The Forgotten PC Games 07.31.08: A Fond Farewell
Posted by Chris Vicari on 07.31.2008
This 411 writer bids you all a fond farewell and thanks you for reading his column.
First I would just like to say thank you for reading my column these past few months as it has been one of my greatest pleasures to write it for you. This will be my last column for 411 for some time as I am now in the process of writing my Masters thesis. It's been a great ride and I hope to continue it sometime in the future. Right now though the amount of available time I am able to allocate to write a quality column is greatly diminishing. Writing both at the same time would prove folly.
Yea it's all been said and done before, but after watching the new Max Payne trailer, I felt compelled to chime in. Flop after flop, we are continuously reminded that movies based on video games simply do not work yet directors and movie bigwigs still think that movies based on video games are worth it.
As we all know this form of "entertainment" is nothing new starting with Super Mario Bros. back in 1993 and then Street Fighter a year later which is the film that simultaneously popularized the idea and killed Raul Julia at the same time. Over the past few years we have been increasingly subjected to the whims of these madmen directors, who are in more dire need of being molested by a gorilla than receiving anymore script approvals.
Take for instance the infamous Uwe Boll, director of such marvelous gems like House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, and Bloodrayne. Films which have graced our televisions and movie theatres and left us wondering one thing; in God's name why? These films and many others like them have the staying power of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in a female depression clinic but no one is taking the hint.
Now I'm not saying that all game to movie adaptations are bad, there were a few decent flicks amidst the endless stream of shitiness. The first Mortal Kombat film was possibly the best and perhaps Advent Children comes at a close second. After that your chances of finding another movie of the same quality are slim.
I have no desire to see any of my favorite games wind up on the big screen. I don't think Half Life, Metal Gear Solid, or Bioshock will be awe-inspiring films worthy of any praise unlike the games they were based on. There is far too much lost in the translation to justify creation of films like this. The fan base is usually alienated since the plot doesn't stay true to the source material, the story we are given appears to have been retrieved from my dog's asshole and what we're left with is a doorway into the mind of someone who is slightly less intelligent than a rock. The door swings both ways these days though and some higher-ups in all their wisdom have decided to make movies the butch in this relationship and video games their bitch.
Like their distant cousins, games based on films generally don't work either. Again, there are a few notable exceptions like Escape from Butcher Bay and quite a few of the Star Wars games, but quality tapers off soon after. When I'm not gouging my eyes out after playing a healthful dose of that ridiculous Braveheart strategy game (Yea one actually exists, look it up!), I'm wishing destruction on the people who created some of this shit.
To quote Secret of Mana, "Time flows like a river, and history repeats itself." I wish directors and game developers alike learned this little truism and stopped creating this garbage.
All Hell Breaks Loose
Ground Control is an absolutely phenomenal RTS game from Massive Entertainment in 2000. It has won numerous awards several of which were Game of the Year. The game was quite revolutionary back then as it had several features which went against the grain of its constituents. Unit management and camera controls were very similar to World in Conflict as you can move the camera anywhere on the battlefield and zoom in up close and personal on the action. Graphics were truly breathtaking for its time and the sound effects were nothing short of brilliant. The game also emphasizes tactics and discourages vehicle rushes of any kind as tanks have poor armor in the rear and sides. There is no resource gathering or territory control here and what you choose to start the mission with is all you get. Combat is fast paced and exciting to take part in. Tanks exchange turret fire and infantry ambush from foliage while artillery and planes rain destruction from the air. One of my favorite things to do is just watch the artillery fly through the air and pound the mother-loving crap out of the enemy.
Ground Control is a fantastic and revolutionary strategy game through and through. If you enjoyed World in Conflict and looking for a similar game, definitely check this little gem out. Ground Control is absolutely free and can be downloaded from Fileplanet. The game's sequel, Ground Control 2, is more like WiC since it does include territory control and a unit economy, but sadly that game isn't free. Pick it up anyway though.
Charlie in the Trees!
