Episode 60 - Pugs Fear Farts

In this weeks episode, [insert description here]

Gamer Basement Podcast #60 - Pugs Fear Farts (right-click to save)

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Hitman Goes Hard

I’ve never really took the time to play a game in the Hitman series. I dipped my feet into Hitman: Blood Money but never went far. However, Hitman: Go for iOS and Android has fit the bill so far, and I highly suggest spending your measly $2-5 on a great puzzle game.

So you’re Agent 47 and your new assignment requires you to mundanely move along a grid to reach the goal to complete the level. Each stage—presented like a board game—is divided up into smaller levels which get increasingly more complex in different ways: new objectives pop up, like “Pick up the briefcase” or “Finish the level in 10 steps or fewer”. Completing these side objectives gives you more points, which in turn unlocks new stages.

You can approach each level differently, which is what I like. Agent 47 can choose to kill his opponents or leave them be—all while trying to remain hidden. It’s nice, but not something I haven’t seen. What I do enjoy is the small but important additions like new types of guards or tools. Each addition becomes an asset to help you beat a stage to 100% completion. You learn how certain opponents move or react, and when to use the tools provided. For example, early on you will find a throwable object used to distract guards. Again, it’s not like I haven’t seen this before, but you really have to make the right moves and take advantage of a throwable object at the right time to complete the harder levels at 100%. In general, the replayability is through the roof because you’ll be hitting the reset button many times for not being smart enough.

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that this game’s a looker. You get a great, minimalist art style. It’s a very clean look that kind of reminds me of the décor seen in Mad Men or the 60s. I wouldn’t say this is the driving force behind the game, but it fits well with the simple gameplay.

If you’re yearning for a challenging puzzle game, this is it. It’s very interesting, far from mundane, and is worth your hard-earned $2-5.

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Muramasa: Rebirth Is Vanilla Ware

Do you like games that are hollowed out lies and which serve seemingly little purpose but to remind you that your finite life is often wasted on outwardly interesting games? Then perhaps Muramasa: Rebirth is a game I can wholeheartedly recommend to you. Not that the game is bad, necessarily. It’s just such an obviously shallow experience that I find its few achievements to be frustrating reminders of what the game could be. Indeed, Brandon’s piece a few weeks back discussing Dragon’s Crown's many successful qualities only serve to remind me how successful developer Vanillaware can be if they manage to move beyond their insane obsession with graphics.

Muramasa Rebirth is a Vita port of a near-identical Wii version called Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Both versions of this game are an artistic success in every sense of the word. An obscene amount of focus from Vanillaware obviously went into the painstaking detail and beauty found in this game’s character models and environments. But that’s about all this game has in terms of merit, and I find myself at times bored by how lackluster and repetitive the overall package comes across.

At its core, Muramasa is a simple MetroidVania-style action game. The maps the player visits throughout his/her quest are broken up into nearly identical backgrounds where enemies are encountered occasionally, popping into the screen much like random encounters in JRPGs. You fight bosses and forge new swords, which are either heavy or light in nature, and which usually have unique properties. It’s a formula I’ve simply seen too many times to become enthusiastic about. And the problem is that nothing is done terribly well.

Prior to starting Muramasa, I had just come out of a 40-hour commitment with Front Mission 5, which felt like one of those long marriages when you spend your quiet life together quilting shirts and then wearing said shirts while you console one another about the inevitability of death. It was at times warm and gentle, but also harsh and draining. Muramasa was meant to ail this melancholy emptiness I felt once I finished with Front Mission 5.

I think the problem is that Front Mission 5 had too much heart: It was clearly a game developed by a studio whose intention was to create a magnum opus for their fans, many of whom have come to expect a challenging story framed by smart, tactical combat. In contrast, Muramasa feels sort of like a cluster of gameplay ideas from previous Vanillaware games held together feebly by an impenetrably wordy story.

