Welcome back! The Summer Backlog Challenge 2018 is now in full swing, and I have mostly been playing Mass Effect: Andromeda... mostly. So today I'm going to share my opinion of the game so far.
You will no doubt be aware of all the fuss and general derision that met Andromeda upon its original release. Memes were created, rants were spewed forth, mediocre reviews were written by the gaming press, and death threats were sent to one of the animators responsible for the notoriously ropy facial animations in the game. When Casey Hudson returned to Bioware, one of the first things he did was announce that the company had cancelled their plans for any DLC and that the franchise was going to go on hiatus for extended period. Andromeda was blamed with killing off the series, but does it really deserve such a stigma?
Well, in it's original state, maybe, but in it's patched state I would say that it is actually a decent game. Still flawed, yes, but enjoyable in many ways. At the moment I would place it above the original game in the series, which also had it's fair share of quirks and design flaws, slightly after 3, and way way behind 2 which is the best game in the series so far. I may adjust that assessment when I come to the end of the story, but I have quite a long way to go yet.
So what do I like about it? Well the most notable thing is the combat. After an initial adjustment period where everything feels wrong, you quickly get a feel for jumping, boosting, and sniping fools in mid air, which is just cool. For this play through at least, I went with a pure soldier character (my usual choice when I play a Mass Effect game for the first time). There are plenty of abilities in all three skill trees to choose from and lots of scope for building interesting hybrid class characters, which I may explore if I choose to play the game through again at a later date.
I also quite like the main character, Ryder - or at least, my version of her. I have watched some videos from the likes of Outside Xbox and Giant Bomb where they were playing as the male Ryder, and he came across as a bit of an annoying dick, but the female version seems kinder, more jokey. I am also playing as a purely paragon character this time, going to great lengths to help everyone out and be nice to them.
As for the rest of the crew, there is definitely no one to match Garrus, Liara or Tali among them, but I do quite like Jaal. He is very well written and voice acted, and the Angara are an interesting new race. It is a shame that they are the only new non hostile race that are introduced, and they also came at the expense of fan favourites like the Quarians, the Volus, the Drell, etc. I strongly suspect that these other races would have been part of the DLC, but we will never know now. Vetra is also pretty cool, different enough from Garrus to just be a female clone of him. Peebee can be pretty annoying at first, but I warmed up to her over time. Drack is basically just another, older version of Wrex and Grunt - the same gruff, hard headed Krogan stereotype that we've seen before. I struggle to find the human members of the crew very interesting, they're just a bit too generic for me.
Talking to the crew between missions, getting to know them and furthering their loyalty quests is one of my favourite parts of the Mass Effect series, and Andromeda does a decent enough job in this regard. There's certainly plenty of content to get stuck into, with about 50 - 60 hours of play time, 6 or so sizable planets to explore, and a seemingly endless supply of quests. Some of these quests can get a bit annoying as they send you back and forth across the Nexus, or to other star systems, but I haven't skipped anything yet. I think if I were to play too much of this game in a short space of time I would start to tire of it, but short sessions every now and then keep it interesting.
I've already touched on a few things that I don't really like about the game, but let's go over a few more. Firstly, the plot is hardly inspiring. The overall idea of exploring a new galaxy and preserving the Milky Way races from extinction at the hands (claws, tentacles?) of the Reapers is an interesting one, but for the most part it's squandered here. The remnant, and the kett just feel like recycle versions of what we've seen before, and the revelation of what the kett actually are was hardly earth shattering news. They've just used the Prothean / Collectors story again, but not as competently.
Other than that I am definitely starting to notice some glitching as I get further into the game. Mostly it hasn't been a problem, but there is some noticeable and distracting pop in on the planet of Kadara, and Cora phased inside a shelving unit the other day with just her head sticking out the top talking to me. So although several patches were released and the game is a darn site better than it was initially, they didn't get everything, and now they never will.
I haven't really explored the multiplayer side all that much yet, just a few quick matches. It seems like it's basically what was present in Mass Effect 3 though, just expanded a bit. Your actions in the multiplayer mode do tie back into the single player, giving your money and resources to use on crafting, but it doesn't feel as critical as it did when it was affecting your Galactic Readiness rating.
I probably could find more to say about the game but I think I'm going to stop there for now. There will be a full video review in time, but it will probably take me a few weeks to play through the rest of the game. In the meantime I hope that I will manage to play through the entirety of Night in the Woods this weekend, so that will be the focus of my post next time. I usually post my YouTube content on Tuesdays, but I don't think I will be ready to make my review by then, so it may end up going up on a different day. At any rate, stay tuned to RMGB TV and keep any eye on the blog for more. In the meantime, take care!
