What will 2015 bring to the world of PC gaming?

It's a new year and a time to look forward to new games.  I recently read through this nicely compiled list of games slated to come out sometime in the future.  Some of them I've heard about and am looking forward to their release and others I have not heard about at all.  Will turn-based (and non turn-based) CRPG's continue their triumphant return?  Are ridiculous games going to continue to get coverage?  How many Assassin's Creed games can there really be (answer:  apparently infinite)?

Finally!

There are several major releases that I am looking forward to this year.  The first to be released is the PC port of Grand Theft Auto V (according to something I read it's going to be released on PC on January 27th).  I've had to endure two years (or maybe more) of listening to console gamers gloat about playing GTA:  V and now I finally will get to play it.  I'm excitedly awaiting my reign of criminal mischief.

Another major release coming out in 2015 is The Witcher 3:  Wild Hunt.  I'm a big fan of The Witcher series and everything I've seen pertaining to it looks absolutely amazing.  I can't wait to continue Geralt's journey to unlock his past and solve the mysteries related to the wild hunt.  As a fan of the short stories I am also looking forward to finally seeing some of the major characters from the books make their way into the game.  Yennefer of Vengerberg and Ciri will both be interesting additions to the game.

Rhys and Fiona.

After buying Tales from the Borderlands on a whim I am excited to see what the next episodes hold.  The first episode was a humorous and action packed romp in the world of Pandora and the others promise to continue the tale of the erstwhile Rhys and Fiona.  I am enjoying the complete departure from the heavy, depressing world from The Walking Dead.

I'm also anxiously hoping to hear more about my ultimate favorite series Mass Effect.  There hasn't been much news on the development of the next game.  BioWare is done with Dragon Age:  Inquisition so hopefully fans like me will start hearing more.

What are you excited about?  More CRPG's?  Call of Duty 27?

Battle.net Woes

An unwelcome sight.

Several times this year I have read of issues related to Battle.net and possible DDoS attacks that have made logging in to Blizzard games nearly impossible.  It seems like there has been a new rash of attacks (Battl.net "authentication" issues) that have been causing massive headaches for gamers trying to log into popular games like World of Warcraft  or Hearthstone.  If you're one of the people feeling the heartache of having time off and having your playtime compromised....sorry friend.  I remember those days of frustration from the early days of WoW and waiting in hour long queues to log-in.

I don't really understand the purpose of these attacks.  Is it a group of people with some sort of political motives or are they just bored and decide that they want to mess with others?  Is part of the problem the requirement that you have to be online to play these games?  Unfortunately, mandatory online play has become very typical of gaming and it's something that I would like to see go away.  I'm glad that digital distribution centers like GoG allow users to download games and not require gamers to be online.

But oh, I remember that feeling of massive frustration.  The nerdrage that accompanies being unable to login to your favorite addiction.  I guarantee the Blizzard forums are full of angry posts about their inability to do anything right.  This is something that always got a chuckle out of me--I mean, I do suppose that people who play games like WoW and pay a monthly subscription fee do have some right to feel outraged since they are paying for the right to use the service.  I always felt like the servers were up the vast majority of the time and that Blizzard addressed problems quickly.  It seems like whoever has launched this last set of attacks is going after Battle.net, which controls launching ALL of the Blizzard games, as opposed to individual games.  Sheesh.  All this makes me glad that I'm not playing any Blizzard games at the moment.

If you're one of the affected many, I'm sorry.  Find another game to play for awhile and wait for this nonsense to go away.  The holidays are almost over and most likely the attacks will cease soon.  It's good to take a break from WoW once in awhile and see what you're missing.

The Adventures of Jill. I'm still confused about the point of Terraria.

I've finished off all of my Steam sale purchases and have decided to dig, both literally and figuratively, back into Terraria.  I spent a few hours experimenting with it after I first bought it and found that even though it is decidedly an odd choice for me that I am actually enjoying it.  I'm still not sure what exactly the point of the game is.  Should I be building as many crappy houses as I can to draw people to my "village?"  Or should I be digging around looking for better loot?  Well, I've been doing both those things and feel like I have accomplished a little on both fronts.

My "village" now has five occupants.  Some of them seem quite useless, but hey, they keep zombies from spawning right on top of my house.  I hope they are happy with their small, poorly lit homes.  Having a merchant to sell stuff to is handy.  Jill's own house has grown to accommodate several crafting items as well as a nice collection of storage chests.  How many more occupants are going to show up to live in the wonder that is Jilltown?  I'm not sure, but I have plenty of stone blocks so I guess I'll keep building them.

