RPGs, for the Casual Gamer?

Role Playing Games are in depth games, requiring players to literally act and immerse themselves within a new world. In contrast, casual gamers are by definition, casual, fleeting, they do not spend the time to get to know a world and discover its many secrets. So why is it that the RPG genre’s of late have been converting their games to fit the needs of the casual gamer?

Are you asking “are they really making RPGs for casual gamers?” By all means, allow me to explain. Games of old, such as the Final Fantasy series gave little to no clues as to where you should go next in order to advance the main campaign; this was fairly common in all RPG games prior to the sixth generation of consoles (Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox). It was during the sixth generation that easy location maps became more prevalent. Now in the seventh console generation (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) we find a plethora of games coming out with mapping systems. Not only leading players to the next quest location but to the individual tasks within that quest. My example for this is Fable 2 which provided a golden line directly to the location of the next task in every quest. A game which may have taken forty or more hours without the easy mapping system was then made into a simple “follow the yellow brick road” game which I completed in less than twelve hours.

Fable 2 - "I wonder where that yellow line goes?"

Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. RPGs have an average gameplay far greater to that of other genres. The main campaign for an RGP can be anywhere from ten to one hundred hours, whereas a genre such as FPS (First Person Shooter) is unlikely to take more than ten hours of gameplay to complete the main campaign. To a hardcore fan, playing for fifty or even one hundred hours is no big deal. But to market that type of game to a casual gamer would be suicidal for sales. Casual gamers are not looking for one hundred hours of quality gameplay; they are looking for fifteen minutes to a few hours of entertaining gameplay.

To some hardcore fans it may seem a despicable ploy of designers to alter the gameplay of RPGs to allow for casual gamers. However, I foresee these additions to the RPG genre as a benefit; allowing casual gamers to have their short fling of fun and hardcore gamers to still escape into a new world. Hardcore gamers can sometimes act like a clique (“we don’t want newbs messing around in our worlds”) but this new addition to gaming is only a slight degrade in gameplay. In exchange for the degrade RPG developers can sell enough games to afford bread and wine for their dinner tables (or more hopefully additional DLC for the games).

Fallout 3 Map - "Instant teleportation anyone?"

In addition, for fans like myself, who want to trial all the RPGs available; it becomes impossible to put in all the hours necessary. Therefore, a gamer is left with multiple incomplete games (which is extremely unnerving). With this new system gamers have the ability to quickly make their way through RPGs that they deem interesting and devote serious gaming hours to their favorite RPGs.

So why has the industry turned to help the casual gamer? It’s not because they care more about making money (well that is part of it) but more than likely it is because they want to build a gaming model which fits the increasingly complicated lifestyles of hardcore fans. Yes, it allows them to sell the game to vastly more casual fans, but more importantly it means improved functionality for RPG fanatics.

Nexon America Outfits Combat Arms With Video Capture Capabilities

Last Friday Nexon America unveiled the newest feature for their flag-ship first-person shooter, Combat Arms; fully functional and integrated video capturing. For those with a YouTube.com account, an upload feature has also been integrated into the Combat Arms client.

Although the video capturing feature lacks editing parameters, Nexon America added a new function allowing players to toggle the user-interface on or off to avoid the hassle of the HUD while filming.

The multi-step process to setting up and capturing video footage is quite simple.

Once inside the Combat Arms client, click the “Star” button located at the top right of the screen.  This will open to a menu allowing you to change the video format, frames per second, while toggling the Combat Arms logo on or off.

The video capture settings can be accessed by clicking the "Star"button in the client. Photo courtesy of Nexon America

While in-game, simply press the “Page Down” key to both start and stop recording.  If you wish to toggle the HUD off, press the “Page Up” key.

After you have successfully recorded in-game footage, uploading that video via the game client to YouTube.com will take only minutes.

In the lobby navigate to the “Star” button once again.  Select the “Upload to YouTube” tab, fill out your account information and select which video you wish to upload.

The Uploading To YouTube tab. Photo courtesy of Nexon America

Penguin United Launches Eagle Eye Mouse and Keyboard Converter for PS3

The Eagle Eye Converter adapts any standard USB mouse and keyboard into a PS3 controller system. Photo courtesy of SparksFly PR

Console accessories company, Penguin United, launched the Eagle Eye Converter today for the Sony® PlayStation™ 3.  This device converts any standard USB mouse and keyboard into a PlayStation™ 3 controller.