Friday, June 22, 2018
Tuesday, June 05, 2018
Summer Backlog Diary #1: Why I Chose Them
As I recently announced on my YouTube channel, I'm taking part in the 2018 Summer Backlog Challenge. If you're not aware what this is, the idea is to choose 10 games that you've been meaning to get around to for a while now, and try and finish at least 5 of them between June 21st and September 23rd (the official start and end dates of Summer). I tried this a few years ago and only managed to complete 4 games, so I have adjusted my tactics this time around. This year, at least half of my picks can be finished within 4 - 10 hours approximately, so I should be able to finish these off over the course of a weekend and have no excuse for not meeting the quota. The rest are significantly longer games that will take weeks, if not months to finish, so I probably won't get around to all of those. If you would like to watch the video I made I will embed it at the end of this article - I've included the official trailers for all 10 of my picks that give you a nice idea of what each one is about. Game length isn't the only reason I picked the games I did though, so let's delve a little deeper into why each one made the cut.
Hob
I loved Torchlight and Torchlight II, so when Runic Games released Hob I bought it to support them, even though I was slightly disappointed that it was a different type of game. I figured that they would probably get around to making Torchlight III later on, after making a few other things as a palette cleanser. Then towards the end of 2017, they closed down. For a while, I kind of resented Hob and blamed it for their demise, but after watching the Giant Bomb Quick Look for the game, I decided it looked pretty cool and that I should stop being silly and appreciate it for what it was: the last offering from a talented bunch of people that I respect and admire. Of course then there were tons of other games coming out and the game got a bit lost in the melee, until now. According to How Long To Beat, Hob weighs in at around 10 or so hours, so it's the ideal candidate for one of my short game picks.
Cosmic Star Heroine
Another game that takes around 10 or so hours to finish, Cosmic Star Heroine is the latest offering from Zeboyd Games, who previously brought us Breath of Death VIII, Cthulhu Save the World, and parts 3 and 4 of the Penny Arcade RPG games. Their games are always packed full of humour and entertaining writing, and the gameplay is a satisfying mix of classic turned based JRPG style combat combined with some new elements. I picked this one up in a sale earlier in the year and like most of the rest of the games on this list, kind of forgot about it until now. So here it is!
Night in the Woods
I've listened to so many people go on and on about how amazing Night in the Woods is ever since it was first released, and it's been on my gaming "to do" list ever since, but for whatever reason I keep putting it off. Well no more! Night in the Woods tells the tale of an anthropomorphic cat creature called Mae as she returns to her childhood home after being away for an extended period of time, as she hits that stage in her life where she is supposed to start being a responsible adult. The trouble is she hasn't figured out exactly where she fits into the grand scheme of things, so this charming adventure game is mainly about her figuring that out. Night in the Woods should take roughly 8 hours to finish, so it's easily doable, and this will probably be one of the first games I cross off this year.
Oxenfree
This is another adventure style game that I've heard many people discussing over the months since it's release. Unlike most of the other games featured here, I didn't actually buy it for myself. I either got it via Games with Gold, or it was in Xbox Game Pass - I forget which. Anyway, it looked interesting so I downloaded it, and then it just sat there on my Xbox One's external drive with the other 200 or so games. So let's get it done! Oxenfree is estimated to take just 4 hours to finish!
Battle Chasers: Nightwar
Now we start to get into a few of the longer games on my list. Battle Chasers is here because it's the next game from the mind of Joe Madureira, the comic book artist who helped create the Darksiders series with Vigil Games and was responsible for the look of those games. This is an adaptaton / sequel to his own comic book series that was apparently left with a cliffhanger ending for years, before this game was successfully funded on Kickstarter and released on most major platforms. I sampled the first few hours of the game back when I bought it, and it's a mixture of Joe Mad's fantstic art with classic turn based battles, combined with new gameplay ideas that help make it feel fresh. Battle Chasers: Nightwar takes between 26 and 43 hours to polish off, so this will be a more long term challenge.
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
I've been wanting to play the PS2 version of Odin Sphere for ages now but eventually it got to the point where I wasn't willing to pay out a significant amount of money for an old game. When Atlus remastered the game in HD, tweaked the mechanics to make the whole thing more accessible and put it out on the PS4, picking it up was a no brainer. Unfortunately, actually getting around to playing it proved rather more challenging, so I would like to try and put some time into it this summer. Doing everything will take 30 hours plus.
