Review: Blacklight: Retribution (2012)

By Michael A

The first picture of Blacklight had me interested. The words ‘free to play’ on Steam compelled me to give the game a shot. The overcharged music and stylish graphics grabbed me by the throat and headbutted me into submission. From Perfect World, a company mostly known for its MMORPGS, and its purchase of Runic Studios (the makers of torchlight) and Cryptic studios (Another MMO company: City of Heroes, Champions online, and Star Trek online), this shooter came as a surprise to me. A pleasant, dubstep filled, explosive surprise.
Graphics:
Blacklight is a sleek game, with immersive maps, impressive and realistic character designs, and solid weapon effects. The HUD for the player is useful without being overwhelming, but the minimalism of it can prove a bit frustrating: a lack of a literal bullet count in the magazine of your weapon can lead to confusion on if the correct loadout was selected unless the guns are drastically different. Beyond that, though, everything is excellent. Colors are lush and well placed without being overwhelming. As said before, the character designs are very cool, with an impersonal futuristic look to all the helmets and armor. Even better, heavy armor looks and feels heavy. Guns are fancy and suitably high tech, and many objects, both player model and otherwise, have small glowing effects that reinforce a futuristic appearance without crossing into ripping off Tron. One weak point is that some of the bullet effects and grenade effects are less than amazing... But I will say that firing a minigun at ANYTHING is friggen sweet, with the bullet effects on this weapon being phenomenal.
Story:
Being an MMO in nature, there isn’t much to be had in terms of story. It’s a dystopian future where elite groups of agents war over various assets, both physical and digital. They have the support of powerful governments and corporations, and these battles sometimes happen right amongst populated areas with no one being the wiser. It’s kind of like a mini war in a Shadowrun or cyberpunk style setting. Otherwise, there isn’t much to be said on story.
Gameplay:
The primary form of gameplay is simple: Pick a game to join, or hit quick play to be shuffled off to a random game. Games go up to sixteen players, with a deathmatch game mode, as well as team modes including deathmatch, king of the hill, capture the flag, kill confirmed and more, played in an 8 on 8 format. From here, you have a fairly typical, fast paced shooter: It’s pretty frag-fest-y, like Halo or Call of Duty. Fast reflexes will put you above the pack fast. The maps are big enough, though, and the metagame important enough that a smart player can use his weapons and gear to play smart as opposed to a complete run and gun twitch fest.
    The metagame I mentioned? It’s an account based leveling system, in which you earn exp and cp. Exp levels you up, unlocking new equipment. The other currency, cp, is used to actually activate gear, either for a short time (sampling), or permanently at greater cost. As one expects with a free to play game model, there is another currency, zen, that allows you to access things early and permanently for money. The plus? Very, very few things are zen exclusive, if you are patient.
    These unlocks let you customize your armor(from light to heavy, from well equipped to barebones), your equipment (a utility backpack and up to 4 side items, including grenades, jammers, melee weapons and the like), and your weapon. The guns are set into loadouts of a primary and secondary gun, and you build the gun yourself. Yes, that's right: build it yourself. Want an SMG with sniper barrel and scope? Do it. I, for example, like a light machine gun with parts to increase long range accuracy. BAM, I have a rapid fire sniper rifle that isn’t helpless at point blank. This system is so well balanced, with only a tiny amount of ‘paper rock scissors’ in it that I must admit, it’s very impressive.
    The last two major features are the depot and HRV. The depot allows a player to call for more equipment, from health and ammo refills, to big guns (minigun, anyone?) and finally, the hardsuit. Yes, you can get a freaking mecha in this game, and yes, it lets you kick butt. HRV is short for Hyper Reality Visor. Long story short, it’s a built in wall hack. You activate it at will, and it lets you see friends, enemies, objectives, everything just about, anywhere. Downside? You can’t shoot your weapons. Best hope no one is looking at you.
Sound:
Oh boy, the music. Let me warn you now: This game has some next level beats. It’s easy to laugh at the music, but the pseudo dubstep soundtrack actually really suits the gameplay and visual style: It’s just intense enough to get you pumped, but if it was any more eccentric of heavy, it would be obnoxious. Plus, you only really hear the music in the between match intermissions. otherwise, the sound is well executed: a player can tell one gun type from another based on the sound of it firing, with most weapons having a nice, satisfying bark. SMG’s have a harsh chatter, LMG’s an intimidating rumble, bolt action rifles giving a player scattering shout, and the rail gun commands players with an explosive roar. Absolutely lovely gun sounds.
    The player automatic voices are useful in game, and the computerized narrator is suitably cold and digital, but a bit quiet. Other sounds, such as footsteps, bullet ricochets, and hardsuits walking are crisp and clean, though some of them could be heard from a slightly larger distance, particularly hardsuits. Nothing sucks more than the realization that if you can hear a hardsuit, it’s probably close enough to give you a backrub.
Overall:
Blacklight Retribution has everything a PC shooter needs to be happy: Fast paced action, some serious customization, free to play without being pay to win, and dubstep’s famous wubs, which have me and my gamer buddies laughing hysterically as we try to sing to it. I have no regrets to getting this game through steam, though the community sometimes frustrates me with it’s refusal to participate in objective matches, but this behavior plagues many fast paced shooters and PC games alike. If you’re looking for a good shooting fix for a few days, or are in it for the long haul, give Blacklight a look: It’s hard to go wrong for a price tag of free!

