Random Thoughts About "Dragon Age: Inquisition"

I play Dragon Age:  Inquisition a lot.  While I've already reviewed it (and the two DLCs I have) I have many other musings and comments, so this post is for them.

"Strange Adventures In Infinite Space" Review

Publisher:  Digital Eel Games

Website:  http://www.digital-eel.com/sais/

Genre:  Simulation

Summary:  Thanks to a shady business deal, you have ten years to explore neighboring solar systems and hopefully bring back enough loot to make the trip viable.

Gameplay:  Each space sector is randomly created at the start of each game, so every game varies, although races, items, and weapons remain the same.  Sometimes you're dealt a bad hand, sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you have to defeat star-destroying invaders.  Games go quick enough if disaster befalls you can easily just start another game.

There is some combat, which can be surprisingly slow while waiting for ships to get close enough to shoot each other.  Often combat jumps quickly between impossible and too easy, depending on what you've managed to find in your adventures.

Exploration is more fun--trading with aliens, making a guess about whether the inhabitants of a solar system will be friendly, deciding whether to try to visit one more star...

Style:  The interface and graphics are simple, but overall get the job done.  I could use some more description (and maybe larger text) in some places.

Story:  Any story beyond the summary is up to your imagination, which can certainly be stirred anew each game thanks to the random new arrangement of everything.

"Dragon Age II Mark of the Assassin" DLC Review

Publisher:  Bioware/EA

Genre:  RPG

Summary:  A thief invites Hawke to help steal a jewel from an Orlesian noble's remote fortress.

Gameplay:  Combat is the same as the rest of the game, save for new monsters ghasts and wyverns.  There is a new stealth system for your burglary involving timing and careful angling to avoid or properly knock out guards.  There are also several optional logic puzzles within the fortress for extra treasures.

Style:  Although the style is the same as the rest of Dragon Age II, the lush, green forests of these Orlesian mountains are a welcome reprieve from the ever-same brown streets of Kirkwall.

Story:  This DLC largely centers around Felicia Day's character Tallis.  If you don't like Felicia Day, or if you don't end up liking her character (a possibility, given certain later twists), then you probably won't like this DLC.  There are not a lot of options regarding how to deal with Tallis.

But if you do like Felicia Day or Tallis or don't care (I didn't know much about her when I first played this) then this DLC has something to offer.  There's lots of funny lines to enjoy.  The mountain meadows (despite the wyverns) are a welcome change of location.

I don't much like the ghasts, however.  They don't seem to fit in well with the Dragon Age lore.  This might change if more is learned later, but the fact that they haven't popped up again makes me wonder if the game authors want to forget them too.

I also enjoy the opportunity to briefly chat with Orlesian nobility, and the sneaking is a nice change of pace, if sometimes trying.  There are enough small choices to keep every playthrough from being the same even if there isn't a lot of variation.   All in all, Mark of the Assassin is a fun diversion. 

"Dragon Age II" Review

Publisher:  Bioware/EA

Genre:  RPG

Summary:  Fleeing the Blight, Hawke settles in the troubled city of Kirkwall.  As Hawke's power and influence grows, so do the city's problems.  Tensions grow with stranded Qunari, and the relationship between the mages and templars becomes ever more anxious.

Gameplay:  The combat is somewhat streamlined from Origins in several ways.  There are less ability trees, including one for each weapon.  And only rogues get to use bows (lucky ducks.)

Overall I don't have a problem with the simplification, but combat still lasts way too long because of the many waves of enemies.  As soon as one bunch of enemies is defeated, more appear.  I think this is because of how several stamina-or-mana recovery abilities work, but the effect is to make each fight feel two or three times longer than it needs to be.

There aren't that many locations in the game, which gets a little tiring, but it would be less tiring if there wasn't a fight every five feet.  I think they threw in an encounter whenever they feared the story was getting too thin.  This, again, makes the game just drag on unnecessarily.

Speaking of locations, few though they may be, I enjoy exploring the city of Kirkwall and its environs.  I wish there was a bit more interaction, however.  People in Kirkwall's streets often casually wander through your fiery battle with thugs unconcerned.

In non-combat gameplay, crafting now involves finding elements and using them to make runes or poisons or potions.  At the easy level of difficulty, I never really used this system much.

Conversation options are now labeled diplomatic, snarky, or harsh (with occasional additional options for further questions, romantic flirts, or opportunities for a party member to have their say.)  This is helpful shorthand, and Hawke will start making asides based on one mood or the other if you use it more often.

Friendships (and romances) with party members now have possibilities at both high friendship and high rivalry ratings.  Also, the only way to increase or decrease this rating is interacting with that character or having them react to Hawke.  This actually causes me a lot of problems, since the character has to be in the party for this, and I choose my party based on combat distribution, not who would like to save mages.  Thus lots of my party members get points in both directions and end up vaguely in the middle, sometimes with sad consequences.  It's a system that sounds good but doesn't work out well in practice.

