiimote and it's motion-sensing control configuration. Up until then, controllers were always just about the buttons, and while the Wiimotes had buttons of course, the ability to just move the controller around in different motions in order to control different functions of the game was mind-blowing to most. At first, people labeled it as just a gimmick, but eventually people came around to the idea of it being a legitimate way to control a game. Many crappy, "shovelware" games that were pushed out for the Wii eventually turned the motion controls of the Wiimote back into gimmicks that worked poorly, thus souring the entire taste of the console for "hardcore" gamers forever. Somewhere in the middle of the roller coaster ride of respect given and taken away from the controls of the Wii, Retro Studios reemerged and brought the Metroid series over to the newest Nintendo console in the form of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Using the Wiimote and Nunchuck controller scheme was a match made in heaven for now familiar style of game that Metroid had become. The First-Person Adventure game had been completely figured out by now, with the only missing up until then being great controls. The GameCube controller and control scheme worked well enough for the most part, but it always seemed like the weakest part of the experience for the two Primes. Well, the Wiimote controller with the motion controls was all Metroid Prime 3: Corruption needed to instantly make it one of the finest games to ever grace a Wii console. On top of the amazing controls was possibly the best storytelling from the series since Super Metroid, as Dark Samus returned, and with her, a dark presence that would corrupt the great bounty hunter and push her to unthinkable limits. It was truly captivating, and a remarkable reminded of how far the series had come. Also, for a game on a system that had no sort of trophy or achievement system, it is ridiculous how much time I spent in the game trying to get 100% by scanning every single thing possible in the game. Activate the scan mode and look around, scanning everything from landscape to equipment, organic material, creatures and of course enemies. Scanning stuff would unlock information, which ultimately only appealed to the completionists playing. It got vary tedious after a while, I have to admit, but after spending so much time on just that task alone, I felt like I would be wasting all of it if I just gave up half way through. Overall, Corruption was by fay my favorite Prime game, and an amazing conclusion to a fantastic trilogy from Retro Studios. Nintendo clearly made the right choice in handing over the reigns to them, and it severed everyone well. Samus was here to stay, and the Metroid series had cemented itself as one of the elite. Does Corruption owe the Wiimote a thank you, or does the Wii owe Metroid a thank you? Either way, they were both better because of each other. Let me tell you a little story about a boy named Jimmy. For starters, his name was actually James, but everyone called him Jimmy. At the time this story takes place, Jimmy was only a couple of years removed from his high school graduation. He was itching to move out of his parents' house, and had just recently been hired at a local store called Bi-Mart, which only readers from the Oregon/Washington area would understand. It was his first real job as an adult, and with his new-found income, he was looking to transfer that into a place to live other than with his parents. He wanted to grow up and be the man he was trying to portray. He wanted to be an adult, and take care of his adult responsibilities. I admired his gumption, but his job wasn't exactly a high paying one, especially for a young bachelor to move out on his own in the big, scary world. So he came to my two roommates and I, who were renting a very nice house at the time. (Yes, it was the party house, and looking back, man we had some awesome parties there, many of which I wish I could remember better.) Anyway, Jimmy approached us about moving in as a fourth roommate, only for a short while so that he could save up and eventually get his own place with another buddy of his, who was pretty much in the same position he was in. While we didn't have a fourth bedroom for him, he was perfectly fine with crashing out in the living room on the couch, as it was intended to be a short stay. He offered to pay a little bit of cash to us for letting him, so we all agreed no problem. Besides, he worked with my two roommates, so they would be able to keep on eye on him and make sure he traveled on the right path through life. So he crashed with us, and it was good for all. During his time in the house, he had his twentieth birthday. We all chipped in and got him some presents, including the always inspirational and somewhat subliminal Dr. Seuss book, Oh The Places You'll Go. We thought it was kind of funny, and we all got a good laugh out of it. Other than that and a few other smaller things, we also got him the one video game he mentioned really wanting, which had just came out, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. At the time, I was going through my now infamous gaming hiatus, and wasn't familiar with any new games coming out, as I was pretty much on a full-on blackout of all things gaming related. So while I didn't know anything about this game at the time, I knew of the series because I loved the first Prime game so much, so I was excited to get the game for him. When he opened the present, he literally almost cried, as I'm pretty sure he didn't think we all were that close of friends. But hey, when you live with me in any capacity, you're as good as family in my eyes. I had no interest in playing the game then with him, and we worked opposite of each other most of the time, so I never really had the chance to watch him or even see it in action. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes would remain a mystery to me until years later, when I went back and repurchased a GameCube and started building my collection of games that I loved before and missed during my hiatus. I, of course, was glad I finally got to play it and wished I had been able to play back when I got it for Jimmy when it first came out. I really hadn't thought about Jimmy or this game in a long time, but replaying it brought back all these memories of that weird time in my life. Aside from that, however, the game itself is really good, and was a good send off for the Metroid series in the GameCube generation. Dark Samus was an awesome touch to the storyline, and the difficulty was dialed up to make the game feel like a true challenge. There was also a multiplayer mode added into the game, which clearly was just Retro Studios and Nintendo trying to capture a corner of the multiplayer market that was running wild in the gaming landscape. I'm glad my roommates and I were able to make Jimmy's 20th birthday back in the day awesome with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes as a present. Not sure if it was the game, or our friendship that cemented the awesomeness of that present, but either way, Echoes will always be tied to boy we called Jimmy. Sometimes, a well-known established franchise has to grow and evolve, despite the commercial and critically acclaimed success of the franchise and games as a whole. Changing the core gameplay mechanics or feeling of a game can be a death sentence for a series, as fans usually have deep-seeded love and admiration for the principle blueprint of what makes the game, and the franchise, so popular in the first place. Even if the change is for the better and meant to take the franchise into the future, fans are fans and don't normally do well with change. They just don't understand change, even if the reasons are fully explained and justified. It's hard for people to accept that something they know and love is now different, and struggle to embrace and cling to the new game as it is, in the new light and vision of the developers. Even worse than just change, when an already established franchise changes hands and is gift-wrapped for a new developer to handle, meltdowns happen all over. Very rarely can a video game series endure a change of the core mechanics of the game and visual styles by a new and different developer as well. Of course, Nintendo has no fear when it comes to going against conventional trends, thinking outside of the box and pretty much marching to the beat of their own drum. They got away with it with the Zelda series, although gamers were pretty used to each game being different anyway. Mario is Mario, and fans just saw each new game as an upgrade to the franchise, not a change. So they looked at Metroid and rolled the dice. And boy did they win big with their gamble. They banked on gamers wanting a change of perspective, from behind the curtain and on screen as well. They handed the Metroid franchise over to Retro Studios, who was an established and highly successful studio that worked closely with Nintendo, but who had never touched the Metroid series. Nintendo had kept this series close to the vest, but finally decided to hand it off to a third-party developer in hopes of hitting a home run. Thankfully, Retro saw the franchise and the story of Samus from a different point of view, and realized that the adventures of this amazing bounty hunter was better told from the first person point of view. They bet on gamers embracing a First Person Shooter style of game, and they were right. Funny thing is, Nintendo didn't see the game as a FPS as everyone knows the genre to be. They wanted to drive home the point of while Samus is a bounty hunter, playing as her isn't as simple as run-and-gun. They made sure that gamers still understood that while you played the game from behind the yellow visor now, you're still responsible for exploration, more so now than ever before. Sure, there is shooting and all that stuff, but getting lost, finding power-ups and retracing your steps throughout an alien landscape is really what the game is all about, and always has been. They called this game a First Person Adventure game. Of course. Sometimes even change can't eliminate the established roots. Retro did a phenomenal job with this game and definitely didn't drop the ball. Playing the game again only cements my long lasting love for this game, and the direction the series went. As far as story goes, Retro placed this Prime trilogy smack-dab in the middle of Metroid and Metroid II, giving them all the wiggle room they needed to pack in as much plot as they needed to fill in the story they were trying to tell. This game came out on the GameCube on the same day as Fusion did for the Game Boy Advance. While both games altered the gameplay in some way, Prime almost felt like an entirely new franchise with the same characters. The old Metroid games were awesome, believe me, but the new perspective of the franchise took Samus to heights she could only dream of before. You know, if Samus could actually dream. I'm sure there's some fan-fiction about that somewhere, right? |
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February 2014
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