It's a PC Demo Rodeo! Yee-hah!

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dantebk
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It's a PC Demo Rodeo! Yee-hah!

Post by dantebk » Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:10 am

This is from my blog, http://dantebk.blogspot.com, but I thought it might be of interest to y'all as well:

When I first got the new video card for my PC, I chose the Call of Duty 2 demo to test it out. I made the right choice. What a beautiful game. The graphics alone make the gameplay more fun, it really feels like you're doing something, not just pushing buttons on a keyboard and dragging the mouse around. Another thing I liked is that the game itself doesn't intrude on your fun -- no scrounging for health packs, no stopping to save every few minutes, just full steam ahead Nazi-killing action. Greatest moment of the demo was getting behind a stationary gun and really going to town on the enemy. I can easily see why this franchise is so popular.
Will I buy it? Definitely maybe.

The Silver Lining began life as a fan-made sequel to the King's Quest series, dubbing itself King's Quest IX: Every Cloak Has a Silver Lining. However, once the website became popular, Vivendi Universal (owner of the King's Quest franchise since it bought out Sierra) sent a cease and desist to the designers. That's when things got weird. Fan frenzy and designer sincerity actually won Vivendi over, and they gave permission for the game to continue, as long as it took the "King's Quest" part out of the title. I've played every game in the series, even King's Quest VIII (the sucky one), so when I heard about the officially recognized fan sequel, I became very excited. Unfortunately, I've since played the demo. The nicest thing I can say about it is that, considering it's made by non-pro designers for literally no money, it's pretty impressive. But the thing is: there are plenty of games out there that are made by professionals, hundreds of games that I've never played that are supposed to be incredible. I just don't have the time to invest in a game that's only tolerable, no matter how much love went into it.
Will I buy it? Not applicable, it's free.
Will I download it when it's finished? Nope.

What was the next demo I played and why? Two questions with one answer! Just Cause! This game is a mixture of fun and frustrating. Frustrating: poor driving physics, buggy, stutters, crashes, confusing weapon pick-ups and drops. Fun: constant skydiving, blowing things up, shooting people, racing a super fast boat and shooting missles out of it. So it depends on what you find important. The much touted "stunt position", where you can jump in and out of cars (or helicopters or whatever) and stand on the hood turned out to be pretty much useless. I couldn't even shoot my gun from that position, so unless I want to deploy parachute, there's no reason to attempt it. Also, I couldn't finish the demo, which is always a bad sign. The first time I failed because I didn't realize it was timing me, and "the sun went down" before I did all my objectives. The second time I was playing much faster, and was well on my way to finishing it in time, but then it crashed for no reason. I don't plan a third attempt.
Will I buy it? Maybe, if it ends up in a $10 or less bargain bin.

And now, Psychonauts. From the designer behind Grim Fandango and Full Throttle, it's a 3D platformer about a training camp for psychic children. Everything about this demo is amazing. The intro movie is hilarious, and so are many of the moments throughout the first level. The gameplay takes a little getting used to on the PC, but it's available on PS2 also if you want a gamepad. The graphics are a delight, and many times made me feel like I was on a Disney ride, like a war-themed version of the Haunted Mansion. I expected to be let down given how many times I've heard this game is an "overlooked gem" but if anything, the hype sold it short.
Will I buy it? An emphatic YES! I might go on Amazon right now actually...

Last, and almost certainly least, Bad Day L.A. In this game, "everything that can go wrong, will," which is probably not the best motto for a commercial product. The protagonist is a foul-mouthed, anti-social homeless guy, who has to run around helping people in a zombie and terrorist-filled Los Angeles. It's supposed to be a comedy I think, but unless kids projectile vomiting and a guy who calls everyone "honky" make you laugh, you probably won't agree. The gameplay is pretty easy to learn, but the constant sub-tasks like "Help 5 people" or "Kill Terrorists" feel like more of a nuisance than anything else. I didn't even finish the demo, I played for 20 minutes then decided my time could be better used on something else -- anything else.
Will I buy it? Hell nah, honky-ass cracker!
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raz0red
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Re: It's a PC Demo Rodeo! Yee-hah!

Post by raz0red » Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:30 am

dantebk wrote:This is from my blog, http://dantebk.blogspot.com, but I thought it might be of interest to y'all as well:
Nice reviews!

I have to agree with you on Call of Duty 2 and Psychonauts. Those are two of my favorite games over the past year or so. I am about half-way through the American campaign on COD2 w/ veteran difficulty. It is a game I always go back to because it is so challenging.

