Barrage is the most fun 'casual' game yet. It's awesome. It's mindless, repetitive, and has no story, but it's addictive as hell and thoroughly awesome. Why?
Well, it's got simple mechanics, it's fast-paced, and it's well done. And you can play it while smoking, which is a first for the actiony type games I've looked at here. Each game is three minutes long. You're in charge of a single turret that can shoot large or small grenades (small grenades recharge faster). You aim with the mouse, you left-click to shoot large grenades, and you middle-click to shoot the small ones. Right-clicking reloads.
That right-clicking thing really reminds me of arcade light-gun games, where you shoot off the screen or perform some other task to reload, as it's really simple and obvious and you still end up forgetting to do it half the time and feeling like an idiot. That may just be me, though, and I'm sure even I would get it down pat after a few hours with this game. I'm not going to spend a few hours with the game - I got on the high score list a few times, and I saw every feature the game has to offer; I don't think I need to do more.
And that's the simple beauty of this game: play it once, you've seen all it has to offer. It's quick, and it's simple, but it's difficult, and it's skill-based. I don't really know what twitch gaming is, because I mostly just turn off games that are described as 'twitch' because I suck at them. I'm probably just not twitchy enough. Or maybe I'm just drunk and don't have the reaction time; either way, this is a twitch game for me. I've been uninstalling most of these after I review them; a few stick around, but I'm thinking this one will stay on the machine forever.
The scoring system is simple, and resembles Desktop Tower Defense more than anything else I'm familiar with. You get points for blowing stuff up - there are dudes, jeeps, and tanks, in ascending order as far as how many points you get for each. If they make it off the screen without getting blown up, you lose points commensurate (though not equal) to their value. Each moves at different speeds, and blows up at a different proximity from the impact (I think).
Graphically, if I read the website right, the dude just took a screenshot of a Command & Conquer game, and turned them into animated pieces for his game. It looks nice.
Sonically, there are booms n' whatnot. What more do you need? Nothing more!
I'm not a big fan of the Orsinal games because they're relatively slow-paced. Getting a high score in an Orsinal game seems like it would require massive, monolithic, epic, annoyingly huge amounts of time. When I die, and compare my miniscule score to the leaderboards displayed at the end, I actually feel a little better about myself. I may suck at the game, but I am way better at life, because I don't want to blow that much damn time at a silly Flash game.
Barrage avoids that issue by having each game last exactly three minutes. With time as a constraint, the game is guaranteed to be over at a certain point. It's what you do with that three minutes that defines your score, not just how long you're going to do the same boring, repetitive (albeit cute; everyone loves Orsinal's art direction) task.
All I can say in the negative is that it seems to only play in fullscreen mode, and that makes it less than ideal as a time-waster for when I'm waiting on other things, i.e. a download or an install. I can't keep an eye on what I've got on the backburner while I play.
This is not a game I'd play when I wanted to play a game. But it's perfect for pulling out when I just want to kill time and have some fun doing it. Huzzah!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Balder2d
We've got another Combat-clone her, but Balder2d is a really solid one. In its own words, it's a "Zero gravity 2D shooter". The interesting gimmick that differentiates it from its forebears is that you can't accelerate or decelerate - you can only stick to walls, or rebound from walls. So if you want to change direction, you have to hit a wall, stick to it, then push off from it. You can charge your push, allowing for variability in speed.
It works well as a mechanic, being simple to comprehend but difficult to master. The game is over when the maximum score is reached (points are scored by shooting the other players), the time runs out, or only one player has any lives left. The game rules are customizable, so you can pick which of these you want to be game-ending; the default is any of the three.
There are a number of maps available with a fresh install, which make for vastly differing gameplay experiences (this term has come under attack on RPS, the best-written gaming blog on the internets, so to clarify: I mean the way the game plays - how you maneuver and what strategies are effective). The system for creating custom levels is very simple; basically you just create two graphic files.