Pyre
Jumping back to the shorter games for a second, Pyre is on this list due to a combination of factors, most of which will probably sound familiar. Firstly, it's the latest product from Supergiant Games, the developers of the excellent Bastion and Transistor. Secondly, it is very highly regarded by people whose opinions I value a lot. Thirdly, it has very interesting game mechanics, being described as fantasy NBA Jam with RPG elements! Finally, it should only take about 10 hours to finish, so it's another ideal candidate for a weekend binge.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I have just recently completed the original Mass Effect trilogy again, but I never finished Andromeda. Unlike the rest of the games on this list, I have already spent a significant amount of time with this game on the PS4. However, I have started again from the beginning on the Xbox One with a different version of Ryder, the main character. A lot of people didn't have very kind things to say about Andromeda, to the point where EA decided not to release any DLC and to delay any notion of a sequel for a significant amount of time. This is a shame, because the game is nowhere near as bad as the whingers were making it out to be, especially now the ropey animation and unfortunate bugs have been patched. While none of the characters hold the same appeal as the likes of Garrus or Liara, there is still plenty to enjoy here. This will be the first of the lengthier games in this list that I will focus on, and is expected to take anywhere between 18 and 60 hours!
Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time
This PSP entry in the classic Growlanser series has been in my collection for quite a long time, and I did spend a chunk of time with it on the handheld back when I first bought it - enough to know that it is a fantastic game with a great story, brilliant writing and gripping mechanics. It's also a significant time investment, taking around 50 hours to get to the end. I recently dusted off my Vita TV, which I picked up on the cheap a couple of years ago but never actually used all that much. The thing is, it's great for enjoying PSP RPG's from the comfort of your sofa, on your big TV! This probably has the weakest graphics of all the game on this list, being a PS1 style game created for a very low resolution handheld system, but that doesn't mean it's not worthy of being here!
Journey
Journey has been on my list of shame forever! You know how sometimes, when literally everyone is banging on about how wonderful something is to the point where it actually becomes annoying and you actively avoid that thing as a result? Undertale was one of those, and so was Journey for me. I figured it was probably about time that I find out what all the fuss was about though, especially as it will only take 2 hours to finish!
So that's my list - after deciding on the final 10 I suddenly remembered another game that I originally wanted to be part of it: Firewatch! Oh well, too late now. Maybe if I get through the first 10 I will play Firewatch as well as a bonus. That's a bit of a tall order though.
The plan is that as I finish each game on the list, I will capture my gameplay and create video reviews for each on YouTube. I also intend to continue this diary, probably with a brief update once a week summarising my progress. That way, the blog gets a much needed injection of new content as well as RMGB TV! See you again soon, in the meantime here's that YouTube video I put together...
Hob
I loved Torchlight and Torchlight II, so when Runic Games released Hob I bought it to support them, even though I was slightly disappointed that it was a different type of game. I figured that they would probably get around to making Torchlight III later on, after making a few other things as a palette cleanser. Then towards the end of 2017, they closed down. For a while, I kind of resented Hob and blamed it for their demise, but after watching the Giant Bomb Quick Look for the game, I decided it looked pretty cool and that I should stop being silly and appreciate it for what it was: the last offering from a talented bunch of people that I respect and admire. Of course then there were tons of other games coming out and the game got a bit lost in the melee, until now. According to How Long To Beat, Hob weighs in at around 10 or so hours, so it's the ideal candidate for one of my short game picks.
Cosmic Star Heroine
Another game that takes around 10 or so hours to finish, Cosmic Star Heroine is the latest offering from Zeboyd Games, who previously brought us Breath of Death VIII, Cthulhu Save the World, and parts 3 and 4 of the Penny Arcade RPG games. Their games are always packed full of humour and entertaining writing, and the gameplay is a satisfying mix of classic turned based JRPG style combat combined with some new elements. I picked this one up in a sale earlier in the year and like most of the rest of the games on this list, kind of forgot about it until now. So here it is!
Night in the Woods
I've listened to so many people go on and on about how amazing Night in the Woods is ever since it was first released, and it's been on my gaming "to do" list ever since, but for whatever reason I keep putting it off. Well no more! Night in the Woods tells the tale of an anthropomorphic cat creature called Mae as she returns to her childhood home after being away for an extended period of time, as she hits that stage in her life where she is supposed to start being a responsible adult. The trouble is she hasn't figured out exactly where she fits into the grand scheme of things, so this charming adventure game is mainly about her figuring that out. Night in the Woods should take roughly 8 hours to finish, so it's easily doable, and this will probably be one of the first games I cross off this year.