Though it is not the first of it’s kind, the simple plug-and-play device which unveiled at E3 2010 has caught the attention of gamers around the world.

“The feedback and enthusiasm from gamers has been astonishing,” said Richard Huang, Penguin United’s President. “Whether from diehard fans of first-person shooters, PC or PS3 games, the response since E3 has been amazing.”

Complete with turbo key settings, fully customizable keymapping, and programmable combo macros; the Eagle Eye Converter offers PS3 users the similar functions to the XFPS RateUp with a little extra.

Though you will have to program the device on a Windows-based PC with the provided software; the process only takes a few moments.

Featuring two separately customizable keymappings (which can be changed via a switch on the device), the Eagle Eye can be switched from your first-person shooter mapping to your fighting game mapping without reprogramming the device.

For those who dread attempting a fighting game on mouse and keyboard, don’t worry, this device may be a can of whoop-ass flirting with your can opener.

How is that possible considering the execution of moves requires fluid manipulation of the joysticks with tenacious timing when pressing the buttons?  Simple, combo settings.

Instead of memorizing sequences such as: down half-circle right triangle…whatever; simply program that combination into the Eagle Eye and map it to a specific key.  Once in game, the execution of that maneuver will only require one key.

For first-person shooter enthusiasts, the Eagle Eye is a tremendous device.

Outfitted with a high-capacity CPU, the Eagle Eye translates mouse movements to the PS3 with remarkable ease, fluidity, and most importantly for FPS, precision.

Product Details:

• Converts any standard USB HID Keyboard and Mouse into a PS3 Controller
• Adjust Mouse sensitivity through the game’s option menu.
• 1 to 1 translation from the PS3 right analog stick to the mouse movement for an ultra accurate aim in FPS.
• Maps out all PS3 buttons and left analog stick via included software to customize your control.  Right analog stick defaults to mouse movement.
• Compatible with all PS3 games.
• USB 2.0 Keyboard and Mouse inputs.
• 13ft. USB cable connects to PS3.
• Turbo option for X, triangle, square, circle, L1, L2, R1, R2 buttons
• Programmable Macro Functions to turn any single key into a combination of moves.
• Compatible with all PS3 console versions, future proof with firmware updates.
• Quick, easy set up in less than 1 minute with included software
• System Requirement: Windows XP or later; 512 MB RAM; 2MB free HD Space; 4xCD-ROM drive
• SRP: $59.99
• Available for Purchase at www.PenguinUnited.com

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn Officially Dated

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.

Nintendo announced today a set release date for the highly-anticipated DS RPG Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, after the title was missing from the company’s recent Q4 release list.

After seven years without a third entry to the popular GBA series, Dark Dawn will hit store shelves on November 29th, 2010.

“Each of the game’s playable characters is capable of carrying Djinn, spirits that imbue their owner with unique and powerful abilities. Players can collect more than 70 unique Djinn, granting them the ability to summon mighty deities who unleash devastating attacks that fill both Nintendo DS screens. Djinn powers can also be used to navigate puzzling dungeons and overworld environments that will have players flinging fireballs to burn away obstacles, freezing water to raise platforms, or summoning whirlwinds to create bridges out of floating objects.”

Dark Dawn takes place 30 years after the events of the second game, The Lost Age, with a new cast of characters that are “struggling to survive in a radically changed world”.

“What begins as a simple journey to rescue a lost friend turns into a dramatic quest to save the land from catastrophe as players are drawn into a world full of magical energy.”

Both Golden Sun entries on the Gameboy Advance received critical acclaim, with the first game holding an 89 percent on Game Rankings and its sequel an 87.

Check out my impressions on Golden Sun: Dark Dawn from E3 2010 here.

[ Source: Press Release ]

Ys Seven | Review (PSP)

If you are anything like me, you’ve probably heard very few things about the Ys series.  After doing some digging, I discovered that it has been around in Japan since 1987. It’s hard to believe Ys has been around for twenty three years.  The Ys games involve Adol Christin, the man with the fire red hair, going on all sorts of adventures. I was slightly excited to have the chance to play the Seventh game in the series. I wish I had gotten the chance to be the first to play my copy of the game, but a few “friends” grabbed my PSP when I was out… Watch the video below to see what happened.

