When Is A Game Too Much Game?

I have a queue of unplayed games and this time I'm not referring to just the games that I haven't played on Steam (although that list might be growing again due to Steam's Winter Holiday Non-Denominational Sale), but also the games for the PSP and 3DS that are patiently awaiting their turns to embed themselves in the emotional center of my brain.  This queue of games has recently gotten me thinking about the amount of time required to play all of these game to their conclusion. 

Now, when I say that I beat a game, I'm not referring to "completing" a game with every available character/car/plane, watching every ending and achieving every single achievement.  I just mean beginning a game and playing through until the credits finish rolling.  If I happen to unlock new features and earn achievements in the process, then bonus points for me.

I recently just completed Dead Island after playing roughly 62 hours.  That is a lot of time to spend on anything, let alone a video game.  Recently though, I have noticed that some games are becoming almost too long, or more likely, I am drawn to games that take up a lot of time.  Between the two of us, Conklederp and I have clocked in 571 hours on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and expansions; I currently have 115 hours on The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and have only just completed the main quest, not to say anything about either the Bloodmoon or Tribunal expansions; on Final Fantasy XII, I spent around 125 hours and I still didn't finish all of the hunts or collect all of the Espers.  When Grand Theft Auto V was released last year, it was touted as having over 120 hours of game content.

When does game content become too much content?

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Dead Space took my about 16 hours each while Amnesia: The Descent took 18 hours, but Gone Home and Evoland both took only 3 hours.  Those were perfect lengths of time for their respective games.  Horror games are a hard thing to do for an extended period of time.  I have never played a horror game that lasted as long as, say Morrowind and maintained that level of tension and fright.  Is it possible to maintain that level of tension for 50+ hours?  I honestly don't know as I feel like game length is relative to both the game itself and the person playing the game.  

For myself, as long as the quests make sense, I don't really mind fetch-quests for which both Skyrim and Dead Island are pretty notorious for.  I understand the argument against them as they do eat up a lot of time, especially if fast travel is not an option, but again, I enjoy exploring and looking at the worlds that I explore.  But, as is the case with anything in life, too much can be annoying.  Too many fetch quests to gather supplies for an outcome that is never witnessed is too much. In Morrowind, I was tasked with taking 20 jars of sujamma (local liquor) to the middle of nowhere.  What irritated me was that I had to reallocate my inventory to accommodate 60 lbs of items and travel to a mine just so that some miners who were most likely slaves, could have their liquor.  What I didn't mind was that I was travelling to a part of Vvardenfell that I had not visited so I was exploring. 

So how long should a game be for it to be both entertaining and fulfilling?

I don't think there's a correct answer here.  

Some games work better as a five hour short story while other games, primarily sandbox games almost demand that they last 100+ hours.  And there-in lies one of my problems:  I like sandbox games.  GTA, The Elder Scrolls, I like these games and I like to experience the worlds and the people who populate them.  I recently just started the Assassin's Creed series and I can see Fable, Mass Effect and Dragon Age on the horizon and I know that I will spend as much time in those worlds as I have in others. 

What I have come to realize while putting down my thoughts, is that I am drawn to long, drawn out narratives.  While I do enjoy playing shorter games like Evoland, Dear Esther and Nightsky that may take up only a couple of hours, I also love spending hours upon hours being immersed in a world and it's fictional culture.  Sure, I'll play some games that I know that I can finish in an afternoon, but maybe with the exception of a few games that I cannot recall at the moment, but that doesn't make them any less worth playing.  Sometimes a game that can be played in short segments is just what I need between the doses of massive epic quests.

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

I'm Not Ready To Make That Kind Of A Commitment

Full Review: Evoland

Evoland began life as a flash game,  and winner of the Ludum Dare 24.  The theme of the contest was evolution, and I can see why this game won, it is very clever and well executed, especially for being created in a mere 40 hours!   The flash game is now called Evoland Classic, and the downloadable PC/Steam game has taken the title Evoland.  I strongly recommend playing the original (free) flash game before playing the downloadable.  It takes about five to ten minutes to play through, and is a charming bit of fun. 

• Play Evoland Classic

The current Evoland takes the original game and expands it.  The graphical development moves into full 3d, with turn based battles and other RPG tropes.  The result is about 2 hours of light-hearted fun and nostalgia, with a few different gameplay and graphical modes.  The concept is strikingly similar to one of my own ideas, but there are differences, which I will get into at another time.  

Evoland *itself* has evolved.  Whoa. Meta. 