Previous Vanillaware games, such as Odin Sphere and GrimGrimoire, managed to convey real heart in spite of their numerous flaws. For instance, Odin Sphere felt grandiose, with characters playing differently, and a world which felt expansive thanks to a largely coherent story. Muramasa feels tired in comparison: the player is given the choice between two functionally identical characters and are expected to mindlessly engage with a limited grouping of enemy types repeatedly until, thankfully, a boss comes along to wash away much of the monotony which smothers you for the hour or so leading up to it.

The issue with assuming that this is a viable game design is that too much of Muramasa’s core gameplay is flawed. For one, the controls are disgustingly shoddy. Both blocking and attacking are assigned to the same button, which makes last-minute cancels from an attack into a block next to impossible. Dodging is also overly cumbersome, requiring the player to move the control nub down/right or down/left, which I feel is far too impractical during combat.

Combat is also too hectic. I imagine my Vita crying before each random encounter, because of how many objects it needs to render during fights. Between the six ninjas lunging around the screen, the three shrunken they are each throwing at me, along with my HUD and my own character reacting to enemy threats, there is very little on the screen in a given moment that is static. Thankfully, the framerate is smooth and consistent throughout this experience. But it just feels like there is too much happening on screen at once, which makes for an often distracting play-session.

Sadly, Muramasa: Rebirth is an utterly average action experience. Its weak body has been delicately placed into a graphical shell whose outward appearance is so radiant that I was foolishly consumed into purchasing it. Now that it and I have shared time together, I feel cheated.  

Oddly, once the anger washes away and time has its way with my memories, I feel that I am most likely to remember perhaps the most incidental detail in Muramasa: that the intricate detailing of food in this game is stupefying. I find myself constantly hungry; constantly wanting more of the game that offers me such a painstaking rendition of maki and yet offers so little in terms of gameplay diversity. I guess I really want more sweater-quilting memories with my games than I think I do.

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Tony Hawk's Bro Skater Too‏

I’m pretty sure people still remember the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, as it was such a big hit back in the day. I had an N64, so due to the size limitations of the N64 cartridge, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 was gimped: songs were cut short,  it ran better with the ram expansion and required a memory card to save (neither of which I owned). Buying the two things isn’t expensive these days, but I found the PS1 version on eBay for $4 shipped. What a steal.

Going back to this game brings back mostly fond memories: It’s super arcadey skateboarding with crazy special tricks that even these pro skaters would have a tough time pulling off. I played Single Player to death, and what’s great is it’s easy to play a couple of minutes here and there, since each skateboarding run you do is 2 minutes. I love how I can fit in 10 minutes for this game, yet still make progress.

Graphics are still great in my opinion. The game doesn’t feel like it’s aged poorly because it still plays very smoothly, including the animations. It might be filled with jaggies, but it’s ignorable due to all other aspects of how the game runs.

You get a multitude of different levels, and all of them feel different. Out of all, my favorite is probably Venice Beach since it’s fairly big and has a good amount of everything, from ramps to roofs. School II is also great fun, but brought some annoyances, even to this day. For example, in School II you have a goal that requires you to Wall Ride over school bells. Seems simple, right? Nope, some of these bells are just annoyingly hard to Wall Ride.

Lastly, the tracklist is great. I think it’s one of my favourite and most memorable tracklists in a game. The N64 version however, only had 6 tracks, compared to the PS1’s 15. Seeing as I never played the PS1 version until now, this tracklist has only become better. I can’t believe I was in love with 6 tracks while PS1 owners had much more to love! Some of my favorite tracks are “Bring the Noise” , “Guerilla Radio” and a new favorite is “B-Boy Document” because it’s got Mos Def!

It was fun going back to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. If you’ve never played it, get ready for some simple, but great fun. There’s also an HD remake which features levels from the first and second games in the Tony Hawk series, but I heard it’s not that great. Stick to the OG Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2.