Style:  Although recognizably related to the previous game, Dragon Age II's art is much more stylized and angular.  I like it a lot.  It's very striking and the colors are rich.  Lighting effects are particularly good as well.  Fire and lightning and skies all look gorgeous.

I don't like the changes to elves, however (those ears are going to poke someone's eye out) and I miss being able to change party members' outfits a surprising amount.  The menus are good and straightforward.  I especially like the maps' listing of what quests are where.

Story:  If Dragon Age:  Origins is a tale about duty and Inquisition is a story of fear and faith, Dragon Age II says that sometimes, no matter what, things are going to suck.  Which is true, but it's not the most inspiring or cheerful theme, and it's one of the reasons I don't like the game as much as others.

Hawke has choices, true, and can make things better (or worse) here or there for this or that person.  But there are always certain dooms awaiting.  Sometimes the game is well-written enough that these do feel justifiably inevitable, but sometimes they don't.

Hawke's story is told via the framing device of their friend Varric's narration as he is being interrogated.  There are several amusing moments when he lies (which are unfortunately less amusing when you have to fight through them again on replays.)  It's an interesting device but I think it ultimately hurts elements like the ending.

The game takes place over eight or so years, which is a great idea but lacks in the execution.  Characters don't talk about things for years on end for no particular reason.  The game's three acts are nicely broken up, but there is no change in Kirkwall after time passes between them beyond the Hightown sky drawing ever closer to night (admittedly a nice touch.)

The characters are, as usual, an interesting bunch.  I find several of them particularly irritating, if not unrealistic.  Some might find their foolish decisions and ornery opinions a plus, and favorites will certainly vary.

Conclusion:  Dragon Age II is one of my least favorite Bioware games.  Many of my issues are born of a short production time.  Some are innovations that didn't quite work.  And some things I just dislike.  But for all I dislike, there is still plenty I like about Dragon Age II.  It's a mixed bag, to be certain.

"Dragon Age: Origins Awakening" Expansion Review

Publisher:  Bioware

Genre:  RPG

Summary:  As the new Warden Commander, recruit new Grey Wardens, rule Amaranthine, and investigate the strange actions of new talking darkspawn.

Gameplay:  The gameplay is similar to Dragon Age:  Origins, with the main addition being runes for armor (something I wish had been added to the main game.)  Although a welcome idea, the application can be annoying, as high-level runes are hard to find outside of crafting millions of smaller ones (which is especially difficult if it's one of your companions that has the ability to do so, since you don't have access to them in the keep where the main rune supplier is.)

Style:  Amaranthine doesn't have much more color than the rest of Fereldan, but there are some nice uses of rain effects.

Story:  "Awakening" is an expansion, meaning it's longer than a DLC but shorter than a full game.  It's a nice size (and something that seems rare nowadays, so I kind of miss it) for a complete, interesting story with plenty of choices without taking so long as an epic game like "Origins."

There are new areas to explore, minor quests to do or ignore, and a fascinating and lore-rich story underpinning it all.  The new characters are intriguing enough I wish we had more time with them.  It's also fun to manage Amaranthine, dealing with fort upkeep, complaining nobles, judgments, and consequences thereof.

Conclusion:  "Awakening" offers a satisfying answer to what happens after the conclusion of 'Dragon Age:  Origins" while setting up a few important things to come (and possibly more.)  More importantly, it's another fun adventure in the Dragon Age setting.

"King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown" Review

Publisher:  Sierra

Genre:  Adventure

Summary:  Sir Graham is tasked by the King of Daventry with finding its lost three treasures.

Notes:  Given the various versions and remakes this game has had over its long history (originally released in 1983, it's older than me), I wanted to clarify which game I'm talking about.  I have played the original version, but not in some time.  I am most familiar with the 1990 SCI remake, and that is the game I mostly reference here.

Gameplay:  Daventry isn't huge, but it's just about the right size that it's pleasant to explore but quick enough to get where you need to go without much trouble.  The quests themselves are mostly straightforward, with some exceptions (and the legendarily ridiculous gnome name riddle, which is at least slightly less horrendous in the remake.)

Best of all, however, are the options.  There are random treasures to discover and several optional quests.  The main quests all have at least two if not more ways to solve them.  Such variability is always appreciated and is especially impressive in such an early game.

I don't mind the typing interface in the remake, mostly because the game pauses when you type.  Previously, your ability to survive might be dependent upon how fast you could type "duck."

Style:  The graphics in the original are obviously rough, but given it is literally the first game with interactive graphics, it's hard to fault it.  I find the remake's graphics charming and colorful.

Story:  While the quest for the treasures is simple enough, there isn't much underpinning the rest of the story besides random bits stolen from fairy tales.  It's fun, mind you, but part of me wishes for a more logical structure than just a random witch here and a leprechaun there.