Flaws of note: not really a flaw, but a sorely needed feature, is network multi-player. Any game of this type needs to be multiplayer via network to realize its full potential. You can crowd around a single keyboard, but that's never ideal. Joystick/pad support would also be nice, though the keyboard controls are fine. And finally, it wouldn't remap the controls; when I tried to assign movement to awsd instead of the arrow keys, it just didn't recognize the input. Could have been user-error, but I was doing what seemed obvious.
The graphics are nice, and the display seemed to scale to the size of the .PNG file that made up the level, in full-screen mode, so smaller levels = bigger players. The soundtrack is soothing and atmospheric and the sound-design as far as effects go is solidly done.
Another win for Linux gamers. It seems that the open-source really excels at re-creating variations of Atari classics. And nothing else, so far, which sucks for me, but if you still derive joy from those games, more power to ya.
It works well as a mechanic, being simple to comprehend but difficult to master. The game is over when the maximum score is reached (points are scored by shooting the other players), the time runs out, or only one player has any lives left. The game rules are customizable, so you can pick which of these you want to be game-ending; the default is any of the three.
There are a number of maps available with a fresh install, which make for vastly differing gameplay experiences (this term has come under attack on RPS, the best-written gaming blog on the internets, so to clarify: I mean the way the game plays - how you maneuver and what strategies are effective). The system for creating custom levels is very simple; basically you just create two graphic files.
Flaws of note: not really a flaw, but a sorely needed feature, is network multi-player. Any game of this type needs to be multiplayer via network to realize its full potential. You can crowd around a single keyboard, but that's never ideal. Joystick/pad support would also be nice, though the keyboard controls are fine. And finally, it wouldn't remap the controls; when I tried to assign movement to awsd instead of the arrow keys, it just didn't recognize the input. Could have been user-error, but I was doing what seemed obvious.
The graphics are nice, and the display seemed to scale to the size of the .PNG file that made up the level, in full-screen mode, so smaller levels = bigger players. The soundtrack is soothing and atmospheric and the sound-design as far as effects go is solidly done.
Another win for Linux gamers. It seems that the open-source really excels at re-creating variations of Atari classics. And nothing else, so far, which sucks for me, but if you still derive joy from those games, more power to ya.
Balazar
Again! The incomplete 3D RPG coded by French people is becoming cliche. Balazar is much more complete than Arkhart but still not actually playable. While it looks like virtually every aspect of gameplay has been finished (inventory, movement, saving, conversation, even combat) there's no actual content in place, so after going through a short tutorial, you're thrust into a world populated by characters with names that read like code, and don't have anything to say.
Where you go from there is up to you, but it doesn't seem to matter, as no one has anything to say, and attacking people doesn't get you anywhere either. I was plagued with stability problems as well - every time I played with the game (playing the game not being an option) I either got a crash that caused the program to close itself, or a lock-up that I had to manually kill.
This is another shame - the developer has abandoned the game to write some sort of puzzle game that has a similar name (Balazar Bros.) so it's unlikely that development will continue. I suppose to a programmer just getting the systems in place is the major hurdle, but to a maker of games actually getting the done, and giving users something to play should be of some importance as well, y'know?
Graphically, it's relatively pretty. The controls are a bit clumsy and hard to work with, especially the attack button - he doesn't tend to attack what he's in front of, but instead goes into a long super-attack that doesn't hit anything near you, if you hold the button down too long - but they have a nice feel to them. That is, they seem responsive, even though they're difficult.
The sound had occasional crackles, but was acceptable, if not actually good. If this were a real game, I would probably end up cutting off the sound and listening to my new CD by Rev. D-Ray and the Shockers. Since it's not a real game, I'm listening to the CD while complaining about how it's not a game. Which is still fun. Good CD.
In short, don't bother, this is another game that was abandoned by its developer long before there had been enough progress made to make it a game. This is starting to be really frequent, and I just now got to the 'B's for god's sake. Hope the next game works.