A fairly unknown, but superb shooter, Vietcong was released in 2003 and is one of the few successful games based in the Vietnam War. As you probably figured out, most of the game takes place in the jungle and you'll be facing off against Vietnamese rebels and NVA forces. There is one really cool level in the game where you become a tunnel rat and infiltrate an extensive NVA tunnel system. Thankfully you're not alone in this game and you lead a squad of competent and fairly intelligent soldiers. They're amusing to watch when idle and they do a pretty good job of watching your back when things get rough. The enemy is also pretty intelligent and will effectively utilize any cover that is near them. They won't stupidly charge at you and they will retreat when injured. Since you're the squad leader, you can also use the radio to call in artillery support if you become overwhelmed by enemy forces. Combat is riveting and chaotic since half the time you never know when an enemy is lurking in the foliage and you have a good chance of running into booby traps getting you and your squad killed. You're squad is pretty adept at noticing traps though so it helps.
Since the game is fairly old it's beginning to show its age, but the jungles and characters are very detailed and realistic. The game makes great use of Vietnam-era music and all the other sounds are great as well. There is multiplayer support, but it's pretty lackluster compared to the singleplayer game. It's still fun though. All in all, Vietcong is a great shooter and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the era or of FPS games in general. If you can find it, pick it up. I would avoid the sequel though.
Some Comic Book Love
It's not often you get to play an awesome game as a bunch of different superheroes. Sure you have the two grindy MMOs and the flood of games from all the superhero flicks coming out, but it's not often you get to play something really original. This is where Freedom Force comes in from Irrational Games in 2002 and what we get is a unique action RPG with plenty of action and loads of fun. Freedom Force is a squad-based tactical game and at the beginning of every mission you choose which heroes you want to play with. Based on which hero you pick, you have a wide range of powers at your disposal. You can use your hero's strength to crush your enemies or cast a variety of elemental based attacks as well. The environment is also completely destructible. Buildings can be destroyed, club enemies with electrical poles or throw them into buildings. It really is a lot of fun kicking the crap out of everything.
After a mission is completed, the RPG stuff comes into play and you can level your heroes, give them new abilities or upgrade existing ones. One of the game's strongest points is the ability to create your very own superhero. Thanks to the game's intuitive character creation system, you create a unique hero every time, boosting the game's replayablility considerably. If you're looking for a kickass superhero game with all the trimmings, look no further than Freedom Force. Also consider getting the game's sequel, Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich, for even more action and this time around, Nazi bashing!
Gaming Blurbs
Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena is extremely fast-paced kill ‘em all action at its best. Released in 1999 by ID Software, Q3A is one of the best pure multiplayer shooters on the market. Pick it up if you've never experienced this classic.
Oni
Oni is a brilliant third-person shooter with super hand-to-hand combat developed by Bungie West in 2001. You play the role of Konoko, a tough-as-nails Special Forces agent with strength, agility and a knack to perform the most painful martial arts moves in existence. She can sneak up on enemies to knock them down to break their back, charge at an enemy and break their neck by wrapping around their head or resorting to a multitude of futuristic weapons. It has a great story, impressive cel-shaded graphics and a whole lot of action. Oni is a fairly unknown game, but it is definitely worth picking up. Get it.
Alien vs. Predator
Before we witnessed those god awful movies, we got to play some of the best FPS games out there in the form of Alien vs. Predator. An extremely atmospheric game, the AvP series is simply one of the best around. You can play as the marines and get scared stiff when aliens leap at you through the shadows, play as the stealthy Predator and kill enemies from a distance or as an Alien and get up close and personal to tear your enemies to shreds. AvP cannot be recommended enough and I urge you to play it as soon as possible.
What I'm playing now
Don't really have a lot of time to play much anymore
- EVE: Online
- Company of Heroes
- Started playing WoW again…ugg
- World in Conflict
Once again I'd just like to thank you for reading my column and I hope sometime in the future I can continue writing for you.