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PvP: A Love / Hate Relationship

You know me: I love competition. I like getting into the thick of it, on the frontlines, so to speak. I love me some good old fashioned competitive multiplayer and, with the added luxury of online modes in practically every single game, there is always somebody to play against. Under certain circumstance, you can make the argument that developers tacking on a multiplayer mode is a bad thing—it could be a distraction after all in the development process, having to spilt resources—but I think that coupling a decent multiplayer experience with an engaging single player will keep a gamer on you product longer, and in general may get you more sales in the long run.

Getting schooled is never fun though haha; and while it happens less often, it does still happen, sort of putting a damper on a player’s mood.

The Game

I've still been playing a fair amount of Destiny, the majority of my time being spent in the multiplayer arena called: The Crucible. Sadly, I've noticed that there is a significant lack of sub-machine guns—being my weapon of choice in most shooters—in Destiny. And since I'm not the biggest fan of the assault rifle, I've been forced to adapt my strategy, instead opting for the single shot scout rifle. Coupling that with a fusion rifle for those close range bouts, I'm pretty set.

The rush you get when playing PvP can't be beat, at least not when you are winning. Nothing tops getting sucker punched by some asshat and still having the skill or the know-how to come out on top—all while screaming profanities at the schmuck who tried to attack you from the back like a coward.

The problem is that online FPS multiplayer isn't about your guns...I mean, it is about your guns but it's more about your map awareness. Investing time into a game might help your aim; might help you to familiarize yourself with a particular type of weapon you like. But overall, it really just helps you learn the maps and that's where games are won and lost. Learning the ins and outs of a certain map, how best to attack a point or the best escape route.

The Pain

You always hear over the internet about people always being pissed off by some pre-pubescent boy mercing them. Having to hear their stupid voice over the mic (thank god we don't have that problem in Destiny). The real thing you're angry about is how much free time this child has to spend on a game you enjoy and how you resent them for it. That's all it is.

Another member of this blog has informed me that the new Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is actually very enjoyable. I haven't delved into a CoD game since the second Modern Warfare and I would be lying if I said the sci-fi setting didn't intrigue the fuck out of me... Maybe I'll try to sucker some of my friends into buying it with me.

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Magic And Whimsy With A Bunny

Very rarely do games get released with an air of enchantment and charm. However, sometimes one will simply cross your path and transport you to a world you'll never wish to escape. Brace yourselves for a spectacular adventure that will seduce you with wit, simplicity and a fantasy realm that may as well rival Lewis Caroll's imagination. I courteously ask you to follow along as we hop through the looking glass that is The Night of the Rabbit.

I am overjoyed to get a chance to write even a slither about The Night of the Rabbit. This point and click adventure is a first for me. Never have I ever found myself enticed by the genre as much as I was with this game. Upon viewing several screenshots, you may find yourself swept away by the colorful and creative artwork used in this 2D realm. The colors alone will leap out from your screen and bind you to your seat, unable to gaze away. Simply put, the game is a work of art.

The plot delivers with a hint of nostalgia when games aimed to be simple and yet peppers itself with quite a few layers. At first glance, The Night of the Rabbit seems too simple be about a young boy named Jeremy Hazelnut who strikes out into the world in hopes of being a magician. He then comes across Marquis De Hoto, an anthropomorphic white rabbit who just so happens to be a magician. Your whimsical tale then begins as you shrink down and complete chores for the woodland villagers of Mousewood. It proves to be a pretty straightforward trek into the woods. However, it is quickly revealed that there are some seriously dark undertones that seep through your fantastic journey. Mysterious masked figures begin to appear in and around Mousewood. These unveiled shadows preach some encroaching darkness. They're not pleasant at the very least and will send a shiver down your spine filled with nothing but distrust. The fairytale world that has enveloped you with a carefree sense of playfulness has suddenly beckoned your aid in defending it from would-be antagonists. It's a wonderful sense of purpose that is jolted within you and truly drives you to continue through the narrative.