"Dragon Age: Origins" Review

Publisher:  Bioware

Genre:  RPG

Summary:  As a Grey Warden, it is your duty to stand against the fearsome darkspawn.  Can you gather forces against them in a land torn by conflict and defeat the Blight?

Gameplay:  Within the warrior, mage, and rogue classes there are plenty of opportunities for sub-specializations, with occasional traps and easy cheats.  Various tactics can be assigned to each individual party member, depending on particular you'd like to be (and what level of difficulty you're playing at and which of those easy cheats you're using, most likely.)  Overall, combat is interesting, but there's just a bit too much of it in the game.

Crafting consists solely of getting runes on weapons (although you don't have to literally be holding the weapons to do so, something I wish Inquisition had remembered) and the occasional armor made of dragon bits.

There are occasional puzzles of logic.  Sometimes there are extra dialogue options because of character abilities, which is always nice.  Also nice is with either of these offers a different path to achieve a quest.

Style:  The graphics and environments of Origins are occasionally grand, but I also sometimes get tired of seeing elements reused.  Especially similar are the armor and clothes.  It's hard to get excited about a new, special suit of armor, no matter how powerful, if it looks exactly like the last two.

Rich colors are generally in short supply.  This is sometimes explained by the lighting, as it is often sunset or underground.  This gives a nice atmosphere of doom to the game (I might fanwank the whole thing as a side-effect of the Warden's taint, actually), but it does made things a little more brown and a little less vivid.

I really like the menus, sensibly organized into subsystems.  I especially like how when shopping you can use a drop-down menu to check an item against whatever any party member is currently holding or wearing.  Helmets and other ridiculous hats are unfortunately always seen except in cutscenes, but at least you can turn them off there (how often I wished for that option in Mass Effect 2!)

Story:  While the overall story of defeating an army of evil monsters is nothing special, Dragon Age Origins really shines in the details.  Well-named, it offers an introduction to a rich world full of fascinating characters.  With six options for character origins, all with different possibilities for relating to the story to come, Origin excellently sets the stage for the following emotional choices and sometimes-tough decisions easily based in character.

Origins is a tale of duty, but how your character chooses to react and deal with their duty to defeat the darkspawn is up to you.  Many choices are up to you, but with the fallout of others' poor decisions all around you, making them may not be easy.

Conclusion:  Dragon Age:  Origins is still one of my favorite games.  While I could wish it was a bit brighter visually or the combat a bit shorter or more exciting, it succeeds in the areas I care about most.  It offers a rich story with many opportunities for character choices in a fascinating setting.

Five Best Endgames

A good game ending may be hard to find--but equally hard to find is a good endgame.  The preceding sentence to an ending's punctuation, too often an endgame is a joyless slog of mindless, difficult combat, or simply deficient in wrapping the game up for the coming finish.

But this post is for the good ones.  These endgames are fun, exciting, and, one way or another, draw everything to a perfect close.

Five Best Game Endings

Well, I've discussed worst endings.  Far more difficult, of course, are good endings.  What makes a good ending?  Well, the game's plot must be concluded satisfactorily--no cliffhangers that leave half of the game unexplained, no abrupt twists of tone, no petering out of the story.  Often, the chance to see how I affected the game world for better or worse with various actions throughout the game is a plus.

As before, this is a list of the best endings of games I have personally finished, and it is the endings themselves I am rating, not the endgames (that will be another list.  Someday.)

"Dragon Age Inquisition Trespasser" DLC Review

Publsher:  Bioware

Genre:  RPG

Summary:  As the Exalted Council meets to determine the future of the Inquisition, a fully-armored Qunari warrior is found dead on the grounds.  Investigate secret plots and conclude the Inquisition's story.

Gameplay:  As in the other "Dragon Age:  Inquisition" DLCs, enemies scale with your character.  Trespasser also adds new abilities for your Inquisitor's Mark gradually throughout that are both helpful and interesting from a story perspective.

Fortunately the combat, while challenging, is combined with plenty of exploration of mysterious ruins and tantalizing knowledge learned.  The pacing is nicely set with regular returns to the Winter Palace and therefore a chance to stock up and chat with your friends in between combat, if you so choose.

There are also numerous little opportunities to earn attribute bonuses via searches and other acts so minor I hesitate to call them minigames (microgames, perhaps?)  These are a nice, if minor, touch (I don't think I even discovered the fireworks-creation one until my third or fourth playthrough.)

Style:  The misty landscapes are beautiful, as usual.  There are some clipping bugs, but the major issue I've had is serious lag (and usually several crashes) during the underground portion of the DLC.  Fortunately, it only seems to be a problem for that location.

Story:  Trespasser (not the best name, something that seems to plague Bioware's best DLCs recently) is a success on several levels.  On a basic level, it offers a bit of fun combat and exploration.  It's also a chance to interact with Inquisition's characters again, with plenty of memorable moments and conversations.