I was initially expecting a more robust gaming experience, and I reacted poorly after playing about 45 minutes.  But having beaten the game once, and adjusted my expectations accordingly, I think that Evoland is a decent game.  Even though the nostalgia is directed at older players who played games in the late 90s, I think of it as a great game for children. 

This game lends itself to being played over and over again, and the action is simple enough that it might be easily understood by one not used to this style of game.  In addition, the bright colors and superdeformed character design may appeal to children.  Not to mention, the various references to jRPG and Action/Adventure game tropes may lay a nice foundation for the real deal.  

As a fan of retro games, I wish the designers had spent more time in the 8-bit and 16-bit, two dimensional realm.  The bulk of the gameplay takes place after the transition to 3d, and it also seems to drag a bit at that part.  Particularly when the random encounter rate seems to be just too high, and the experienced gained in those battles, rather pointless.  

Evoland is a game that bit off more than it could chew. While it has many different gameplay modes, it doesn't do any of them particularly well. On my initial play, I expected to see mechanical changes progressing with the graphics, but it didn't work that way.  There is very little mechanical depth.  This works for the game in the sense that it keeps it very light.  On the other hand, I had higher expectations.  

Ultimately, this game plays like a demo for a much better game, or perhaps an Animal Crossing mini-game. If you want to play an indie Zelda clone, I recommend Anodyne.  And if you want to play a jRPG parody, I recommend Breath of Death 7 or Cthulu Saves the World.  I can't recommend purchasing Evoland for anything more than $5.  But really, with price tags that low, why not buy all of them?  


-D


Evoland Summary

The Good:
Fun, light-hearted atmosphere.  Funny.  Fantastic graphics, excellent monster design.  Really clever concept.  Multiple Gameplay Modes, emulating The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy VI/VII and Diablo/Gauntlet Legends.  

The Bad:
Lack of Gameplay depth.  'Evolution' Theme is flimsy - graphics upgrade in a linear way, but gameplay mechanics seem random.  Frustrating difficulty at times, especially in the Diablo Section.  Different gameplay modes don't affect one another much.  The overworld encounter rate is way too high.  No camera control.  

I'm in love with my own ideas: Proteus

What?  Another Proteus post?  Geez, will this guy shut up about that game?  No.  I won't.  From reading the comments on the Steam message boards, Proteus appears to be a very divisive game.  People seem to love it, or hate it.  I'm glad that I love it.

Like other games I've loved - playing Proteus has given me ideas for a sequel or for a variation on the theme.  I think this is just the best thing a game can do for me.  I enjoy the experience of playing, and I come out of it with new ideas.  I tend to find I am sometimes very hard on the games that I love, but this is mostly because I am inspired by the gameplay and it sends my imagination running wild.  By explaining all of the ways in which a game can be 'better,'  I don't mean to denigrate the game itself.  For without the original game, I would never have felt this inspiration to begin with. And for all I know, my ideas could never be practically implemented.  But, given that I'm in love with my own ideas, I'm still going to share them with you.  

I'd love it if I could play Proteus co-op.  However, this would be a big change, as the game is first person, and you can't see yourself.  But if there were another player, you'd probably have to have a visual representation of said player.  This could be problematic, as the environment is so carefully crafted and balanced that a potentially erratic element of another player could mess up the vibe.  But maybe it wouldn't.  I'm going to proceed as though co-op play is an option.

I should mention that it seems pretty clear to me that the intention behind Proteus is to deliver a solitary experience, somewhat reminiscent of Transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau's: Walden.  However, these ideas aren't really for Proteus itself, which is fine just the way it is, but ideas for an imaginary sequel or alternate game, inspired by the gameplay and design for Proteus. Moving on- with multiplayer Proteus ideas...  

Based on the way that the game of Proteus chooses not to say anything directly- no dialogue, no score, no clear goals-- I would want to copy the "journey" style of online co-op play and have no direct chat, only different sorts of audio and visual signals you can relay to one another.  (jumping, spinning, rolling of the third type) Not to mention, in Journey, there is no co-dependence.  In that game, the other players are just there to work in tandem and keep each other company.  I believe this element would honor the gameplay of Proteus while expanding and changing it to include a second player. 

Or perhaps the players would be invisible to one another, and could only be seen by their effects on the island.  Causing frogs to jump, stones to hum, and the like.  This could help players to create a sense of mystery and randomness for one another by indirectly affecting the other's play.  