Jilltown.  Notice the detail in the houses.  Yup, I'm an architectural genius.

On a digging related front I have also made some progress.  The first major obstacle I met was water.  Dig down far enough and there are underground lakes that have proven to be Jill's undoing a couple of times.  I have figured out how to semi-effectively redirect this water to a lower plane.  The lower you go the more enemies you run into.  Now poor Jill has to fight off skeletons and undead vikings to maintain her foothold in the underground.  In my underground explorations I have discovered several chests with some interesting items.  The ice boomerang has proven to be a great ranged weapon that is wonderful for knocking back enemies.  I have also been stalked by a wizard skeleton known as Tim.  I've killed Tim twice now and taken his hat.  Suck it Tim.  A few other handy items I've picked up--some boots that make Jill run really fast, a jar of clouds that allows double jumping, and a hook which I figured out could be turned into a grappling hook--very nice for navigating big tunnels.

Now Jill faces a new danger...lava.  I made the mistake of stepping in it and found that to be a really bad idea.  Poor Jill took some big damage and was on fire but managed to survive.  It seems that redirecting the lava isn't going to work, so I am navigating Jill around the pools of lava.  It's challenging, but I am finding some nice goodies along the way.

I'm still not sure what I am supposed to be accomplishing in Terraria but that hasn't stopped me from playing it.  Maybe it's the exploration that has drawn me in?  Or the loot?  I don't really know, but this strange little game promises to keep me entertained for many more hours.

Game Dev Tycoon--The Last of my Steam winter sale purchases.

Happy New Year!  I predict that 2015 will be filled with more great (and not so great games).  The Steam sale is winding down with only two more days left.  You can still get many great games for low (or lower) prices.  I've been writing about my purchases and only have one left that I haven't written about yet.  I haven't quite finished a full playthrough, but I'm enjoying Game Dev Tycoon.

Game Dev Tycoon is an indie game that recreates the history of gaming.  Your goal is to start a small game development company and grow it into a mega-gaming company.  The early parts of the game have you working alone in your garage creating small games.  As you create games you rack up points for design and technology (I still haven't really figured out how this is calculated).  Part of the game is figuring out which genre/topic combinations work best.  So you want to make a casual zombie game?  Maybe not the best combo, but go for it!  After you've picked your genre and topic you use a simple slider system to decide which design elements are going to go into your game.  This also involves some logic--better sound is more important in a music based game than in an RPG.  Your design choices influence the success of the game you create and part of the puzzle is figuring out which aspects of game design work best for certain types of games.

Once you've racked up enough technology points you can perform research and unlock special features to create your own gaming engine.  At first the engines are rather simple with only a few choices about graphics, sound, and gameplay.  As you progress you can add even more features to your engine to make it even better--3D graphics, cloud saves, AI companions, etc.  If you have enough success and make some cash you are given the option to move up to a bigger office and hire employees.  Your employees are instrumental in helping you design bigger, better games.

Fullmertronics.  Working hard on making great pirate games.

I've reached the point where I have six employees working for me and a fairly large fanbase.  Games cost millions of dollars to design and I feel the pressure of constantly trying to make them better to keep up with the rapidly changing technology.  I now have the option of creating large games across many platforms.  My most successful games have been pirate themed action/adventure series known as "Captain's Booty."  The sequel "Captain's Booty 2:  Bootylicious" also did quite well.  I guess my company has found it's niche.

Some people might not find Game Dev Tycoon to be that exciting.  Much of the game is looking at charts and graphs--a fairly typical management game.  I am enjoying the decision making aspect of this game.  It has been fun to see how my choices turn out--sometimes a game I think is going to be a total success is a complete flop.  If you like management games you might enjoy Game Dev Tycoon and can pick it up for low price.  It's still in early access, but is polished enough to be quite enjoyable.

Tales from the Borderlands

Yesterday I made my one major purchase of the Steam winter sale in the form of Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands.  I think it is the only thing I bought that cost over $10--gotta love the Steam sale.  Telltale has been branching out thanks to the success of it's hit adaptation of The Walking Dead.   The narrative driven point-and-click games might not be for everyone, but I enjoy them.  If you're a fan of the Borderlands series and any of the Telltale story games (The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, Game of Thrones) then you will want to check out Tales from the Borderlands.