Blacklight Retribution gets a 7.75/10
8/10... If you like wub wub wub, like me.

Very First American Legend of Zelda Commercial

This commercial is....well interesting for many ways.  First it is interesting to see how gaming has evolved since then.  The use of the "cool kid and nerdy kid" motif is in full effect here.  The nerdy kid shows the cool kid the new game and gets the cool kid hooked.  This is to show people that even the cool kids who didn't play video games would like it.  Also, look at the nerdy kid!  Do those kids even exist anymore?  They have the most stereotypical looking nerdy kid in this commercial.  Now I know they probably made him out to look this way and in real life he didn't, but it still stands out.  These are the people video gaming was for back then.  Now the industry is enjoyed by all.  Then we have to talk about the rap song at the end.  It seems so unnecessary and goofy, but it must have worked.  Or it could have been that the game was great enough to overcome this commercial.  Either way I hope you enjoy!

Column: Chasing the Ghosts of the King of Kong

By Aaron N

Arcades are very special to me.  Many of my fondest memories are from arcades.  This site is even named after my favorite local arcade that I used to frequent back in the day.  So when it comes to video game documentaries about the classic arcade era of gaming there are two that will always be linked.  One of these is "King of Kong: a fistful of quarters," and the other one is "Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade."  "King of Kong" is argueably the more famous one of the two, but I recently watched "Chasing Ghosts" for the first time and I found that there are a lot of similarites between the two.  Many subjects are touched on during both documentaries.  But they also differ in more ways.  "King of Kong" is a documentary that was released in 2007.  It follows Steve Wiebe and his quest for recognition in the classic arcade community.  This movie is where I first encountered Twin Galaxies.  Twin Galaxies is the group that acts as a governing body for world records in video games.  The figurehead for Twin Galaxies at the time was Walter Day.  Walter Day's prescence in the history of world records, and video games as a whole, is astounding as he basically created Twin Galaxies and the idea of video game world records.  His dedication for the industry is unmatched.  So Wiebe embarks on a quest to get recognition of his new Dokey Kong world record when his video tape is disqualified.  His nemesis in the video game world, as portrayed in the documentary, is Billy Mitchell.  Billy Mitchell is widely regarded as the greatest classic video game player in history.  He owns various world records including Donkey Kong and he was the first person to achieve a perfect game in Pac-man.  This movies does a good job at placing Steve Wiebe as the protagonist, and Billy Mitchell, with other Twin Galaxies representatives, squarely as the antagonist.  Steve Wiebe eventually receives recognition from Twin Galaxies by going to various competitions and showing that he wants to compete.  It is an enjoyable documentary that shows a small upstart player trying to get recognition against the big machine in the video gaming world.
"Chasing Ghosts" was also released in 2007.  This documentary is more about the history of the video game players that are seen in "King of Kong" and about Twin Galaxies.  It talks more in depth and introduces you to the players from the famous Life Magazine cover picture from 1982.  Walter Day actually organized the meeting between 16 of the top world record holders in various classic arcade games in Iowa in order to take the picture and have a convention of sorts.  It then follows what the players have done since and tells of events that directly followed the magazine photo shoot.  There were various tournaments and television shows featuring the various players.  There was also a planned touring museum where people could come and play against the record holders in their game.  Unfortunately nothing succeeded and the classic arcade boom ended.  What was interesting was that many of the players ended up being in different situations than their bretheren.  Many of them had to go to school and get jobs.  Some of them are very well off without even mentioning the video game fame.  While some of the others seem like they are stuck living in the past and can not get out of holes that have been dug for them.  It is an interesting watch and really delves deeper into the history of video games.
Now time to compare the two documentaries.  The main difference is that "King of Kong" is obviously made to be more entertaining than educational.  The way it's made to be a "good vs. evil" story is a vastly different way of presenting the information than the straight educational route that "Chasing Ghosts" uses.  What I was most disappointed with is that when I did some more research on the events of "King of Kong" I found out that much of the information is wrongfully presented.  This is obvious also after watching "Chasing Ghosts".  Billy Mitchell is presented in "King of kong" as an evil man who is very pompous and only out for himself.  While his self-confidence and eccentric personality are still present in "Chasing Ghosts," it is dramatically less.  He even says that one of the other players is the best video game player ever!  The Billy Mitchell shown in "King of Kong" would never admit anyone was even close to in his league.  Some of the other players are more similarly presented in both documentaries.  I feel that after watching "Chasing Ghosts" I had more respect for Billy Mitchell and Walter Day because it showed what they did for the history of gaming.  Walter Days' impact is shown in "Kong of Kong", but he is shown as more of a puppet of Billy Mitchell's than the orchestrator of it all.  Now I am not saying that everything in "King of Kong" is misrepresented and wrong.  It is hard to disprove what is on camera.  It is still fun to root for Steve Wiebe because he deserves recognition and some of the actions of Twin Galaxies in "King of Kong" were undeserved.  But I feel like things were embellished in the documentary.
Both documentaries are enjoyable to watch.  Each one shows a different side to many people and events in the history of gaming.  They should be watched together and not separate in order to get a complete understanding.  They complement each other greatly as "King of Kong" delved deeper into some of the people that "Chasing Ghosts" didn't.  But at the same time "Chasing Ghosts" explained the history that led up to "King of Kong."  I would recomend both of them to anybody reading this.