Where you go from there is up to you, but it doesn't seem to matter, as no one has anything to say, and attacking people doesn't get you anywhere either. I was plagued with stability problems as well - every time I played with the game (playing the game not being an option) I either got a crash that caused the program to close itself, or a lock-up that I had to manually kill.
This is another shame - the developer has abandoned the game to write some sort of puzzle game that has a similar name (Balazar Bros.) so it's unlikely that development will continue. I suppose to a programmer just getting the systems in place is the major hurdle, but to a maker of games actually getting the done, and giving users something to play should be of some importance as well, y'know?
Graphically, it's relatively pretty. The controls are a bit clumsy and hard to work with, especially the attack button - he doesn't tend to attack what he's in front of, but instead goes into a long super-attack that doesn't hit anything near you, if you hold the button down too long - but they have a nice feel to them. That is, they seem responsive, even though they're difficult.
The sound had occasional crackles, but was acceptable, if not actually good. If this were a real game, I would probably end up cutting off the sound and listening to my new CD by Rev. D-Ray and the Shockers. Since it's not a real game, I'm listening to the CD while complaining about how it's not a game. Which is still fun. Good CD.
In short, don't bother, this is another game that was abandoned by its developer long before there had been enough progress made to make it a game. This is starting to be really frequent, and I just now got to the 'B's for god's sake. Hope the next game works.
Attal: Lords of Doom
Unfortunately unplayable, at least for me. Out of the box, I ran into the biggest problem I've seen with the whole automatic-installation thing under Linux, namely that when you compile something yourself, you know where all the documentation is. Attal: Lords of Doom is apparently lacking in any real documentation anyway, but it took forever to discover that.
The GUI loads, but I can't get it to do anything except display a few messages indicating that it's doing something. It never actually does anything. I went to Taco Bell hoping that it would have loaded a scenario by the time I got back; no such luck.
The forums for the project are non-functional on the official website, and have received like a dozen posts since 2005 on the SourceForge site (linked in the first paragraph), so there wasn't much help to be had there. The only posts I saw that had been made in 2007, outside of the announcement of a 1.0 release candidate by the developers (I think that was a bit premature) were people with the same problems I had, namely, the game not working.
If anyone tells me the magic secret to getting this thing functioning, I'd be glad to check it out. I was looking forward to it. There is much disappointment and gnashing of teeth in the house of Devlocke tonight.
The GUI loads, but I can't get it to do anything except display a few messages indicating that it's doing something. It never actually does anything. I went to Taco Bell hoping that it would have loaded a scenario by the time I got back; no such luck.
The forums for the project are non-functional on the official website, and have received like a dozen posts since 2005 on the SourceForge site (linked in the first paragraph), so there wasn't much help to be had there. The only posts I saw that had been made in 2007, outside of the announcement of a 1.0 release candidate by the developers (I think that was a bit premature) were people with the same problems I had, namely, the game not working.
If anyone tells me the magic secret to getting this thing functioning, I'd be glad to check it out. I was looking forward to it. There is much disappointment and gnashing of teeth in the house of Devlocke tonight.
Atomix
Atomix is another logic-puzzle game. It doesn't seem to still be in production, although there are other Atomix-clones out there (technically, this Atomix is in fact a clone of the original Atomix that was released as a retail game in 1990).
Each level has a pre-determined grid, with different circles representing elements. In the bottom right of the screen is a diagram of a molecule that must be constructed out of the elements. Which seems easy enough until you get to moving the elements around: they go until they hit a wall (or another game piece). You can only pick the direction in which they move. This means that positioning them is a complex task that often involves manipulating multiple pieces to manufacture a series of stops that will allow you to park a molecule where you need it to be.