I suppose another expansion on the co-op idea would be the ability to lay out easter eggs for friends.  To create a custom island with player-designed easter eggs.  That would be a nice thing and fun, too.  Like a greeting card.  Examples of this element include The Anna Anthropy Occupy game - Keep Me Occupied, and Inside a Star Filled Sky -  both these games allow the player to plant flags.

One more thing I would like to see is expansion of the island area in general.  One of the most exciting parts of Proteus is when I realize that I've found something I didn't know was there.  However, by now I wonder if I've seen all there is to see.  It seems to me that I've discovered the outer limits of the game, so now I'm left with the inner limits, so to speak.  I'd like it if the outer limits seemed a bit larger, to preserve the mystery and sense of expansiveness.  If additional players were included, this may become a requirement.  

I suppose when introduced to a new and desirable gaming experience it is only natural that I should want more, more and more.  Most especially, I want to share Proteus with others, it doesn't even have to be my friends and loved ones, just anyone who will appreciate it.  I think that Ed Key and David Kanoga really achieved something great with this game.  So, despite these ideas for changing this game, I don't have any expectations that there will be a sequel.  However, I do expect to hear some 'inspired by' comments with regard to Proteus, and that suits me just fine.  

-D

Minecraft

I just finished playing the Minecraft Demo for the first time.  For those of you who don't know, Minecraft is a game that has garnered heavy accolades from the gaming community over the past couple of years.  I think it's safe to say that the game has become something of a phenomenon.  And after playing the demo for about a half-hour, I can go on record saying that this game is worthy of the praise.  

Something I want to emphasize is the joy I experienced just learning the basic mechanics of the game.  Exploring the world of the demo, and testing different ways to interact with it, making new discoveries--  I had a great time.  In fact, I have enjoyed this process so much, that I am willing to call what I write from here on out 'spoilers' simply because I do not want to spoil a new players experience of learning the mechanics.  So, if you think that you will play Minecraft in the not-too-distant future, I strongly urge you to just go play it.  Put in a half hour or even the ninety minutes the demo allows.  If you like games-- then it is worth your time.

So, here's a  breakdown my experience with the demo, transcribed here for my own selfish need to express myself.  Please stop reading and go play Minecraft.

One possible reason why I enjoyed Minecraft so much is something called emergent gameplay.  I like this term, and I think it relates to the creativity of Minecraft play.  I felt a strong pull to explore the possibilities within the world. In the beginning, I ran around digging at random pieces of the world, becoming stuck and un-stuck in corners, getting accustomed to the controls.  However, when nighttime first arrived, I was quickly killed, right around the time I found a neat-looking cave to explore.  I had to start over again, and then got killed again.  I got frustrated, so I ended the demo, and started from the beginning.  

This time, I took to digging with a vengeance.  I tore trenches through the landscape, sawed the tops off of trees.  Right about dusk, just as the baddies were going to emerge, I just started digging straight down for a while, and then tunneled around through the softer, easier to dig bricks.  I got lost, but didn't sweat it, and just kept right on digging. 

The critical point came when i figured out how to place items i had collected.  My first move was to block off the tunnel I had dug, thus protecting me from any roaming baddies who may follow me into my tunnel.  Then, entirely by accident, I placed a torch on the wall.  Now I could see! This was reassuring, and helped to orient me as I decided it was time to tunnel upward. 

My next great discovery was that i could jump and place a hunk of dirt directly underneath myself.  This helped me to more quickly get out of a cave i had trapped myself in, and then was even more useful when i subsequently popped out of cliff-side and fell into an abyss filled with monsters.  I took one look around and quickly launched myself skyward on an ever expanding stack of dirt.   I exited the abyss but found myself critically low on food.  Apparently all that time tunneling came with a cost.  This form of isolation kept me safe from monsters, but also locked away from any sustenance.

I hunted around for some of the non- hostile animals i'd seen earlier, and proceeded to beat a pig to death with my bare hands, and devour the raw pork inside. However, since the graphics resemble LEGOs, this wasn't really that grisly.  Still, Herbovours are sure to hate this element of the game.  Possibly you can eat grasses and plants, but this seems unlikely as the hunger meter is represented with pork-chops.

Anyhow, I resupplied my hunger meter, and then decided to take a trip to the sky on another giant tower of dirt.  Kinda like how Iceman gets around.  I rose dozens of feet above the play area,  my limited visual settings fogging the scene below.  (I sure do need a new video card).

I had one heart left of life, something I haven't figured out how to resupply, and the temptation to jump from the in-game stratosphere was very strong.  I decided against it, and began to dig my way back down from on high, one cube of dirt at a time.  When I got to about tree-height, I decided to hop off, but It looks like that was still too high a fall, and I died anyway.  Oops.  