Firstly, let me re-establish my fandom of Borderlands.  I am a fan mostly due to the quirky style and sense of humor that is infused throughout the games.  I wouldn't really place them on my top ten list, but I appreciate them.  So last night I decided to see how Telltale had taken the humor and style of Borderlands and made it into a new point-and-click adventure.  I have to say that I am impressed and was not disappointed at all.  In fact I am now anticipating the release of the second part of this episodic series.

Tales of the Borderlands is a complete departure from the heavy, emotional story depicted in The Walking Dead.  The story takes place after the demise of Handsome Jack in Borderlands 2 and follows two different characters.  One of the characters is an ambitious Hyperion suit named Rhys who is looking to climb to the top of the corporate ladder.  Unfortunately for Rhys his trip to the top is derailed by an even more ambitious corporate douchebag named Vasquez.  Rhys winds up being demoted and seeking revenge on his new enemy Vasquez.  He over hears Vasquez making a deal to purchase a vault key and as an act of revenge decides he is going to land on Pandora and buy the key himself...using money stolen from Hyperion by his friend Vaughn, a nerdy accountant type.  Of course once they get to Pandora they learn that they are in no way prepared to navigate the violent landscape.

Something I am enjoying about this series is how they decided to split the narrative between two characters.  You also follow the story of Fiona, a Pandoran native who crosses paths with Rhys.  For the sake of not spoiling anything let's just say she's adapted well to life on Pandora and has the street smarts to survive.

Part one of this episodic series was action packed and had many humorous moments.  As a fan of the Borderlands series I was excited to see several characters make appearances--Zer0, the haiku spewing assassin and Shade, the weirdo from Oasis who turns dead bodies into his own strange puppet show.  I noticed that many of the voice actors from Borderlands are providing voices for characters like Marcus and Moxxi.  I didn't pay enough attention to the credits but I think Fiona is voiced by the same actress as Lillith.

The Steam sale is winding down but you still have a chance to grab this series for a discounted price.

Shadowrun Returns Review

As part of my semi-annual game purchasing binge I acquired Shadowrun Returns for a low price as part of the winter Steam sale.  I also finished it relatively quickly.

Shadowrun Returns is a video game adaptation of a popular pen-and-paper cyberpunk RPG.  It is a turn-based RPG with many features that are similar to X-COM:  Enemy Unknown.  I played through the main campaign "Dead Man's Switch."  I very much enjoyed Shadowrun Returns and found the story and setting a refreshing change from the typical turn-based fantasy/strategy type of game.  I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of X-COM or turn-based strategy games.  Overall I would give it an 8/10.

Pros:
1.) Cyberpunk
--Before playing Shadowrun Returns I was completely unfamiliar with this genre.  You take one part traditional fantasy elements (magic, elves, dragons, dwarves) and smash it together with futuristic elements (cyber enhancements, automatic weapons, "decking") and you get this really amazing and different combination that works.  I liked that I could make a mage and then give them cybernetic enhancements.  Cybermage is so much cooler than your traditional robe-wearing spell flinger.

The stylized portraits and art are really fun and lend themselves well to this genre.  I enjoyed meeting new characters just to see what their portraits would look like.

2.) Setting
--The world of Shadowrun Returns is a dark but familiar world.  The story is set in and around a futuristic Seattle.  In this world magic has "awakened" ancient races, elves, orks, trolls, and dragons and has changed everything.  Major corporations are run by dragons and have a very powerful impact on everyday life.  As a shadowrunner you navigate the seedier side of life in this world--you deal with the gangsters, thugs, and others who lurk in the dark places.  Many of the locations in the game are authentic--anyone who has been to Seattle will immediately recognize them.  Even if you don't you'll enjoy the rainy, dark streets and the cheery atmosphere of the "Seamstresses Union."

3.) Campaign/story
--The campaign has you following up on a strange message you receive from a former business associate.  This associate had installed a "dead man's switch" that would automatically contact you in the event of his death.  Your job is to find out who murdered your friend and bring them to justice.  The story feels much like a murder mystery with you at the center finding clues and unravelling the threads that weave the story Sam Watts' death.  There are a number of side quests and the more you investigate the bigger and more interesting the plot gets.