Moreover, Trespasser fixes a weakness in the original game by offering a satisfying conclusion to Inquisition's story.  In this fitting epilogue, much is determined by decisions made in the previous game, for better or for worse (or just who the Inquisitor is kissing.)  And there are a few more choices to be made within the DLC that feel momentous (who knows if they might be, but it's nice that they feel that way.)

And all the while providing an ending, Trespasser deepens characterization and lore for the gameworld and suggests exciting possibilities for the future of Dragon Age.  All in all, not much more can be asked of an epilogue.

"Dragon Age: Inquisition The Descent" DLC Review

Publisher:  Bioware

Genre:  RPG

Summary:  Earthquakes are disrupting the dwarven lyrium mines and leaving them open to attack by the fearsome darkspawn.  You must delve into the depths and discover the true source of these tremors.

Gameplay:  The only major change from the regular game is that enemies level with you, and boy does it make a difference in difficulty.  The exact amount will depend upon when you attempt to to play the DLC and how characters have been built (and skill of the player), but no matter what, a bunch of equally-leveled characters seems to be more of a slog.  Perhaps it's just that enemies are more closely clustered here than in the open environments of the main game.

There are also a few puzzles to get and find extra loot (including a Towers of Hanoi puzzle, for old times' sake), but nothing that is vital.

Style:  This is the most beautiful the Deep Roads have ever looked.  The cutscenes, too, are the best in the game in terms of sharp, smooth animation.

Story:  The two dwarven companions are interesting and quickly well-characterized, but there's sadly little dialogue from your usual party.  There is fascinating new lore learned, but only after several hours slaughtering things.  Overall, the combat outweighs the story.  I wish there was a more even balance between the exploring and fighting.  I can't focus on exploration while fighting an army of darkspawn, and the new areas the can be opened up afterwards are small.

There also aren't any choices in the story.  I'm sure Bioware is getting tired of having to account for every new possibility, but having some sort of options within the story would have been nice (maybe some paths with less combat?  Or even just alternate routes?)  As is, I find little reason to replay.

"Dragon Age: Inquisition" Review

Publisher:  Bioware/EA

Genre:  RPG

Summary:  When talks between the warring mages and templars are shattered by a mysterious explosion, not only does all hope for peace appear lost, but a Breach into the world of demons appears, and more rifts are forming.  You, the only survivor, can close these rifts.  Is it a sign of holiness?  Can you help the new Inquisition restore order?  And who caused the Breach, and why?

Gameplay:  Although still somewhat clunky in spots, Inquisition's combat system is definitely my favorite of the Dragon Age games.  Class abilities resembles Dragon Age II to a degree, with the greatest change being a lack of healing powers.  Instead there are a variety of buffers that essentially add another layer of health.

However, combat usually lacks the "wave of endless mooks" feel that often plagued Dragon Age II, making combat quicker and more dynamic.  While every Dragon Age game has tried to have positioning matter, I feel they succeeded best here.  It greatly helps that the terrain of fights varies.  Thanks to the large, explorable landscapes, no more does a fight take place the same location each game, and you can avoid some battles if you choose.

Of course, there's a lot to be said about the joy of exploration itself, for discovering new locations and lore.  I love having vast areas to investigate, especially with colorful settings ranging from sun-scorched desert, snowy mountains, mysterious jungles, misty marshes, stormy seasides, and ancient forests (all with accompanying ruins, of course.)  Completionists may find them exhausting, however. (I'm fine with ignoring large portions or even entire regions on a playthrough, given I do multiple ones.)

Overall, I also enjoy the crafting, although it's a bit annoying to have to get everyone's equipment in your inventory to work on it, to say nothing of all the upgrades.  But crafting your own armor and weapons (and naming them!) is fun.  I even get a kick out of harvesting random metals and plants while exploring, although I can understand others finding that annoying

Style:  As I mentioned before, the landscapes are beautiful and vivid (which, on my computer, at least, makes them take forever to load.)  The music is excellent.  The menus and screens work well together, but I wish they were brighter, and I really wish there was a drop-down menu option for your party characters instead of having to scroll through all of them.

Story:  Dragon Age:  Inquisition is a story of fear and faith.  Most major plots (and minor ones, for that matter) tie into one or both of these themes in some way.  As usual for Bioware, the player can usually decide for themselves what moral to draw from many matters, even when not making firm decisions in game, but in any case I found rich matters to ponder.

The actual tentpole events of the plot are exciting, although in retrospect I can nitpick how a few might be better executed.  Depending upon how much exploring you're doing, the pacing can feel strange.  And since the villain remains in the shadows for much of the game, it can be difficult to get a good grasp of his character.  Beefing up some quests to learn more about him might have enriched the game a bit.

And because of the issues above, the end feels a bit underwhelming.  The main character goes from strength to strength as the villain ever weakens, until in the end he is perfunctorily defeated.  Still, it serves well enough (and I have certainly seen worse!)