Oxenfree
This is another adventure style game that I've heard many people discussing over the months since it's release. Unlike most of the other games featured here, I didn't actually buy it for myself. I either got it via Games with Gold, or it was in Xbox Game Pass - I forget which. Anyway, it looked interesting so I downloaded it, and then it just sat there on my Xbox One's external drive with the other 200 or so games. So let's get it done! Oxenfree is estimated to take just 4 hours to finish!
Battle Chasers: Nightwar
Now we start to get into a few of the longer games on my list. Battle Chasers is here because it's the next game from the mind of Joe Madureira, the comic book artist who helped create the Darksiders series with Vigil Games and was responsible for the look of those games. This is an adaptaton / sequel to his own comic book series that was apparently left with a cliffhanger ending for years, before this game was successfully funded on Kickstarter and released on most major platforms. I sampled the first few hours of the game back when I bought it, and it's a mixture of Joe Mad's fantstic art with classic turn based battles, combined with new gameplay ideas that help make it feel fresh. Battle Chasers: Nightwar takes between 26 and 43 hours to polish off, so this will be a more long term challenge.
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
I've been wanting to play the PS2 version of Odin Sphere for ages now but eventually it got to the point where I wasn't willing to pay out a significant amount of money for an old game. When Atlus remastered the game in HD, tweaked the mechanics to make the whole thing more accessible and put it out on the PS4, picking it up was a no brainer. Unfortunately, actually getting around to playing it proved rather more challenging, so I would like to try and put some time into it this summer. Doing everything will take 30 hours plus.
Pyre
Jumping back to the shorter games for a second, Pyre is on this list due to a combination of factors, most of which will probably sound familiar. Firstly, it's the latest product from Supergiant Games, the developers of the excellent Bastion and Transistor. Secondly, it is very highly regarded by people whose opinions I value a lot. Thirdly, it has very interesting game mechanics, being described as fantasy NBA Jam with RPG elements! Finally, it should only take about 10 hours to finish, so it's another ideal candidate for a weekend binge.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I have just recently completed the original Mass Effect trilogy again, but I never finished Andromeda. Unlike the rest of the games on this list, I have already spent a significant amount of time with this game on the PS4. However, I have started again from the beginning on the Xbox One with a different version of Ryder, the main character. A lot of people didn't have very kind things to say about Andromeda, to the point where EA decided not to release any DLC and to delay any notion of a sequel for a significant amount of time. This is a shame, because the game is nowhere near as bad as the whingers were making it out to be, especially now the ropey animation and unfortunate bugs have been patched. While none of the characters hold the same appeal as the likes of Garrus or Liara, there is still plenty to enjoy here. This will be the first of the lengthier games in this list that I will focus on, and is expected to take anywhere between 18 and 60 hours!
Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time
This PSP entry in the classic Growlanser series has been in my collection for quite a long time, and I did spend a chunk of time with it on the handheld back when I first bought it - enough to know that it is a fantastic game with a great story, brilliant writing and gripping mechanics. It's also a significant time investment, taking around 50 hours to get to the end. I recently dusted off my Vita TV, which I picked up on the cheap a couple of years ago but never actually used all that much. The thing is, it's great for enjoying PSP RPG's from the comfort of your sofa, on your big TV! This probably has the weakest graphics of all the game on this list, being a PS1 style game created for a very low resolution handheld system, but that doesn't mean it's not worthy of being here!
Journey
Journey has been on my list of shame forever! You know how sometimes, when literally everyone is banging on about how wonderful something is to the point where it actually becomes annoying and you actively avoid that thing as a result? Undertale was one of those, and so was Journey for me. I figured it was probably about time that I find out what all the fuss was about though, especially as it will only take 2 hours to finish!
So that's my list - after deciding on the final 10 I suddenly remembered another game that I originally wanted to be part of it: Firewatch! Oh well, too late now. Maybe if I get through the first 10 I will play Firewatch as well as a bonus. That's a bit of a tall order though.
The plan is that as I finish each game on the list, I will capture my gameplay and create video reviews for each on YouTube. I also intend to continue this diary, probably with a brief update once a week summarising my progress. That way, the blog gets a much needed injection of new content as well as RMGB TV! See you again soon, in the meantime here's that YouTube video I put together...
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