As far as Psychonauts goes, it is an incredible game. I thought the tutorial section was a bit long in the beginning and may have frustrated some people. But, overall it is an awesome game that deserved to do much better in terms of sales. You can also play it on the Xbox BTW.

I am curious about Every Cloak Has a Silver Lining. I received an email from the team that developed the game. So, I am going to try it out. I don't care who actually makes the game, I just care if I have fun playing it or not. With the shortage of adventure games, seems like it is worth giving it a shot.

--Raz.

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Post by The Brass » Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:49 pm

wow great rewiews luke 'cough' i mean dante i would never have wrote something that long i agree about cod2
OL' DIRTY BASTARD

dantebk
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Post by dantebk » Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:54 pm

The Brass wrote:wow great rewiews luke 'cough' i mean dante i would never have wrote something that long i agree about cod2
Sorry, I don't get your joke! :oops: Who is Luke? Perry? Skywalker? Lucas Haas from Witness and Brick?

Maybe it's a generational thing... Sorry again!
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Post by The Brass » Wed Sep 20, 2006 2:55 pm

dantebk wrote:
The Brass wrote:wow great rewiews luke 'cough' i mean dante i would never have wrote something that long i agree about cod2
Sorry, I don't get your joke! :oops: Who is Luke? Perry? Skywalker? Lucas Haas from Witness and Brick?

Maybe it's a generational thing... Sorry again!
luke from 1up yours weekly podcast how can u not know him
OL' DIRTY BASTARD

dantebk
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Post by dantebk » Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:12 am

The Brass wrote:luke from 1up yours weekly podcast how can u not know him
Oh, okay. Sorry, I don't listen to that Podcast. I only listen to Twitch Asylum and The Hotspot video game podcasts. I've listened to the IGN one a couple times but I don't like it much. I don't think I've ever heard of a podcast called 1up Yours. Sounds sophmoric.

Does Luke do a lot of quick reviews of game demos or something?
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Post by The Brass » Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:57 am

no he has a squeky voice like urs
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Post by iamsjn » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:06 am

I'm definitely going to have to try out that Psychonauts game. I've heard so much about it but have kind of brushed it off due to it 'cartoony' graphics. For some reason I tend to shy away from games like that. But lately I've been starving for games with great gameplay and this seems to fit the bill.

--SjN
"Death & Dreck You Curse!!!"
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LimitZer0

Post by LimitZer0 » Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:46 am

iamsjn wrote:I'm definitely going to have to try out that Psychonauts game. I've heard so much about it but have kind of brushed it off due to it 'cartoony' graphics. For some reason I tend to shy away from games like that. But lately I've been starving for games with great gameplay and this seems to fit the bill.

--SjN
I had it but it just seemed like a lame kids game to me. I don't think I got past the tutorial. I have heard so many people say how great it is though, I am going to have to pick it up again and give it a fair chance.

iamsjn
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Post by iamsjn » Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:06 am

LimitZer0 wrote:
iamsjn wrote:I'm definitely going to have to try out that Psychonauts game. I've heard so much about it but have kind of brushed it off due to it 'cartoony' graphics. For some reason I tend to shy away from games like that. But lately I've been starving for games with great gameplay and this seems to fit the bill.

--SjN
I had it but it just seemed like a lame kids game to me. I don't think I got past the tutorial. I have heard so many people say how great it is though, I am going to have to pick it up again and give it a fair chance.
From what I've seen so far, it doesn't look like something I would actually buy. If gameplay is fun though, I might consider it. Albeit I'd most likely get it used at EB Games or Gamespot. For now though, it's definitely a renter for me...
"Death & Dreck You Curse!!!"
- The Bard's Tale II: Destiny Knight

msaeger
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Post by msaeger » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:33 pm

It's only 20 bucks new so I wouldn't bother renting. I paid 50 when it came out and it was worth every penny.
Wii Wii Wii

Matt

dantebk
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Post by dantebk » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:39 am

Gameplay-wise Psychonauts is very much a 3D platformer, so if you like that genre at all, you'll like it, if you don't, the charm and humor probably won't change your mind. The main characters in the game are kids, but I wouldn't call it a kids game by any means. I don't believe kids would appreciate much of the humor.

But hey, I've only played the demo. If you're not sure if it's worth a buy, download the demo for yourself. It's free!
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Post by PristineSteam » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:43 pm

Ever since the podcast where we pondered whether PC gaming is dead, and Chris and Woody brought up how much cheaper PC games are, I have been looking at them in the stores. They really are much cheaper, when you compare a $60 Xbox 360 game to a $30 or even $20 PC game. I have been tempted to buy some but haven't actually done so yet.

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