But, all that said, getting there is much fun.  Thedas is a rich setting, and Dragon Age:  Inquisition really delves into the world and its history.  The characters are wonderful, as usual.  There are also plenty of major and minor decisions that await as you create your own character.

Conclusion:  In the end, I must admit it's difficult to discuss Dragon Age:  Inquisition objectively because it's clear now after several years of playing it that it's one of my favorite games.  I see certain elements others might dislike, but some of these (such as giant environments to explore) are exactly what I love.  And there are so many things I love, like Cassandra, or Redcliffe, or the Sing-quisition.  Yes, there's plenty that doesn't quite work (all those mounts, and no real reason to use them) but it's minor compared to the massive amount that does work to make this such a wonderful game for me.

What Is A Game?

What exactly is a game?  At first the answer seems obvious, but looking over the variety of digital entertainments available today, with their vast graphical ranges and mixed responsiveness and occasional need for some level of dexterity, the question quickly becomes more muddled.  As I've explored and played a lot more interactive fiction and visual novels this year, I've come to ponder this question.  What is a game?  What is just a story?  My response is my answer alone; others may well draw their defining lines differently.

So, for me a game is that in which the player has influence to create different end states.  These influences might be based on player skill or just player choices.  I say "influences" because a player doesn't have to control every aspect of the game, and there can even be randomness that changes each time.  But the player has to have some power over what is happening in the game.  Something that randomly changes every time with no relation to what the player is doing might well be interesting, but it's not a game.  And something that's the same every time, like a kinetic novel, is a story, but not a game.

In many games, of course, player skill influences at the game.  Plenty of arcade or action games need precise timing for jumping or combat, and death is a bad end state.  But player choices, like which city to save, or even purely character things like dialogue or romances, can also offer alternate end states.  And even the exact same ending might be rendered different if the story paths there are divergent and compelling enough to give it a distinct feel.

"Gemini Rue" Review

Publisher:  Wadjet Eye Games

Genre:  Adventure

Summary:  On a gang-run planet, a weary assassin-turned-cop searches for information.  Elsewhere, an amnesiac prisoner tries to escape a mysterious facility where graduation means a new personality.

Gameplay:  Pretty much all interaction uses right-clicking, which lets you look or touch or kick and also opens the inventory.  I wish that had been split up a bit, maybe by setting looking aside as its own action or offering a separate way to open the inventory.  Unless I missed something, there wasn't any way to look at an inventory item without interacting with something else, which was a little irritating.

The puzzles generally don't stand out as bad or good, although I did get a bit tired of combination puzzles.  There were also several times in the game when it wasn't that obvious what to do next.  The game also features actual action-sequence gunplay, which felt well-integrated and varied but not too complex.  I liked it and felt like there was just enough of it.

Style:  Graphically, the game looks fairly rough, which must be a stylistic choice, since it came out in 2011.  I suppose it works to give the setting a run-down and serious air, but it can be jarring when coming from an adventure game with brighter and clearer graphics.  It also makes some of the puzzle elements harder to spot.

Story:  When it comes to "Blade Runner"-esque adventure games with action shooter elements, it's hard to top the amazing actual "Blade Runner" game by Westwood Studios.  And this doesn't!  But it does have an excellent story of its own with some good twists (as you might imagine with mindwiping in play as a plot element.)

I'm usually pretty good about picking up background understanding about a setting, but this was one of the few games where I wanted more establishing information.  I still got the general gist of things, and that's all that's needed, but I would have liked a way to read up and clarify more.

Also, and I know this is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but a solar system is not a galaxy!  It's just that the mistake is consistent throughout the game, so by the fourth or fifth mention I got twitchy about it.

There are several instances where the dialogue gets overly philosophical and tells what's already been more subtly shown, especially near the end.  And while I was impressed in the beginning at having such a large area of city available to explore, at the end my suspension of disbelief was shattered as everybody on the planet possibly needing contact lived within a two-block radius.

Of the two plot threads, I preferred exploring the rainy streets of a downtrodden city to navigating the sterile facility, but I appreciate the ability to switch between the two (and they converge nicely in the end.)  I do wish there were more options, though that's a purely personal preference.  It just seemed like there were several moments in the game where a player choice could have been integrated.

Conclusion:  Although it has its quirks and weaknesses, "Gemini Rue" is overall a good adventure game with an interesting story.  I had fun!

"Dreamfall: Chapters" Review

Publisher:  Red Thread Games

Genre:  Adventure

Summary:  In the cyberpunk future, Zoe Castillo awakens from a coma, but has no memory of the traumatic events that caused it.  As she tries to make a life for herself, she is haunted by this.  Does she really want to remember?  And how does all of this tie into the popular Dreammachines?

Meanwhile, in another world, Kian Alvane finds himself considered a traitor to his people.  He is enlisted in aiding the rebels against them and in helping the oppressed magical peoples of Marcuria.  Will this be his redemption?

