The Year That Was 2011: Games Edition

Now that we have looked back at what took place on the blog, let’s shift focus and talk about the games that I played during 2011. It was a quiet and subdued year for me, the intention right from the beginning being to hold back on purchases and only really buy the games that I deemed to be ‘must-have’. This led to a focus on just a handful of titles that I eventually began referring to as the “Big Four”. Ultimately that figure decreased to three as one title didn’t come out at all (The Last Guardian), but the sentiment as a whole describes the year that I had perfectly, and it alludes to the approach that I had throughout it. It should also be noted that this post is replacing any ‘Games Of The Year’ posts I would have otherwise done, as I do not feel that I played enough of 2011’s range of titles to truly offer an informed opinion or to highlight the things that were done right. So, without further ado, the videogames that I got to play in 2011.

Test Drive Unlimited 2

Despite clearly being a massive fan of the racing genre, I always felt a little guilty for having this title so high on my anticipation list for 2011. For whatever reason it just felt ‘wrong’ to be excited for this game when better titles (supposedly) were on the horizon like a new Zelda and Forza Motorsport 4. Yet high it was and the reasons for it were simple: I absolutely adored the original game because it enabled me to just pick a car and drive it, wherever and however I wanted to. To be able to experience that pleasure again with improved visuals, new additions like weather and off-road racing and on a much larger scale thanks to the inclusion of two islands rather than one was incredibly enticing for me, and I simply couldn’t wait to try Test Drive Unlimited 2 when it released in February. It was the first of my “big four” games and, in hindsight, it was the right choice as it absolutely delivered on the expectations I held for it.

Having said that, however, it was also a huge disappointment -- not only was it flawed it was incredibly inconsistent, too, making for an insanely fun game when it got everything right and a horribly frustrating one when it got everything wrong. It took far too long to be able to play the game as I intended -- using it for the pleasure of just driving -- thanks to a ridiculous (not to mention unnecessary) story mode; the dirt races and routes felt tacked on despite still being rather fun; and new features such as weather were nothing more than superficial add-ons at best. I have still lost countless hours playing it and just driving freely, so my experience with it has been mostly positive, but there are some serious issues with the game, too, and for the most part they are inexcusable.

I will be covering Test Drive Unlimited 2 in a little more detail in the near future, so keep an eye out for that.

L.A. Noire

The second of my “big four”, L.A. Noire was easily my most anticipated game of the year. Sure, Rockstar’s involvement with it was certainly a big factor but I was more intrigued by how different it appeared to be, and by Team Bondi’s overall ambition with the title. A meticulously recreated 1940s version of Los Angeles to inhabit; a protagonist who is a cop rather than the usual criminals leading other games; and a game in which conversations and discovery (IE: the interrogations and investigations) are the most prominent parts, not shooting or driving or any of the usual suspects? Yes please!

Unfortunately my excitement didn’t pay off as much as I would have liked as the game was somewhat of a let-down. It was still good and I am still very glad that I got to experience it, but it definitely has its problems and some of its main components conflict with each other more than they should, too, which is unfortunate. And the game’s rendition of LA, the feature I was looking forward to the most? Very impressive, no doubt about that, but also very redundant as it is nothing more than a dull and empty space.

Ultimately the game was overshadowed by the controversy that followed its release involving Team Bondi, Brendan McNamara and the eventual (perhaps even inevitable) closure of the Sydney-based studio. Despite these real life dramas and the inconsistencies that L.A. Noire exhibited, I still enjoyed the game and still firmly believe that it was an important title and certainly one worth investigating. It could have been so much more than it actually was, but what was there was still worth the time I put into it.

I plan to revisit L.A. Noire in the near future to try and knuckle down on my thoughts, as it definitely comes across as a game that I need to discuss here on the blog.

Portal 2

In all honesty I wasn’t expecting to be playing Portal 2 this year. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in it or didn’t want to play, it just happened to be a game that I was prepared to wait for like so many of the other big 2011 titles. However, shortly after I purchased my gaming PC I was lucky enough to get the game and, in typical Valve style, it delivered on all expectations.

