Living LIVE News Report 07.18.11
Posted by Trace Aber on 07.18.2011
News and thoughts on the newest Fallout: New Vegas DLC, Dragon Age II's Legacy expansion, Ubisoft jumping on the online pass bandwagon, reviews of three great indie games in the Indie Spotlight and more!
Welcome everyone to another issue of the Living LIVE News Report, and as always, I'm your host for the evening, Trace Aber. There wasn't a whole lot of 360-related news this week, so I'm going to be doing something I haven't done in a while – after covering some brief tidbits from the week and showing off some awesome trailers, I'll be reviewing three indie games. So let's get started.
Random News and Notes
It appears that Ubisoft has jumped on the online pass bandwagon, and the upcoming Driver: San Francisco will be the first title to use the service. Each new copy of the game comes with the UPlay Passport, though those who buy it used will have to purchase their own code for $10 if they wish to use any of the online functions.
Fans of the popular TV show South Park will be happy to hear that Microsoft still has one SP game to make, part of their exclusive two-game deal with Comedy Central. Their last South Park game, South Park: Let's Go Tower Defense Play was really fun, so here's hoping to the next one being just as good.
It appears as though the Zune Marketplace will be getting Kinect functionality. All you'll have to say is "Xbox. Music." The future is so exciting.
Despite some not-so-flattering reviews, Duke Nukem Forever sold the second most copies of any game in June, trailing only behind L.A. Noire. Turns out sometimes it's ok for a game to just be fun.
Popcap, developers of games such as Bejeweled, Peggle and Plants Vs Zombies, has been bought out by Electronic Arts for $650 million in cash and $100 million in shares. That's a lot of damn money.
Labyrinth (400MP)
One of the things I love about the Indie Games Channel is the sheer variety of content you can find. Sure, you have your hit and misses, but a lot of these games feel almost like experiments as they'll focus on one or two core mechanics and execute them perfectly. It's not a complete package, per say, but the price more than justifies being a lab rat. Labyrinth is one of these games – it focuses on creating an atmosphere and advanced puzzle solving to stand out amongst the crowd.
Amelia is a young girl who wakes up stranded in a maze. She has no idea how she got there, or where she's even at. All she knows is she is drawn to a looming black tower in the background. Or, as I like to look at it, Amelia is a young girl who partied far too much and is trying to get back to the bar. You'll guide Amelia through a good-looking world, solving puzzles while learning about what that black tower is all about.
Despite this being the first game made by SubtleAbberation, who admitted that this was his "introduction to game programming and design," you wouldn't be able to tell at first glance. The puzzles provide a fair challenge, and the environments look great. The music helps tell the story, setting a mood and tone for the rest of the game. While the game's core focus is on puzzle solving and maze-escaping, there appears to be at least a few action scenes, according to the game's trailer.
There's not a whole lot I found disappointing, though the controls could be tweaked a little bit. Moving Amelia is easy enough, but controlling the camera can be a nightmare, especially around corners. You'll be able to pick up fruit throughout the game, which can be used to open gates. It's a minor complaint, but the fruit is so ridiculously oversized it looks extremely out of place.
Overall, Labyrinth is a great first-attempt at an adventure game, and while the 400MP price is a bit steep for an indie game, it's worth checking out. It's definitely not for everybody, but I felt myself compelled by the game and you just might too. Rating: 7.0
Lootfest (80MP)
Lootfest is a game that gets straight to the point – there are three evil bosses and the King is handing out big cash rewards for killing the bastards. Using a style very similar to the PS3 title 3D Dot Game Heroes, Lootfest is all about killing the bad guys, buying items and saving the day.
Gameplay is going to set any new standards for what can and can't be done in video games. You and your trust sword run around the map and kill various enemies, collecting gold and loot along the way. The battle system is as simple as pressing A to hit and X to shoot arrows, and that's the end of its complexity. There are shops located throughout, as well as towns, that act as safe havens. The map seems fairly large and there's surely some secrets hidden throughout.
One nice thing about Lootfest is that you can customize your blocky character. It mostly comes down to color choices, but it's not like graphical details are that important when you're using this style. The camera changes randomly throughout, which is both a blessing and a curse. See, some of the camera angles are just God-awful, but thankfully they change enough to where it's not a big hassle. Still, I found myself avoiding or running through areas with bad cameras as the battling felt off.
Lootfest is a fun diversion that's only going to set you back a buck. It doesn't try anything fancy outside of just providing a good time, and I think there's plenty of room for games like that.
.000Rating: 6.5
TIC: Part 1 (240MP)
I've heard many good things about TIC, but never had the opportunity to play it until today. I knew it had beautiful graphics, but I never saw them in motion. I read the music was fantastic, but never heard it with my own ears. And, most importantly, the gameplay was supposed to be awesome and I never played it.
You play the game as Tic, a little robot who's trying to figure out why EvilCorp is, well, so evil, and what secrets the MolePeople (who taste like moles and talk like people) are hiding. You go through beautifully constructed worlds, maneuvering Tic's unicycle design. He also has a propeller for a head, which allows him to fly throughout the worlds for a short period of time. Your energy is refilled when you either land on the ground or grab red acorns, which are generously available. Collecting silver acorns not only fill your health, but usually let you complete one of many objectives you'll have each level. Collecting all 30 silver acorns and 3 gold acorns (which are just more important acorns) nets you 100% completion for each level.
Some games don't give you much incentive to collect everything in a level, but TIC manages to do that pretty well. Getting some of those last silver acorns is rewarding as they often involve some pretty slick platforming. TIC doesn't waste your time with sloppy platforming – it's full force the entire time. Besides, when one of the molepeople offers you a reward for 30 silver acorns it's hard to say no.
One of the great things about the level design is that there are three parts. You have the underground, where you drop in holes to access and dig tunnels to move. Then there's the main world, where you avoid numerous enemies in open spaces. Finally, there's my favorite – space. These are often the most challenging as you're on the hunt for red acorns, flying through the air avoiding a plethora of enemies waiting to knock you back. The game can prove to be challenging, but thankfully it is extremely forgiving on the checkpoints.
As suggested by the title, this is only part one of a four-part series. This will last you 45 minutes to an hour, but you'll get more out of it going for 100% completion. There's also three challenge modes for each level – Collect 100 acorns, Don't Die! and Clock of Doom. Each one provides a unique challenge and will make sure the 240MP are well worth it.
Prepare to be disappointed when you realized you've finished part one. But then take solace in knowing that there's a part two and the story of TIC and EvilCorp will resume. Definitely check TIC: Part One out, it's worthy of being an XBLA title. Rating: 10.0
Signing Out
That does it for me this week. Be sure to check back next week as we discuss all of the latest Xbox 360 news, including releases, rumors and reviews! Also, don't forget to bookmark 411Mania! And a note to all of the Indie Game developers out there – if you have an upcoming title that's going to be released soon drop me a line at traceaber@gmail.com and let me know. I'll write a full review of your game to be posted on 411Mania.com, which is a great way to get your game promoted!
I tried the trial of an Indie Game, Fatal Seduction and although it was a basic side scrolling action game, I purchased it for the pricey sum of 80 pts. The story hooked me as it was apparently based on a true story.
Furthermore what does the writer think of persistent rumours regarding the development of the next gen xbox? I think that the 360 still has a good number of years left in it with the launch of Kinect but I would expect to see a new console announced either 2013/14.
Posted By: el_pieablo (Guest) on July 20, 2011 at 02:42 AM
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