Bit.Trip FATE Teaser Art Released

Bit.Trip FATE teaser art. Click for full size.

Judging from this teaser artwork released by Gaijin today, the 5th installment in the Bit.Trip series, dubbed “FATE” will take its fans in a whole new direction.

The biggest detail known right now is that FATE will be some sort of shooter, as evidenced by this tweet from Team Meat:

Just played Bit.Trip Fate, its a great and much needed spin on the shooter genre. Be on the look out for Meat boy in it!12:17 AM Aug 26th via web

Other than that, all that is known is that the game will hit WiiWare sometime this fall.  A little can be speculated from the picture, however.  On the right we can see what looks like “Runner City”, with what appears to be a track running from it to the left hand plane of the picture.  Could this mean we will be treated to an on-rails shooter?  Also the blue and red color scheme can lead us to think there will be a “good vs. evil” theme to this title.  We won’t know for sure for a few more weeks; possibly details will be released at PAX.  In the meantime, let speculation run rampant in the comments!

Five Top Tips for Gaming on a Budget

After being a student for the past 6 years of my life I’ve had to work out clever ways of getting both the most out of my money and the most out of my gaming. Well, I worked out a few useful tips which I will now pass on to anyone else who wants to see their gaming budget go further.

So, in no particular order here are my five top tips for gaming on a budget:

#1: Buy games with High Replayability

One of the most obvious ways to save money on games is to buy less games and one of the best ways to be able to buy less games is to buy games which you can play for longer without getting bored.

Games with a strong multiplayer and a strong community to match are always good choices. A game like Halo 3 has had a strong multiplayer following ever since 2007, other good multiplayer games to try would be cheap but well-loved multiplayer shooters like Counter Strike Source or Team Fortress 2 – both games rife with players and custom Mods. One of the deepest multiplayer experiences recently released on the market right now would be Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty. Call of Duty might be a series to avoid what with all the rich people migrating over to the new yearly instalments.

You don’t necessarily have to buy games with a multiplayer component to keep playing them for a long time. Certain genres can generally be played for longer than others just by default. A game like Fallout 3, Oblivion, Mass Effect or Final Fantasy XIII will keep you busy for a lot longer than a game like Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days just because an open world RPG will have more for you to do than a linear third person shooter. However you don’t have to be an RPG nut to get a rich single player experience. Many games can last you plenty long if you’re enough of a completionist. One game worthy of mention would be Bayonetta, a game that can last you anything up to 60 hours and demands multiple play-throughs if you want to see everything the game has to offer. Luckily, because the game is so good that doesn’t even feel like a chore.

#2: Be Patient

Patience is a virtue – and being virtuous could save you money. New games are expensive luxuries but if you’re willing to be patient and wait a few weeks after release to get a game then you could get yourself some sweet deals. This is because retailers need to clear shelf room for more games coming in so they’ll often reduce prices on older games to make room – this is something which you should definitely take advantage of so long as you can resist the urge and the hype and wait.

#3: Buy Pre-owned/Trade Old Games in

First things first – no you’re not murdering the videogame industry by looking for a good pre-owned deal now and again. Sure whiny multi-million dollar corporations might want to make you think you are but I and many other people have been buying pre-owned games since the 90s and the industry hasn’t croaked it just yet. Developers are still getting paid and you’re still able to enjoy the game. I’m not talking about getting brand new releases pre-owned and only saving a tiny bit of money (not because of any moral reason, just because it’s often a rip off) but you’d be surprised just how much a few weeks and a previous owner can reduce the price of a good game.

Trade-ins are a good way to save money also. Sure, it’s nice to have a nice shelf full of games but if the game isn’t being played then all it’s doing on that shelf is gathering dust and slowly losing value and I personally think that if an old games helps you to buy a newer and better game – then it’s a win.

#4 – Shop Around

This is one of the best ways to save just that little bit extra on a game you want. Rather than going into your local games store and impulse buying decide which game you want before you go out and then see how much you can get it for in every nearby retailer – you’d be surprised how often you get lucky and find the game on special offer somewhere. Better yet if you shop on the internet a lot then checking multiple websites for the same game can also sometimes save you money.