How do you surpass perfection? By continuing to be perfect, that’s how -- precisely what Portal 2 did. There’s no denying that the sequel had some big shoes to fill and I am sure it would be fair to say that most people out there had their doubts, despite the game being made by Valve, and yet it nailed everything that it set out to do. Objectively, it is the game of the year purely because of how skillfully and elegantly it achieved its goals, but subjectively it would be a strong contender for that nod because it is just simply fantastic. I had an absolute blast playing around with the new mechanics and found myself, once again, baffled by some of the genius level design and clever puzzles. It has one of the best videogame endings of all time, I think, and personally one of the best openings, too -- I was absolutely hooked as soon as I heard how much Wheatley had to say when I left the game idling, and when I was ready to actually play I couldn’t because I was in hysterics. Humour in videogames is still seldom seen, unfortunately, so I absolutely cherish the funny moments that the entirety of Portal 2 gave to me.

F1 2011

After being blown away by F1 2010 and inspired to do things like my Living The Life series, it was inevitable that this game would be a key title from 2011’s lineup. What you might not have known, however, was that I was prepared to hold off buying it until perhaps even this year due to the aforementioned desire to hold back on my purchases. That was until I found myself in possession of a review copy, anyway.

F1 2011 is hard to comment on because, aside from playing it enough to be able to write the review, I have barely touched it -- not when compared to the amount of hours I have put into its predecessor F1 2010, anyway. What I did play, however, demonstrated to me that the game was absolutely an improvement with some great refinement being made by Codemasters, and key new features like the inclusion of the Safety Car being thoroughly welcome. It wasn’t just an annual release ready to cash-in on the brand or license, it was a genuine successor that illustrated that F1 2010 wasn’t just a one-trick pony, and that Codies had a direction that they wanted to go with the series. Whether it can sustain everything in its current form for another go with F1 2012 later this year remains to be seen but, right now at least, F1 2011 is another fantastic Formula 1 and racing game, and the franchise as a whole is well on its way to being one of the genre’s finest.

I will be covering F1 2011 extensively this year, as well as using it for the second season of my role-playing story. I refuse to focus on the title until I have covered F1 2010, however, so expect musings on that game in the very near future. 

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

The third (and final) game of my “big four”, Uncharted 3 was absolutely high on my list because it was the follow up to the impeccable Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and because it was being made by one of my favourite developers in Naughty Dog -- a studio I firmly believe deserves to be considered in the same light as Rockstar, Nintendo, Valve and the other behemoth names of the industry. Most of all, however, I was eagerly anticipating Drake’s Deception because it meant another journey with some of my favourite characters in the medium, meaning I could share more adventures with Elena, Chloe, Sully and, of course, Nathan Drake.

Interestingly, now that I have played it, I feel like Uncharted 3 was a bit of a let-down. A feeling that actually bothers me because there is nothing inherently wrong with it and because it exceeded what Uncharted 2 brought to the table back in 2009. The graphics were sublime; the set-pieces were absolutely amazing; the levels and locations were incredible; and the continuation of the story and the ability to see more of the characters was brilliant. Yet, somehow, I feel like I enjoyed Uncharted 2 more and I find that fascinating to contemplate because on an objective level Drake’s Deception is better in every way. I’m sitting on my thoughts about the game for a few months so I can revisit it and really understand them, so when I play it again I will cover it here on the blog. In the meantime it absolutely is a fantastic game (despite what some of the backlash it is receiving might suggest) and ultimately it ensures that the Uncharted franchise as a whole is one of the best to have come out of this current generation.

Forza Motorsport 4

Like F1 2011, commenting on Forza Motorsport 4 is difficult for me because I have barely played it and, once again, I wasn’t expecting to have access to it, either. For whatever reason a very generous friend decided to buy two copies and lend one to me, and now we’ve made a deal in which I will be buying the game off him once I am ready to do so. Being the Collector’s Edition means that I am rather grateful to be in a situation like this, but either way it is interesting because it was totally unexpected.

The first thing I noticed was how much better overall the sound quality was: cars sound absolutely fantastic now, and the environmental ambiance and general aural performance has been improved immensely. Physics, too, have continued to be refined to remarkable levels, something I won’t fully get to understand until I have played it for some time. The graphics are also better -- that’s obvious from screenshots alone, as demonstrated above -- but, as a simulation game, I don’t pay too much attention (okay maybe a little bit) to that.