While it's yet another brain-teaser, I-am-going-to-shoot-myself-if-I-have-to-play-any-more-of-these game, it's a little more fun for me than some of the others, because there's a greater illusion of choice (compared to, say, a lot of the levels in Klotski). Like Klotski and unlike Sudoku or most of the rest of the logic puzzles, it has a definite end. Rather than randomly or procedurally generated levels, each level of Atomix was designed, making it possible to 'beat' the game.
It keeps track of a score (which I assume is based on the number of moves you make, and the amount of time it takes you to make them), and keeps a high-score list, which is motivational, as is the knowledge that each level was hand-crafted (it makes me want to see what they did next - your mileage may vary). You can't save your progress, but you can skip each level with the press of a button, allowing you to cheat and advance to a level you haven't actually gotten to, but also allowing you to pick up where you left off, minus the score you had acquired. If you're playing to explore the game, and not for score, that's a very handy feature indeed.
The consistently increase in complexity, eventually making them frustrating as all-get-out for a person like me who doesn't really even enjoy the motions he's going through, but should offer a solid challenge to the avid puzzle-gamer.
Graphics-wise, it looks like something done in Visual Basic in the late 90s, and it features no sound at all, but doesn't suffer for the lack. Another solid puzzle game, with few frills. The closest possible thing to the website for the game I can find doesn't work for me, so I can only assume that the game isn't in any kind of continuous production and development has stopped, which means the game will probably not be expanded. As it stands, hoever, it's a complete experience.
Each level has a pre-determined grid, with different circles representing elements. In the bottom right of the screen is a diagram of a molecule that must be constructed out of the elements. Which seems easy enough until you get to moving the elements around: they go until they hit a wall (or another game piece). You can only pick the direction in which they move. This means that positioning them is a complex task that often involves manipulating multiple pieces to manufacture a series of stops that will allow you to park a molecule where you need it to be.
While it's yet another brain-teaser, I-am-going-to-shoot-myself-if-I-have-to-play-any-more-of-these game, it's a little more fun for me than some of the others, because there's a greater illusion of choice (compared to, say, a lot of the levels in Klotski). Like Klotski and unlike Sudoku or most of the rest of the logic puzzles, it has a definite end. Rather than randomly or procedurally generated levels, each level of Atomix was designed, making it possible to 'beat' the game.
It keeps track of a score (which I assume is based on the number of moves you make, and the amount of time it takes you to make them), and keeps a high-score list, which is motivational, as is the knowledge that each level was hand-crafted (it makes me want to see what they did next - your mileage may vary). You can't save your progress, but you can skip each level with the press of a button, allowing you to cheat and advance to a level you haven't actually gotten to, but also allowing you to pick up where you left off, minus the score you had acquired. If you're playing to explore the game, and not for score, that's a very handy feature indeed.
The consistently increase in complexity, eventually making them frustrating as all-get-out for a person like me who doesn't really even enjoy the motions he's going through, but should offer a solid challenge to the avid puzzle-gamer.
Graphics-wise, it looks like something done in Visual Basic in the late 90s, and it features no sound at all, but doesn't suffer for the lack. Another solid puzzle game, with few frills. The closest possible thing to the website for the game I can find doesn't work for me, so I can only assume that the game isn't in any kind of continuous production and development has stopped, which means the game will probably not be expanded. As it stands, hoever, it's a complete experience.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Atlantik
This is essentially a placeholder. Atlantik is multi-player only, and therefore not something I feel compelled to review for the purpose of this blog. In addition, I was going to give it a shot, but at 3AM EST there wasn't anyone on the server I checked, and it won't let you begin a game until you've got at least two players.
This is here so the list of games on the blog will be complete, and also because I may, in the future, play a game of Atlantik. If that occurs, the review will go here.
This is here so the list of games on the blog will be complete, and also because I may, in the future, play a game of Atlantik. If that occurs, the review will go here.