Gameplay:  The puzzles are fairly simple and involve finding things and occasionally combining them.  Sometimes there are timed events.  I enjoyed them, overall.  More enjoyable were the numerous choices in the game, several of which influence later story elements, although the general story does not change drastically.  Still, there is enough difference to make another playthrough a distinct experience, and that is appreciated.

Movement sometimes seems sluggish, especially without a run/walk toggle.  I really, really miss the ability to save on command, although the game does autosave frequently.

Style:  The graphics are pleasing.  I really love being able to explore the the cyberpunk and magical cityscapes, especially when I can compare locations that appeared in previous games.  I also love how the title screen changes for each chapter.  Overall, however, the interface doesn't stand out.

Story:  My summary looks complicated as it is, and I'm not sure it even starts to cover this game.  I can't imagine how "Dreamfall:  Chapters" plays to somehow whose first experience with this universe starts with this game.  It's very much a continuation of "Dreamfall" (so much so I could argue they are two halves of one long game) and that game is very much a sequel to "The Longest Journey."  Although there are some unanswered questions and some plot threads that I felt could have used more or less time, overall I feel this game ably wraps up this saga.

Personally, I found Zoe's tale more interesting than Kian's, but there's probably a bit more of his here (which is only fair, I suppose, given he had a lot less to do in "Dreamfall.")  But more interesting than either of those was the tale of Saga, told in interludes between the chapters.  But in everything there are memorable moments and characters and sorrow and laughter.  It's a worthy journey and I'm glad to have had it.

Five Worst Game Endings

Endings are hard.  To wrap up all the plot threads neatly so stories end satisfactorily, or to leave a few hanging just so for future possibilities, and to do it all conveying whatever sense of accomplishment or poignancy needed is a difficult task.  Some games have done it excellently.  But today I'm going to talk about the games that really, really blew the landing.

These are the worst endings I could think of from games I have personally finished.  I am judging based upon the endings themselves, the final scenes.  The endgames, the player's final actions leading up to the ending, are a different matter (and perhaps a list for another day.)  Although obviously the endgame and ending influence each other, it is possible to have a great endgame and horrible ending and vice versa.

Many of these endings are somewhat ameliorated by sequels that provide the answers or hope that the previous games' endings lacked.  And while I'm thankful for that, that shouldn't be an excuse for a poor ending (especially when it can be unknown years until a sequel appears.)

Another commonality is depressing endings.  While I generally prefer happy endings, I'm not opposed to a sad or melancholy ending in principle.  But in these endings, the sadness is unexpected, unlike what has come before, and a poor match for the game.  The end of the game is not the time for a sudden twist in tone.

Random Thoughts Upon Finishing Dreamfall: Chapters

A few days ago I finished Dreamfall: Chapters, bringing an end to a series begun when I started The Longest Journey in college long ago (barring the possibility of another story some distant day.) Fortunately, it was a satisfying enough end, and I look forward to replaying the game all at once now that I can. And at some point I'll have to play through the whole trilogy again. But for now, I just want to note my random (spoilery) thoughts and questions about Dreamfall: Chapters and the worlds of The Longest Journey.

Walkthroughs, Or, In Praise of the Universal Hint System

Ah, walkthroughs.  In this digital age, the answers to any puzzle await a Google search away.  I can read exactly what to do in a game before I ever start it.  With some caveats, I consider this a good thing.  For puzzles, at least, there have always been a few where I just get stuck.  And in pre-Internet days, I usually wouldn’t figure it out.  I’d just remain, there, forever stuck, and never get to finish the game.  So the ability to actually see and finish all of the games I have is a definitely plus, to put it mildly.

I will admit there are times with more complex mechanical puzzles or codes where I just can’t be bothered.  I know I could figure it out given time, but my time is just too precious for something I find tedious.

Not all walkthroughs are equal, of course, and I have my preferences.  Firstly, I’ll take written over video, since I read faster than I watch and I can usually find what I’m looking for more easily.  Sometimes, for roleplaying games, walkthroughs will contain helpful suggestions for builds or party combinations or the lake.  These are interesting but not required.

And then there’s the overall format.  A cold list of instructions (and I’ve run into some without even spaces or numbers to separate the steps, which renders things practically  unreadable) might help me, but also runs the risk of spoiling me as to what comes next in the game.  And in a game with multiple paths or just optionable order to do some things, a walkthrough unnecessarily straightjackets my playthrough.

The truth is, I’m usually only trying to find my way past one obstacle.  I don’t need to know how to play the entire game; this might be the only place I get stuck.  Which brings me to the Universal Hint System praised in the title.  Not only does the Universal Hint System divide its solutions into non-spoilery individual puzzles but their solutions are hints of increasing detail, so I can at least feel a little accomplishment if all I needed was just a general idea.

