T w e n t y S i d e d
Totally stolen from the Rampant Coyote
- Go to maps.google.com
- Click on “get directions”
- Enter “New York, New York” as your starting point.
- Enter “London, England” as your destination.
- Note step #23-24.
Bring a towel.
Shadow of the Colossus: First Impressions
Reader Jadawin noted my interest in Shadow of the Colossus and offered me his copy. Thanks to him for contributing my second game to my PS2 collection!
I’ve read bits here and there about this game. I’d heard that the game was “all bossfights”, which seemed like a strange idea.
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| Yes, I’ll make a bargain with a strange god to bring my dead girlfriend back to life. I’m sure that is a fantastic idea and there won’t be any serious consequences. |
Now, we can tell this is an astoundingly bad idea. The god was even sporting enough to warn the kid that he might not like the results. This game may end in tragedy, but that is not a drawback. Unlike Neverwinter Nights 2, this game isn’t going to unexpectedly snatch away victory from the triumphant player. We can see from the outset that this is headed nowhere good, but the young man is driven and there will be no dissuading him. I’m pretty hooked at this point, if for no other reason than to see what price he pays in the end.
Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Shadow of the Colossus: First Impressions”
DM of the Rings XCIII:
Impervious to Information
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Impervious to Information”
Working from home
Several people have asked overlapping questions about my unusual employment. I’m not sure what triggered this, but rather than write a bunch of emails I thought I’d write one post.
Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Working from home”
Frayed Knights
Jay is onto something great here. He’s working on a comedy RPG. I had to make a WILL saving throw to keep from making a little “squee” sound when I read about it.
(The post mentions a hemp golem for crying out loud. There are about a hundred jokes in that idea alone.)
DM of the Rings XCII:
Ding!
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GTA: LCS: Grand Theft Railroad
One of the things which bugs me about Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (and its many siblings) is the appalling lack of freedom when encountering challenges: There are a dozen apparent ways to attempt to solve a problem. One of them is correct. Retry until you guess right.
Most missions require a certain degree of foreknowledge. Going into a situation, you never know if you will need a fast car, a heavy car, a motorcycle, or if you will be fighting on foot. Will you fight many weak foes (bring a pistol) or a single strong one (bring a shotgun) or will you need to be shooting while driving? (Bring a submachine gun.) You have to try a mission a few times to know what you’re up against and use that knowledge to prepare, but then the game thwarts attempts to otherwise use that knowledge to your advantage. You have to use some foreknowledge, but not too much, and only when the game allows. Case in point:
The Setup:
Salvatore Leone, a Mafia Don, has been kidnapped. His kidnappers have him in the trunk of a car. They plan to take the car to the junkyard and put it into the crusher. Sal is a lying, murderous, drug-selling, wife-beating scumball, and my job is to rescue him.
Continue reading ⟩⟩ “GTA: LCS: Grand Theft Railroad”
From The Archives:
Raytracing
Raytracing is coming. Slowly. Eventually. What is it and what will it mean for game development?
The Best of 2019
I called 2019 "The Year of corporate Dystopia". Here is a list of the games I thought were interesting or worth talking about that year.
The Plot-Driven Door
You know how videogames sometimes do that thing where it's preposterously hard to go through a simple door? This one is really bad.
I Was Wrong About Borderlands 3
I really thought one thing, but then something else. There's a bunch more to it, but you'll have to read the article.
This Game is Too Videogame-y
What's wrong with a game being "too videogameish"?
Video Compression Gone Wrong
How does image compression work, and why does it create those ugly spots all over some videos and not others?
If Star Wars Was Made in 2006?
Imagine if the original Star Wars hadn't appeared in the 1970's, but instead was pitched to studios in 2006. How would that turn out?
What is Piracy?
It seems like a simple question, but it turns out everyone has a different idea of right and wrong in the digital world.
Another PC Golden Age?
Is it real? Is PC gaming returning to its former glory? Sort of. It's complicated.
The Best of 2018
I called 2018 "The Year of Good News". Here is a list of the games I thought were interesting or worth talking about that year.