Armagetron Advanced
Remember how I felt like Nibbles was a bit boring, though it might have been better with multiple real opponents? Well, scratch that. There's no reason at all to play Nibbles with Armagetron Advanced available! The basic rules are the same: you leave a trail behind you, and the point is to get other players to crash into your trail, or the walls, and avoid crashing into anything yourself.
Only instead of being a 2D game about worms, it's a 3D game based on the light-cycle races from the classic film Tron. And it's much, much better. Why?
Well, the easy one is graphics. Not only does the isometricish 3D display make it intrinsically more fun (not being able to see the entire field of play at once adds more skill to the experience), the art direction is snappy, and consistent with itself. It's simplistic, like the scenes from the film which inspired it, mainly consisting of a black grid upon which are located however many players, each of which is driving a light-cycle in a unique color, and which leaves a wall of that color behind it as a trail. It's easy to comprehend, and easy on the eyes.
The sound is relatively minimal as well, mostly being engine sounds that change in pitch according to your speed, and sounds when you turn. This means you can play along to whatever soundtrack you like, and not be annoyed by constant sharp interruption. It plays well with other audio. (note: it doesn't actually feature an audio-player that you can select files to play with; I'm just saying that you can be playing music in something)
The gameplay itself is very customizable, with a full two screens of options setting everything from the number of players to the size of the field of play to the speed of the game... tons of customization is available. There are only two styles of play out-of-the-box as compiled ('Last Man Standing' and 'Free Play'), but if you want to do additional work, there are a number of other modes available. Testing them seemed outside of the purview of this blog, but there appears to be a relatively active community that plays a number of them.
There's support for multiplayer games of a relatively large size, which can be served within the client or via standalone server, and I can only assume the game's more fun when you're playing with other people.
The basic gameplay consists simply of turning, and occasionally applying the break if/when so inclined, but there are some intricacies and tricks that add more depth, allowing you to capitalize on things like proximity to other players to increase your speed.
This is another winner. As a single-player game it's adequate - no story! no story! - but in terms of well conceived and solidly executed core mechanics, it's a winner, which can only mean that it would rock via multiplayer. Who could ask for anything more (from a multiplayer game)?
Only instead of being a 2D game about worms, it's a 3D game based on the light-cycle races from the classic film Tron. And it's much, much better. Why?
Well, the easy one is graphics. Not only does the isometricish 3D display make it intrinsically more fun (not being able to see the entire field of play at once adds more skill to the experience), the art direction is snappy, and consistent with itself. It's simplistic, like the scenes from the film which inspired it, mainly consisting of a black grid upon which are located however many players, each of which is driving a light-cycle in a unique color, and which leaves a wall of that color behind it as a trail. It's easy to comprehend, and easy on the eyes.
The sound is relatively minimal as well, mostly being engine sounds that change in pitch according to your speed, and sounds when you turn. This means you can play along to whatever soundtrack you like, and not be annoyed by constant sharp interruption. It plays well with other audio. (note: it doesn't actually feature an audio-player that you can select files to play with; I'm just saying that you can be playing music in something)
The gameplay itself is very customizable, with a full two screens of options setting everything from the number of players to the size of the field of play to the speed of the game... tons of customization is available. There are only two styles of play out-of-the-box as compiled ('Last Man Standing' and 'Free Play'), but if you want to do additional work, there are a number of other modes available. Testing them seemed outside of the purview of this blog, but there appears to be a relatively active community that plays a number of them.
There's support for multiplayer games of a relatively large size, which can be served within the client or via standalone server, and I can only assume the game's more fun when you're playing with other people.
The basic gameplay consists simply of turning, and occasionally applying the break if/when so inclined, but there are some intricacies and tricks that add more depth, allowing you to capitalize on things like proximity to other players to increase your speed.
This is another winner. As a single-player game it's adequate - no story! no story! - but in terms of well conceived and solidly executed core mechanics, it's a winner, which can only mean that it would rock via multiplayer. Who could ask for anything more (from a multiplayer game)?
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