Review: NBA Jam (2010)

By Aaron N

NBA Jam is a classic game for any basketball fan.  I don't think there is anybody who has never heard of the phrase "he's on fire."  It was never a realistic basketball game, but as a kid I couldn't have enough of it.  Some of my best gaming memories are from NBA Jam.  So when Nintendo announced that a new version of the classic game was to be released for the Nintendo Wii, it had everybody talking.  With updated graphics and a current roster of players, NBA Jam was ready to take you on a trip to simpler times.
Graphics:
The graphics for NBA Jam are exactly what we expected them to be, an updated version of the original games.  The players look very much like the real athletes and they even had enough detail to put the different coaches in there on the sidelines, this impressed me greatly.  The fans don't have a lot of detail to them, but that isn't necessary.  The graphics aren't the best on the planet and do not match up to other NBA games released this year.  But NBA Jam is unlike the other games and this shows with the graphics.
Story:
There isn't a story to NBA Jam.  There is sort of a season you can play and this consists of playing random teams in a row until you have defeated all the teams in the game.  Throughout it they have various legend teams scattered in between groups of current teams.  It is fun to unlock different legends to play.  This is how it was as well in the original, without the legends added in.  There are other season type stories you can play, but the game is really just about playing a game of basketball and the lack of story doesn't hinder the game experience all that much.
Gameplay:
You play as two players of an NBA team.  It is a two-on-two game setup and you only control one player and the computer controls your teammate.  You can tell the computer where to pass and other actions, but you only have total control over one player.  The goal of the game is to score the most points at the end of four quarters to win the game.  You can change how many minutes are in each quarter but it usually averages two to three minutes each.  This game introduces the alley-oop aspect.  This makes it easy to score on almost every possession and cheapens the game a bit, but it is still fun to do nonetheless.  The alley-oop play just calls for one player to press the jump button close to the hoop.  He then jumps very high into the air and the teammate who has the ball can then pass it to him for an easy slam dunk.  The slam dunks in this game are more outrageous than in previous installments, but that is part of its brilliance.
Sound:
The music in this game is very simplistic, but the game doesn't call for anything more.  It is basically a looped song that sounds like it should be in the background of a rap song.  The music doesn't add anything to the game nor does it take anything away from it.  It is kind of just there.  One thing that the classic NBA Jam games are known for is the announcer.  He is the one who coins the phrases that made them so memorable.  The announcer in this game is just as off-the-wall as in the originals.  He has the feel of the original and the way he spouts out the classic catchphrases is great.  They updated some of the lingo and I felt that it fit in very nicely.
Overall:
This game is a great, fun, and entertaining throwback that will have you playing for a while.  But even though it's not the same as playing as BJ Armstrong, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, the game is sure to  create a nostalgic feeling as you play it.  They created a respectful homage to the past but also kept it entertaining for a new generation.