4.) Interesting classes
--These ain't your momma's traditional classes!  Street samurai--specializes in ranged and melee combat.  Physical adept--utilizes magic to enhance physical abilities (punching with magic!).  Mage--a more traditional class focused on spellcasting.  Shaman--a support caster who specializes in summoning powerful spirits to help your party and also has many useful buff/debuff spells.  Decker--the Shadowrun version of a hacker who can enter the computer world known as "the matrix" and manipulate defenses, unlock doors, and do all kinds of other handy things.  Rigger--another technology related class that focuses on controlling drones in combat.  Drones can navigate small vents and are good tools for scouting.

5.) Combat
--Combat in Shadowrun Returns is enjoyable.  Once you have figured out how each class functions it highly enjoyable to see your choices play out positively.  Your casters are great at providing support and buffs to more offensive classes like physical adepts or street samurais.  The more tech centered classes are a nice change from the traditional "tank, healer, DPS" makeup present in many games.

6.) Moral choices
--You get to choose how your character responds to situations.  You can be the diplomat or the brute depending on how you want to play your character.  This isn't something novel, but is always something I enjoy in a game.

7.) Editor/workshop support
--If you're into designing your own content Shadowrun Returns offers a set of editing tools that allow you to do so.  I did not experiment with them but am supportive of any game that allows users to generate their own content.  There is also a large amount of Steam Workshop content to bulk up the game.

Cons:
1.) Length
--Although engaging and interesting the campaign was relatively short.  I finished it in 10 hours and was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more.  The flipside of that coin is the editing/workshop support with player generated content.

2.) Cover
--Similar to issues in X-COM, the cover system can be frustrating.  Often I would place my characters in heavy cover and they would still be crit.  There is also bonus damage awarded anytime you are flanking an opponent but the definition of what is actually "flanking" seems to be pretty broad.  This is great from an offensive standpoint, but not from a defensive one.  I found that my party was flanked much of the time even though no enemies were really behind me.

Despite the short length of the campaign I found Shadowrun Returns to be an enjoyable and refreshing journey.  It's worth picking up and is even more-so if you are someone who enjoys creating content.

Gimmick or Fun?

I always tell myself that I'm not going to fall for stupid gimmicky stuff that seems to be a ploy to make more money.  I'm smarter than that!  Unfortunately this is not always the case.  I am an avid Steam user and have been for quite awhile,  If you're at all familiar with Steam then you know that besides being a platform for digital distribution there is also an extensive community feature.  Within this community there is a marketplace to trade and sell virtual items.  I was astounded when I first learned that people were bartering virtual items for real cash.  It seems crazy...right?  I would never do that.....

Nope.  I totally fell for it.  For many games Steam has added in collectible trading cards.  These trading cards feature different artwork from a specific game.  For buying and playing a game you earn three or four "card drops" that are rewarded for spending time playing that game.  Once you have collected all of the cards to make a set for a certain game you can craft a "badge" for that game.  Badges award experience points that are used to "level up" your Steam profile.  Crafting a badge also awards special items like profile backgrounds or emoticons that are themed to the game for which you crafted a badge.  You are awarded a little set of numbers next to your name to indicate your current level.  This system is really brilliant.  A digital distribution platform that sells games that is totally using gamification to make cash.  Do these Steam levels actually mean anything?  Not really.  For earning experience you can unlock different features on your profile page like the ability to have a showcase of your favorite games or greatest achievements.

The trading card part of this system is what has sucked me in.  The completionist that I am hates having unfinished sets of trading cards in my inventory.  Typically they give you just enough that you have completed half of a set so it doesn't feel like you're very far from finishing it.  Cards are usually pretty cheap ranging in price from a few cents up to a few dollars for rare cards.  There is also a trade forum dedicated specifically to trading cards and other items.  I am too leery to trade and generally just list my cards on the marketplace--even paying a small "transaction" fee of two cents.  I can put $5 in my Steam wallet and not get anywhere close to spending it all.  Microtransactions are totally the way to go.  I don't feel bad about spending a few cents as compared to a few dollars.  It's really quite brilliant.

The recent addition of the ability to turn your unwanted cards, profile backgrounds, and emoticons into gems that can be used to buy booster packs is a great idea.  I've been happily disposing of all the silly backgrounds and emoticons I have acquired from creating badges.  With enough of these gems I have been able to create a few booster packs to help me finish off a few card sets.

So am I a sucker for falling for the trading card trick?  I can't help but think that I am but there's something about watching that meaningless Steam level number increase that's addicting.  I have to hand it to Steam for coming up with a system that totally buys into the inferiority complex.  I want to be a higher level because I can...and because I'm a higher level than you are.  /sigh....here just take my money.