So, that was fun.  Maybe one day I'll buy the full version, and maybe one day I'll terraform a landscape and show it off on YouTube. I don't even know what to do with all of the Minecraft culture stuff out there.  The incredible cities, monumentsand all of the creativity coming out of this game.  It sucks me in and blows.my.mind.  I have to consciously just sort of forget about all of the mountains of amazing things coming out of this game.  There's just too much of it, and the game is fun to just play, without being intimidated by all of that.  

But one thing I will do, is to link to a video of the Enterprise 1701-D being built in minecraft.  I think this one is going to be my favorite minecraft-thing.  


-D

currently playing:
Minecraft
Trilby's Notes
Sim City 4

Impressions from Cooperative Gaming Co-Op #1: ARCADE GAMES curated by Zach Gage

This is how the installation looked from the outside

Okay everyone, so here is  my first in a series of posts giving my impressions of the games I played at the San Jose Cooperative Gaming Co-op's Arcade Installation.  As I mentioned in my previous post, this show was put on by my friend John Bruneau and James Morgan.

There were tons of games there, and they were all set up in Arcade Cabinets.  Each cabinet was curated by a different person.  The curators chose what games would be available to play, and also had a hand in the design of the cabinet.  I don't really have any pictures, so I can't show you, but there were some pretty cool designs.  Check out the cooperative gaming co-op's page for any updates or information.

The installation was essentially a free arcade featuring experimental and indie games.    Many or most of these games had an 'arcade' feel.  Games where the action starts instantaneously, and I died, I wanted to play again.  Given the chance, I would feed a bunch of quarters into machines featuring these games.  There was also a game-swap on site where you could take a game as long as you also left a game.  I didn't participate in this, but I imagine I will at some future date.

The Arcade was in place from Sept 28th to Oct 20th, but I was, unfortunately only able to visit once in the second to last week.  So there is a touch of Irony that I am going to be spending this time promoting an event that has already ended.  However, I also got to play lots of great games, and they will live on!  As will John and James, and the great artists, programmers, curators and appreciators of this event.  The next time I hear about something like this, I'm going to try to get out there sooner.

So, for now, I'm going to dedicate my time to talking about the games I played.  Many are available to play online-- for free!  So I will provide links to that.  It's not the same as an arcade, but we can't have everything all the time.  So, without further ado, on to the first cabinet:

ARCADE GAMES: curated by Zach Gage

• Shoot First by Teknopants

Shoot First is a two player co-op game with action that reminded me of Gauntlet.  It was really tough though, and I died really fast.  There were some subtleties to the control I didn't quite figure out.  You can collect stuff and upgrade weapons and all those sweet RPG elements. Randomly generated levels, like Diablo. I heard you can also call this genre: rougelike.    
Shoot First is available for Windows and there is a download link.......here.

• Chang Chang by Michael Brough

I really liked playing this game.  This is another 2-player game.  It is kind of like a variation on Chess, or like a very low-fi tactics game.  It pays in real time, and each piece can move in any direction while the time is running, destroying any opponents pieces that come into contact with the fuzzy bars protruding at different angles.  
Available for Mac and PC.  You can download it here as part of a package called kompendium, containing nine different two-player games, all by Michael Brough.  What's really cool about this game is that it is tailored for two people to be able to play on one screen with one keyboard.

• Rescue: the Beagles by 16 x 16

Rescue: the Beagles was interesting.  The visual was really nice; I like the art style.  The gameplay was kind of frantic, and pretty harsh and unforgiving.  I just kept dying!  I think, perhaps, once I get a hang of the gameplay, I'll have more fun.  In the meantime, I enjoyed the graphics and the challenge.  I dont know what platform it's available, but you can download it here.

• Super Puzzle Platformer by Andrew Morrish

This game is tons of fun.  Highly intuitive but very challenging.  Charming graphics.  This game feels like an idea that was waiting to be made real.  Let me tell you the idea, and you'll see:  You are a little jumping platform guy with a gun, trapped in a puzzle game.  There are blocks falling from the ceiling and you have to shoot them to destroy them.  Combos and weapon upgrades follow.
You can play it free in-browser, so go do that, it's fun!   Also available to download for PC and Mac.


ARCADE was a fun cabinet with great variety. Entertaining, interesting and challenging.  I think to really crack into these games would require at least one dedicated weekend of hardcore gaming.