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Post by Mister Buch on Aug 23, 2009 9:18:03 GMT 1
Agreed, Hodster.
What I loved most about Jedi Starfighter was this little cartoon one of the programmers made about her typical day at work at Lucas Arts. It was an unlockable extra. Basically it was just her doing a day at work and recreating Star Wars scenes as she did. Having the Greedo conversatio with her boss, eating at a place called 'Admiral Snackbar'. It was wonderful.
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Post by Zarsthor on Aug 23, 2009 15:55:24 GMT 1
I love easter eggs.
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Post by Hodster on Aug 24, 2009 4:25:38 GMT 1
Lol I loved that unlockable video!
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Aug 24, 2009 5:31:26 GMT 1
Love that hidden Gem
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Post by Mister Buch on Aug 24, 2009 11:04:52 GMT 1
;D
It was the best.
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Post by Rascarin on Aug 29, 2009 0:15:13 GMT 1
If anyone is actually wondering where this weeks installment is; I'm sorry, I've been really busy. Been working all week, and going back Sunday to Monday, then straight on to job hunting in Brighton after that. I've only got these two days free, so I might not be able to do another "Rascarin Recommends" for a little while. Especially as the game I was going to do won't run on my computer any more, so I can't refresh it in my mind. Sorry!
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Post by Mister Buch on Aug 29, 2009 0:27:53 GMT 1
This is a shame, but be assured we'll be looking orward to the next one.
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Post by Rascarin on Sept 3, 2009 23:03:05 GMT 1
Okay, sorry for the delay guys. I'm not even doing the game I had planned for my next installment, because it refuses to run on my PC anymore. So, please give a warm welcome to this weeks Rascarin Recommends, and allow me to introduce you to... Primal was released in 2003, exclusively for the PS2. You play as Jen (Jennifer Tate), a seemingly normal young lady trying to make ends meet with her boyfriend Lewis. The game begins with you (Jen) and Lewis being attacked outside a nightclub by a huge monster. Say hello, Jen. Later, in the hospital, you are visited by Scree, a small gargoyle-like creature, claiming to be sent by one Arella, with the news that you are the key to saving the balance of Order and Chaos between all the realms of existence. You leave with Scree (as an astral projection type thing, leaving Jen's physical body clinging to life, unconscious, in her hospital bed), and travel to the Nexus - the middle point between the realms. Scree explains that Order must be restored to four realms to stop Abaddon, the Lord of Chaos taking over and destroying everything. A fairly standard story, you might think, and I'd be inclined to agree. However, the unique gameplay, and in-depth characters sets Primal apart from most "save the world niao pl0x" games. As you travel the four realms, Jen aquires the ability to change her form to match the resident species. Each form has it's own unique abilities, and as the game progresses, you need to utilise all of them. The forms are, in the order you aquire them, Ferai (top left), Undine (bottom left), Wraith (top right) and Djinn (bottom right). The Ferai form allows you to run faster and jump higher, and also makes Jen more effective in combat. The Undine form allows Jen to swim and fight underwater. The Wraith form has the ability to move really fast (like really fast), and also has a longer attack range in combat. The Djinn form is the strongest form in combat, especially useful for the stronger enemies you face towards the end of the game. The main characters, Jen and Scree, and both really well designed. Movements are fluid and well animated, and the voice acting is incredible. Both have an impressive level of character depth, and are both incredibly likeable. Jen is realistic and down-to-earth, whilst Scree fills the role of the long-suffering mentor in his own charming way. The storyline is long enough to keep you occupied for a good few days of dedicated gaming, and each of the realms is beautifully designed with impressive attention to detail. All of the NPCs have good voice acting and character design, too. The storyline unfolds with style, with just the right amount of twists and drama to keep you interested the whole way through. Despite it's abundance of good points, I must warn you of a few flaws. The combat system is quite horrible. You use the R1, R2, L1 and L2 buttons to perform various attacks and blocks, but combat is often unresponsive, and Jen can be quite slow. Also, getting used the the swimming controls as an Undine is like pulling teeth. So, let's summarise. Primal is a beautiful game, crammed with a thoroughly good storyline, believeable and likeable characters, lovely level design, and plenty of gameplay hours to keep you busy for a while. Despite a few control problems, it's a very, very good game. If you've got an old PS2 still kicking around somewhere, I would recommend trying to pick up a copy from the preowned bin at your local gamery, or checking eBay. Ok, that's it for this week. Thanks for reading, guys! Say Goodbye, Jen and Scree! P.S. I really like Jen's shirt/top thing.
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Post by Mister Buch on Sept 4, 2009 0:13:26 GMT 1
Huzzah for the return of Rascarin Recommends!
I'm not sure if I've even heard of this one. Maybe I used to rent it at my old video shop, years ago... the cover rings a bell you see.