Character Backstory

In roleplaying games, I get to create my character, but of course some things about that character's background are going to be decided for me.  I might decide to play an elf, but that elf is going to be from Treetown, because that's where all the elves are from.  But did my character love or hate Treetown?  What did they do there?  Why did they leave?  That might (or might not) still be up to me.

As someone who likes to create lots of different characters for lots of different playthroughs, I've found there's an interesting middle ground to this.  Too specific a background is hobbling, but too vague and I have an equally difficult time coming up with a character.

For example, In Dragon Age II the player character always comes from the same place with the same family.  They might be a warrior or mage and might react entirely differently to things due to entirely different opinions, but I always have a hard time imagining lots of possibilities with such a singular background.  It's great that the game offers your character plenty of choices, but without the excuse of varied backstories, I've had a hard time coming up with many different characters to explore them all.

On the other end of the spectrum is Fallout:  New Vegas.  The player character is a courier and no further background is given (until expanded content, anyway, and not much then, as far as I understand.)  This leaves a ton of options for character backstories, as there are plenty of reasons for someone to become a courier.  However, I've found that I miss at least a little more background.  Without something more to go on it's difficult for me not to fall into the same old character ruts.

A good middle ground for me is something like Mass Effect.  Mass Effect offers two selections from three background events (so six total variations) for your character.  Yet these events are vague enough I could come up with hundreds of characters.  If my character grew up in the slums of Earth, are they a hardcore alien-hating gangster, or just curious about exploring the far regions of space?  Up to me, but at least I know where my character came from.

This is, of course, just my preference.  Perhaps you find the more details the merrier when it comes to your character's background, or maybe you hate the idea of anything else being imposed.  Or maybe you don't give a rip.  What do you think?

"Resonance" Review

Publisher:  xii games/Wadjet Eye Games

Genre:  Adventure

Summary:  A mysterious new technology, Resonance, appears to have caused death and destruction at a research lab and brings together a mathematician, doctor, cop, and reporter as they investigate.

Gameplay:  Puzzles of every sort abound in this game, some of which are pretty fun, but most are more mechanical than I prefer.  Additionally, some items end up in characters' long term memory and can be used in discussion and puzzles, and anything can be added to short-term memory for the same purpose.  Usually this meant I had to go back to someplace because I'd forgotten to add something to short-term memory.  This is a neat concept, but it didn't really feel like it lived up to its potential for unique problems or conversations.

There were also several puzzles involving getting the correct characters in the correct places to perform the correct actions.  There is also some variability in that multiple characters can perform multiple tasks, but this is another element that felt somewhat under-utilized.

Style:  The graphics didn't really stand out to me, though there were some nice moody moments via lighting and music.

Story:  I got this game expecting mysterious science hijinks.  New particle physics could be an excuse for time travel or alternate universes or superpowers.  Here it...causes explosions.  The plot is a fine technothriller, but it's not what I was hoping for.

As is not uncommon when there are several characters and story threads, I was more interested in one than the others.  Alas, this story wrapped up rather unsatisfactorily about two-thirds through the game in a twist I mostly saw coming.  So that was a bit of a downer as well.

The twist itself is rather good, however, and the main characters of the game were likable and well-written.  The villains, however, barely make an impression.  There are several choices at the end leading to different endings, which is a nice opportunity to in essence give player input on events (plus add a bit more replay ability.)

Conclusion:  Resonance is an interesting case where I largely disliked the game not because of poor quality but just personal preference.  There are a few plot elements I think could have been handled better, but it was mostly the endless mechanical puzzles and the duller than expected technothriller theme that dragged the game down for me.  Others might well enjoy the game more for these.

"A New Beginning" Rant

As promised, here's a bit of a rant about things that bothered me in "A New Beginning."  Don't read on unless you've played it and/or don't mind spoilers and complaining about nitpicky game details.

So the big twist in the game is that Fay and her future time travelers are actually planning to perpetuate the nuclear meltdown that Fay told Bent was the cause of the future's environmental destruction.  That itself is a fine swerve and well enough foreshadowed, but there's some issues in the structure of it all.

Mostly, what does this mean for Fay's character?  We first get to know her through the first couple chapters of the game, which she narrates to Bent.  So how much of that really happened?  (And why did it include so many annoying puzzles?)  If she's trying to play up Bent's technology and downplay nuclear power, why is the time travel transport clearly nuclear-powered in the flashback?  It's clear at the end of the game that Fay disagrees with her fellow time traveler's plan, but when did she change her mind?  Did she always go into this preferring to promote Bent, or was she swayed over the course of the game?  It's frustrating to me not to know, especially when all this learned just at the end of the game.

I'm also a bit disappointed at nuclear power as the "evil" technology.  It's a tiresome cliche.  And I'm a bit baffled by the game being set in the eighties.  I don't have anything against the eighties, but the fact that Bent is working on his technology back then and we don't have it today doesn't exactly bode well.  I'm not sure that was really thought through.