NBA Jam gets an 8/10

Dire, Dire Docks Music

This song has been stuck in my head on and off for about a week or two now.  Anybody who played Super Mario 64 will have to remember this song.  It is iconic and for most gamers, it brings them back to one of the most iconic moments in gaming.  The first time seeing Mario jump around in 3D was unbelievable and it is hard to tell younger gamers today how important that was.

Review: Halo: Reach (2010)

By Aaron N

Bungie announced that they were going to make Halo: Reach their final game in the Halo saga.  Now we know that this is only half true as Halo 4 is being made but by another company.  But nevertheless Bungie hoped to end their influence with a bang and tell a story that took place before the original trilogy.  With customization like never before seen in a Halo game, and a variety of types of characters to play as, Halo: Reach was poised to become the best game in the series.  This is a tough task to pull off, but all signs pointed to this being very possible.
Graphics:
The graphics have improved with every Halo game.  The detail put into the characters and the universe were the best I have seen so far in the series.  There are slight tweaks in everything, including the look to the weapons and armor.  It was nice to see familiar settings upgraded with better graphics.  This game benefits from a High Definition television, which tells how top notch it is.  Although some of the facial features and lip movements feel a little lacking.  That is my only complaint in this department as I felt more into the universe than I have in a game lately.
Story:
Halo: Reach was described as being about the fateful mission of the Noble team.  You take control of Noble 6 who is the newest and final member of the team.  The story is dark and dreary at times as it is heavily foretold that the missions could very likely have a bad ending.  This is present in the very first scene of the game where it shows your helmet in the ground with nothing around it before flashing back to your first mission with the team.  They story delves deeply into each character, making them all have completely different personalities.  It makes you care about every character in the game, especially every member of the Noble team.  It is filled with heart-wrenching scenes and climactic moments.  The final main fire-fight feels like a climactic scene.  I will get into that more in the "Sound" section as it deals with the music, but my point is that each moment feels important.  They story drags at the beginning though as it seems as if you are just moving from mission to mission.  But when you start to get a sense of the overall story, and when they reveal how it connects to the main trilogy, you really start to get into the story.  There is a bonus level/scene after the credits that is unlike anything I have played before.  That scene, without spoiling it, made the game for me.  It is my favorite campaign in any Halo game.
Gameplay:
The gameplay isn't much different than the typical Halo format.  It is a first person shooter.  You shoot your way through the levels, encountering stronger waves of Covenant forces as you near the end of each level, and each level being harder than the previous one.  One thing that I did like in this game that seemed different was the space battles in two of the levels.  There have been some space battles in previous games but these ones stood out to me.  They reminded me of the levels in some of the Star Wars: Rogue Squandron games.  They were drastically different in gameplay than the ground portions.  It gave it that needed break from the norm in the middle of the game. 
Sound:
I loved the music in this game.  One of my major complaints in Halo: ODST was that the music didn't feel like a Halo game.  The music in Halo: Reach got it right.  They didn't outright use the classic Halo theme, but they made music that would have fit in the other games.  Also, some times they had no music at all, which emphasized the moment.  Now they did have allusions to the old music.  This came more when the connection to the original series became apparant.  This made the necessary emotional connection for me that made the ending so memorable.  I mentioned earlier about the final fire fight and how it felt epic to me.  As you fight the troops, the music gradually crescendos.  They also splice in some of the classic Halo theme to show how close you are to the events in the original trilogy.  It was a brilliant use of music and it created one of my favorite gaming moments.  The one thing I disliked about the sound was the voices.  The voice acting itself was good, but at times it was inaudible.  This led me to be confused about events in the game and I couldn't understand what was going on at the beginning.  I had to strain to understand them.  But that is just one blemish among an otherwise perfect sounding game.
Overall:
Halo: Reach is my favorite game in the Halo saga.  I felt invested in each character.  The twists and turns in the game meant something for me.  The ending, the connection to the original trilogy, everything in the second half of the game had me wanting more.  There are a few flaws in the first half and with the sound.  But it did not deter it enough to warrant too much of a deduction.  I fully enjoyed this game and had a feeling of fulfillment at the end that left me satisfied.

Halo: Reach gets an 9/10

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