Sounds good anyway. I think good voice acting is so important in games. It's one of the few things I demand.
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Post by Rascarin on Sept 9, 2009 1:07:42 GMT 1
Voice acting is one of the key things in a game for me. I probably would've enjoyed Two Worlds a lot more had it not been for the atrocious VA. There's no way you can get to like a main character if you can't even believe their voice. On an unrelated note, I believe the voice actor for Jen was also in "Xena: Warrior Princess".
And good news! My new laptop means that I was able to run the game I originally had planned for this weeks RR, so I've replayed it and gotten my screenshots in preparation. Stay tuned!
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Post by Mister Buch on Sept 9, 2009 1:10:08 GMT 1
I probably would've enjoyed Two Worlds a lot more had it not been for the atrocious VA. Forsooth, maiden! Mayhap you might direct me to ye village of horrible Chinese stereotypes, mayhap!
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Post by Rascarin on Sept 9, 2009 1:33:10 GMT 1
Verily, nay! That game was so bad.
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Sept 10, 2009 14:01:17 GMT 1
Nice, I'll check it out when I get myself a ps2 again.
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Post by Rascarin on Sept 10, 2009 16:30:22 GMT 1
Ok! Let's get straight to it. This week on Rascarin Recommends, I'd like to introduce you to... Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines was released in 2004 for the PC, and based on a live-action RP (Dungeon and Dragon's style thing, if you didn't know). Developed by Troika Games, Vampire shows a take on vampire mythology that would make Edward Cullen hang his head in shame. You begin the game and are asked to select your Clan (either from a list or by taking a short questionnaire). The clans are the various bloodlines of this vampire world, and each has it's own unique characteristics. They include; Ventrue, Brujah, Gangrel, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere and Malkavian. Some of the Clans are fairly non-interesting, but a couple are worthy of note. The Tremere clan practice their own brand of Blood Magic, affording you special powers in battle. The Nosferatu are all hideously disfigured, meaning you must spend the game trying to not be seen by NPC's. The most interesting by far, however, are the Malkavian - all of whom are completely insane. After choosing your Clan you are thrown head-first into the game, where a brief tutorial section introduces you to the game mechanics and a couple of the main factions. The factions include the Camarilla, the Sabbat, the Anarchs and the Kuei-Jin. All four are at war with one another, and whilst you initially begin in the service of the Camarilla, you may eventually choose to change your allegience. One of the key parts of the game is the Masquerade - protecting the secret of vampires from mortals. Throughout the game you must beware to not violate the masquerade by not being seen feeding or otherwise revealing your nature (as I said above, if you chose to be a Nosferatu, you will spend most of the game sneaking in sewers to avoid being seen. You can, of course, speak to some NPC's but for the most part you have to be careful). An example of a Nosferatu. If I looked like this guy, I wouldn't want to be seen in public either.Gameplay is pretty simple. The controls are all more or less standard, so it won't take you long to get the hang of that part. You earn experience by progressing through and completing missions and sidequests, and then choose to spend these EXP points on a variety of skills, choosing from things which increase your combat prowess, your conversation skills, your abilities related to breaking and entering, or powering up your vampiric abilities. I must be honest with you, though. This game is far from perfect. The first thing you'll want to do once its installed is hunt down the patches, and even then it'll still be pretty buggy. Combat is horrible. And someone forgot how to work their spellchecker, because the dialogue options are riddled with spelling errors. Despite all this, however, it's a damn good game. Damn good. Voice acting is superb (I fell in love with Grey Delisle's voice because of this game); all of the actors fill their roles perfectly. Also, it has John Di Maggio. Vampire is also a very atmospheric game. It spares nothing in terms of gritty realism, and some quests will have you jumping out of your skin in terror. In one mission, you are required to exorcise a poltergeist from a haunted hotel. Every time you turn a corner, something new makes you jump, be it a light smashing and going out, something falling off a table, or a vase hurling itself down the corridor towards you. In one instance, you enter a room and it suddenly goes completely dark. You hear the noise of things moving about the room (and see your health being damaged), and when the lights come on you see this; Scared the hell outta me the first time, I tell ya. There's more examples, of course, but I don't want to give too much away. On the whole, Vampire ticks most of the boxes for me when it comes to games. The storyline is very interesting (with plenty of different endings, which I love (like five, I think)), the characters are all well designed and well voiced. There are sidequests by the bucketload, so you'll have plenty to do. Even though the combat system is unpleasant, you still get to run around and smash heads with a bushhook, or a sledgehammer (or a fire-axe, or someones severed arm...). The vampire mythology is very in-depth and interesting, and most importantly, not a sparkle in sight. Available on Steam, online or eBay, I would highly recommend this game if you're looking for something different. Buying the game is the only way this picture will make sense, too.
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Sept 11, 2009 10:01:12 GMT 1
Holy shit, I love that game!
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