Additionally, the voice acting compliments the artistic style superbly. All the natives of the vast (yet actually mouse sized) world deliver their lines with top-notch quality and an appropriate array of emotions. The creepy folk sound deluded and sinister, while the happier denizens have you reminisce of the days you watched Arthur on PBS. The selling point is the characterization of the cast. Jeremy is a curious young lad and charming enough that you won't mind playing a twelve year-old. The star however is Marquis De Hoto. He is an excellent character, be it because of aesthetic design, voice casting or his role as a mentor. I find myself anxiously awaiting my next encounter with him when I had just finished the previous one. Kudos to the designer(s) of this beautifully realized character.

The game is solid gold in terms of appearance and the gameplay is what you would expect from a member of the point and click genre. I must say that some of the puzzles are pretty taxing. Perhaps it's the fact that this is my first venture into a game of this nature but I definitely had to pull out a walkthrough here and there. There's a plethora of items in the game to find and combine and some of these combinations are far from obvious. This all adds to the enjoyment of course. There's nothing that will truly impede your journey as you become the greatest magician that ever lived.

The only statement I could possibly add is that you should simply spend the couple bucks to get The Night of the Rabbit and allow yourself to get lost in its lore. It's a beautiful, enchanting experience that will take your breath away at times and, have you seek the layers of dark secrets at any other given moment. This game was brought to my attention by a dear friend and now I pass that gift on to you. Do not miss out on this wonderful little gem.

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Evil Resides Within

In the last few years, I’ve kind of had this tradition with a buddy of mine: if we ever find a survival horror game that interests us, we set aside a weekend or two and we play cooperatively, switching every chapter or if one of us hits a roadblock. We’ve done this for Amnesiaand Outlast, and they were both really fun experiences: There’s something about sharing the horror that makes it all the more fun. So when The Evil Within came out it was a no brainer for us. The game had that freaky aesthetic and for once they gave us weapons, which was definitely a leg up over Outlast and Amnesia where all we could do was run and hide.

The game itself is both fun and terrifying. The controls are a little difficult to pick up, as well as a few of the in-game mechanics. Once you get a handle on everything though the game flows a lot better and starts to feel less clunky. The Evil Within shares a lot of similarities with the Resident Evil franchise which makes sense as Shinji Mikami is the creator of Resident Evil and is now the director for The Evil Within. The game shines through mostly in the combat. It’s practically the same except for one major improvement: You can move while aiming, which is leaps and bounds better than its Resident Evil counterpart.

The Evil Within also follows a similar formula to the Resident Evil style of survival horror. They introduce the main antagonist early on and then subsequently introduce bosses that chase you around and terrify you until you happen upon the perfect environment to kill them. Now this same trope is apparent in a lot of survival horror games. The way they approach it differently in The Evil Within is that the whole time you play, you're questioning your own characters sanity because the more you play, the more surreal and strange the locales become. You find yourself teleporting all over the place and you keep warping through mirrors to this weird upgrade hub, which at time feels familiar but also unnerving. They do a great job of never letting a place feel too comfortable for too long which can be a problem in the genre; if you stay somewhere too long, you start to recognize it for what it is. The areas become less creepy and more mundane, so forcing you to adapt to new areas randomly allows you to never really settle into that comfort zone because you’re always being thrown into new locals.

Now I’d like to talk about the upgrade hub. Every so often you find these doors that lead to rooms containing a cracked mirror, you can then warp into the mirror to enter the upgrade hub (as I'm calling it). Now the hub is one floor of a sanitarium, but it’s never quite the same as when you left it and it’s actually one of the most interesting parts of the game. In most games this zone would feel safe and familiar but in fact it’s the opposite. They constantly throw all these weird and scary events at you when you're in there and it’s not jump scares, it’s just these different combinations of unnerving scenery and music making the one place you might call home in the game far from it. It forces you to always be on edge because you have no idea what’s going to be there when you show up.

I haven't beaten The Evil Within yet, so I can't give you my full opinion but from what I've played so far the game has been really good. I won't say it's the scariest game out there but it's worth looking into and I'd recommend it if you're a fan of the genre. If not though, I'd say hold off and wait for a price drop or try another of the multitude of survival horror games out there.

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