Spoilers Within

All that said, it was still a fun and intriguing game and these are in the end minor quibbles.

My Gaming History

I remember friends with Nintendo and Genesis.  Hanging out after school with Brittney I'd explore the Mushroom Kingdom or fail to shoot that mocking dog in Duck Hunt.  I'd always play Tails to Chris's Sonic.  Even my orthodontist's office had a game of Aladdin to play while I waited.

But at home was the computer, with DOS and Windows 3.1.  This was the game setup of my childhood and so games have always been entwined with computers in my mind.  There was Duke Nukem (sidescrolling, not 3D), Wolfenstein 3D, Pinball...

Then there was the day my father and I went to get a rotisserie chicken at Costco.  I wandered over to look at the games as usual, and the was a compilation of all four (at that time) Quest for Glory games for sixteen dollars.  Somewhat to my surprise, my father agreed to buy it.

Thus I was simultaneously inducted into the worlds of roleplaying and adventure games.  Over the next years I ended up exploring much of the Sierra "quest" oeuvre.  These, and the occasional other adventure game, are my childhood gaming memories.

As for roleplaying games, my next step there came with Bioware and Baldur's Gate, and I haven't left Bioware yet.  Despite the changes over the years, I've yet always found in Bioware games that allow me to play multiple characters and tell their stories to a degree I can't find anywhere else.

My explorations of Baldur's Gate didn't truly expand until college (I think I got stuck at the top of the Iron Throne tower until after high school graduation) but I've loved almost every Bioware game since then (Neverwinter Nights being the sole exception.  I've never played it.)  I've explored Obsidian and the vast landscapes of Bethsaida and enjoyed them, but not to the same level.

Another big impact game came with a spur-of-the-moment purchase on a trip to Target with my friends in college.  I happened to browse the computer games and spot The Longest Journey for ten dollars.  Having read good reviews of it, I decided what the hey.  It's been a long (and still continuing) journey indeed exploring the mysteries of those worlds.

So the adventures and exploration continue.  My preferences keep me from being too swamped, but thankfully I like to replay.  And there are old games yet to discover, and new ones made every day.

"A New Beginning" Review

Publisher:  Daedalic Entertainment

Genre:  Adventure

Summary:  Bent is a burnt-out scientist.  Fay is a time traveler from the future who insists his research could prevent the polluted, hopeless world she comes from.  Together can they figure their way through evil schemes and possible paradoxes to save the world?

Gameplay:  As is admittedly usual for me, I was mostly lost when it came to the puzzles.  Fortunately, there is a uhs-hints.com file, so I could look up solutions as needed.

Mechanically, most interaction is accomplished via left-clicking, with holding the button down bringing up multiple options.  I mention this because several times I would forget and right-click (which opens the inventory.)

Also, this is not a game originally in English (as you might infer from the fact that there is a protagonist named "Bent"), but I still thought the voice acting was good.  There were a couple times the subtitles didn't match (including even a few times they didn't match the actual dialogue balloons during cutscene panels) and some bugged moments when the interaction wheel descriptions popped up in Cyrillic for some reason.

Style:  I absolutely adored the comic book style animation, which includes cutscenes as paneled pages.  The colors are vibrant and the designs stand out.  It really gives the game a memorable look and feel.  Between the animation and the environmental theme, I was fondly reminded of Captain Planet.  It helps that the past portion of the game is set in the eighties', although it took some time before that was clear to me (leaving me very confused at the use of video tapes at certain points.)  

Story:  Overall, I liked the characters and story, especially the time travel and dystopian polluted future bits.  There's a twist near the end, however, that confused me and somewhat weakened the game overall for me.  (I'll discuss it further in a spoiler post.)  Still, it was an interesting journey with memorable moments and characters that was worth taking.

Introduction

Welcome to Electric Adventures, where I talk about computer games a lot.  I'll be making lists, reviewing games, and posting my thoughts about various elements of game design.  My review format is as follows:

Publisher:  Who made this game?

Genre:  By this I mean whether the game type is adventure or strategy or visual novel/first-person shooter mash-up, not whether the game's story involves cyberpunk or Regency romance.

Summary:  Here's where I briefly summarize the game (and you can probably get an idea whether it's cyberpunk or Regency romance.)  No spoilers, unless you consider a general idea of what the game is about a spoiler.

Gameplay:  Here I discuss the "game" part of the game--elements that require some sort of skill.  This might for example be simulated combat, or puzzles, or both.

Style:  This covers graphics, music, lighting, menus:  the game's design and overall look.  Does it all work as part of coherent whole?  Is some part of it really neat and worth discussing?

Story:  So that story summarized above, is it well told?  How is the pacing?  Anything particularly interesting happen?  How are the characters?

The majority of my experience is with adventure and roleplaying games, as I'll detail in an upcoming post about my gaming history.  Therefore most of my reviews and references will be to games of those genres.