For PC gamers out there try looking for the boxed versions of a game instead of always relying on services like Steam. The sales of retail PC games are dropping faster than a hippo with an anvil tied to it that’s just been thrown out of an aeroplane. This means retailers will often sell boxed games for very cheap after a while to either tempt you off of Steam and D2D and to clear shelf space for other games coming out that month. Some boxed PC games also go for extremely cheap pre-owned. Just make sure you don’t buy pre-owned PC games with crazy DRM on them.

#5 – Steam Sales

Okay, I know not everybody reading this games on a PC or uses Steam but when it comes down to getting your money’s worth you really can’t beat sales on Steam. There are always a few big Steam sales in the year such as near Christmas, black friday and in July where not many new games are released. Sometimes Steam sales can just come out of the Blue which means there’s often a good game to be bought for next to no money. Just to give you an idea of how much money you can save in a big Steam sale this is what one of their game packs included:

The THQ Game Pack included (deep breath): Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, Company of heroes: Tales of Valour, Frontlines: Fuel of War, Full Spectrum Warrior, Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, Metro 2033, Red Faction, Red Faction 2, Red Faction Guerrilla, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Saints Row 2, Titan Quest, Titan Quest: Immortal Thrown, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War Gold Edition, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War – Soulstorm, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 2, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 2 – Chaos Rising and World of Zoo. That load of games bought separately would normally cost you £257.99. During the Steam Summer Sale that pack was selling for £52.99 – that’s a saving of nearly £205. I don’t know how much that is in US Dollars but I’m sure you all get the idea – and the games in that collection are good (mostly).

Hopefully these 5 tips will help gamers out there on a budget enjoy their games more and ultimately enjoy more games.

Worms Reloaded Releases on Steam

Graphic courtesy of Sean Bamberger with Lunch PR.

Almost five years after Worms 4: Mayhem erupted across computer screens around the world, Team17 of Britain has finally released the much anticipated Worms™ Reloaded, exclusively for PC via Steam.

Though Worms™ Reloaded is available on either Windows or Mac OS, you won’t find it on PlayStation 3 or Xbox Live.

Coming out over ten years after the release of PC classic, Worms™ Armageddon, Worms™ Reloaded is packed with weapons throughout the series; such as the Holy Hand Grenade (received along with a soldier’s helmet for having Team Fortress 2).

Sporting a similar 3D interface to Armageddon, Worms™ Reloaded’s visuals are in full HD resolution.

Yet Worms™ Reloaded offers features it’s predecessors have lacked.

Being linked to Steam, Worms™ Reloaded has immense yet intuitive multiplayer capabilities linking Worms™ fans across the globe.

For offline players, Worms™ Reloaded has 60 single player missions; while featuring landscape editing tools complete with image importing.

For Team17 the excitement for the release of Worms™ Reloaded lies with the community; as full landscape editing tools are a standard feature, the Steam community is sure to generate it’s own content.

“It’s with tremendous satisfaction that we can finally release a PC Worms™ title after what seems like an eternity, particularly as we’re self-publishing it. This means the connection between our passionate community and the development team itself has never been closer”, said Martyn Brown, Business Development Director at Team17.  “Because of that, we’ll see discussion, support and development of the game going forward, with further additional content and interaction with our community, given the wide customization opportunities in the game.”

The Best SNES RPGs… That Aren’t Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy

Some of the greatest RPGs of all time have graced the SNES. Titles such as Chrono Trigger and several games in the Final Fantasy are exclusive to Nintendo’s 16-bit machine. With a plethora of these high-profile titles, it’s easy to overlook some of the other RPGs. The following list goes over the best RPGs on the SNES that aren’t Chrono Trigger or have Final Fantasy in the title, in no particular order.

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinstrals.

Lufia II offered a refreshing break from the traditional RPG format when it released in 1996. Similar to other RPGs at the time, Lufia II featured a large overworld, towns, dungeons, and a variety of enemies to battle. What set the title apart from others were the Zelda-like gameplay mechanics it brought to the table. Several weapons and other pieces of equipment — ranging from a bow to a hookshot — can be used in the game’s many, challenging dungeons to solve puzzles and avoid enemies. To break even further away from the plethora of “copy and paste” role-playing games, Lufia II didn’t incorporate random battles that had been a staple for the Final Fantasy series; instead, all enemies appeared on-screen and a turn-based battle would commence once players made contact with the enemy’s sprite. In dungeons enemies would only move one tile when the character moved, adding another level of strategy for those who prefer to skip most battles.

Breath of Fire II

Breath of Fire II.

On the surface, Capcom’s Breath of Fire II has a seemingly more traditional vibe compared to Lufia II. Breath of Fire II uses a turn-based combat system with random battles much like Final Fantasy, but unlike the godfather of the modern RPG, it has a large cast of interesting characters that can be switched in and out of the party at any point after they become available. The title has one of the better narratives of the 16-bit era, as players take the role of Ryu as he and his companions prevent the demon Deathevn from destroying the world, with two possible endings. In terms of gameplay, Breath of Fire II has two unique features that separate it from other RPGs: township and the ability to transform into a dragon. With township, players are able to recruit certain characters throughout the game to live in and build a village with Ryu and his companions. Once a certain point in the game has been reached, players gain the ability to transform into a powerful dragon during battle with differing elements depending on what supporting character they use the ability with.

Secret of Mana

Secret of Mana.

Secret of Mana is an SNES favorite in the RoboAwesome offices; during E3 Modus and I played the game’s fully-featured cooperative mode extensively, and even though he died frequently and hindered our overall progress it was still good fun. While it doesn’t possess a particularly captivating story, Secret of Mana lead the way when it came to innovative gameplay for an RPG in the 16-bit era. Square’s classic blended The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past with Final Fantasy to produce one of the first great action-RPGs. Players control an unnamed hero along with two supporting characters that aren’t actually directly controlled other than when equipping weapons. Combat is completely real-time akin to A Link to the Past, except the characters gain experience points to level up when enemies are defeated. The two supporting characters, a girl and a sprite child, attack enemies at will when they come in contact with them. Secret of Mana‘s big innovation was the inclusion of the aforementioned co-op play. At any point in the game up to two other players can take control of either the girl or sprite child and play through the adventure with the main player.

EarthBound

EarthBound.

EarthBound has become a cult classic mostly due to Nintendo of America’s apparent dislike for the series. Released during the dying days of the SNES, Nintendo’s EarthBound told the story of a young boy named Ness who’s on a quest to prevent a being known as Giygas from ruling the world. EarthBound was a traditional turn-based RPG with enemies that spawned on the world map instead of random battles, similar to Lufia II. Where the title lacked in gameplay and music, it made up for with outstanding visuals and a quirky cast of characters. The graphical style of EarthBound was isometric, meaning that the world was viewed at more of a diagonal angle instead of straight down, making for somewhat of a 3D effect. Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo were the characters destined to defeat Giygas. EarthBound also contained several memorable non-supporting characters such as BuzzBuzz and the always humorous Porky.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was a joint project between Nintendo and Sqaure that led the way for future Mario RPGs including Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi series. Like EarthBound, Super Mario RPG sported impressive visuals with an isometric visual style. Combat in Super Mario RPG differed from virtual every other RPG of the time — players controlled Mario and three other characters in battle as they executed commands and timed button presses that allowed extra damage to be dealt. When on the overworld, Super Mario RPG borrowed platforming elements from Super Mario as players traverse through the game’s varied areas.

Super Mario RPG is also the home of many fan-favorite characters, such as Geno.

Honorable Mentions:

• Terranigma (Europe and Japan only)
• Star Ocean (Japan only)
• Tales of Phantasia (Japan only)

Finding the Scott Pilgrim in You

The biggest mistake anyone could make in regards to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is to think it is “just another Michael Cera movie”. We can all thank director Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead) for using his unique brand of humor and visuals to set this geeky romance apart from it’s peers. It’s true that Cera does play his typical role; a dorky and awkward guy in his twenties who still hasn’t hit puberty for some reason and is gaga for a girl way out of his league. However, the visuals are so eye-popping, the nerd humor is so spot-on, and there is such a vast amount of video game references in this movie that it is easy to overlook Cera’s lack of breadth as an actor. In fact, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is so full of video game references, both subtle and obvious, it would almost be worth seeing the movie twice just to try to pick them out. There are four games in particular that were used in the movie which not only contributed to this film’s geek chic factor, but they also helped me find my inner Scott Pilgrim.