Unfortunately, however, I just haven’t played it enough to give you any decent summary of how good it is. Why haven’t I spent time running it through its paces or driving lap after lap after lap? Because I am still working on Forza Motorsport 3 and I am trying to wrap that up before fully transitioning into FM4. Look out for some coverage on the game later in the year once I have given it a proper go.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Another game that I wasn’t expecting to play and thus, can’t really comment on, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a hard one because I both like it and don’t think it is as fantastic as everyone else makes it out to be. I realise having played very little I can’t speak to it like everyone else can, but the brief sessions I did have with it illustrated to me that whilst it was a massive improvement over The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, it is also full of the issues that have plagued the series for years, too. It looks and sounds better, has a more interesting setting and features a world that looks like a joy to get lost in, and yet it still has wooden (and fairly uninteresting) characters, the same goddamn voice-overs and repetitive quests and/or dungeons. I don’t know, the game just had (and continues to have) such incredible hype surrounding it and yet that’s what the final product is? Really?

I just don’t see it, but then as I said I have barely played it so it isn’t right to judge. I am sure it is a fantastic game (I did enjoy what I played, honest!) and that I will enjoy it when I can finally play it properly, but at the same time I just don’t think the series as a whole is right for me, or that I am just missing what everyone else sees in it. I guess time will tell on that one.

Oh, and for the record: I was able to play it due to another generous friend. I don’t own it myself yet, unfortunately. 

Mario Kart 7

Yet another game I wasn’t expecting to play because I wasn’t expecting to own the platform you find it on. It wasn’t until last month, December, that I got my Nintendo 3DS (yes, as a Christmas present) and as such this game only barely scrapes onto the list. Despite this it already stands out as one of the year’s most interesting and enjoyable games, and I definitely look forward to playing it some more in the very near future.

The fact that Retro Studios had a hand in its development is also something I find fascinating, not just because of their own pedigree and what it means for the game but because of what it may suggest for Nintendo (and thus, the medium) going forward, too. By collaborating with Retro to design some tracks and environments, EAD Tokyo have indicated that they are not against the idea of working with other development teams; western development teams. This is significant information and could be very interesting to keep an eye on as the Wii U comes out and Nintendo enters the High Definition race -- Retro may not have released any HD games themselves yet but, being a Western team, they would absolutely be familiar with it. Will they be leading the charge, so to speak, when it comes to the approach Nintendo ultimately have with their upcoming console? Probably not, but it’s still an intriguing thing to observe and contemplate.

Super Mario 3D Land

As with Mario Kart 7 I wasn’t expecting to own this and because the purchase was so recent I haven’t played it enough to really comment on it. What I did see was impressive and I look forward to playing more, but having said that it also didn’t grab me as much as I was perhaps expecting it to.

Regular readers of Raptured Reality would be aware of the fact that I am not as into Mario or Zelda as most Nintendo players are, my series of choice instead being Metroid. They would also be aware, however, that Super Mario Galaxy captivated me and surprised me with its genius level design and fantastic use of perspective, so my reaction to that wonderful game definitely played a key role in my interest for Super Mario 3D Land. A mix of Super Mario Galaxy and old-school Mario platformers, in 3D, on a handheld? It almost sounds too good to be true and, if I’m honest, it is… What is there is seemingly a really well made, fantastic title, but by being an amalgamation rather than a unique experience I also feel like the game might ultimately fall a little flat for me personally. But, again, I have barely played it -- let’s revisit this subject once I have given it a proper chance.

Minecraft

What can I say about Minecraft that I haven’t already said countless times before? The game is a marvel, quite literally, and if hours played were a defining factor behind choosing a game of the year the thing would win hands down. Featuring it for two years in a row is also a little weird, as no other game (except maybe World Of Warcraft?) can remain as important and as prominent as Mojang’s indie sensation has. Of course, the game ‘officially’ came out late last year by finally leaving Beta status, but no matter what state the game is in one thing has remained consistent and abundantly clear the entire time: Minecraft is on this list because it is inspiring, mesmerizing and because it unleashed a creative side to my personality that I didn’t even know I had. It is one of the best games I have ever played and I fully expect that I will be playing it for many more years to come, too.

This may be a touch hyperbolic so early into a new one but, Minecraft isn’t just one of the games of the year, it’s one of the games of the decade. I eagerly look forward to seeing what other developers can do with the new genre that Mojang have created.

*****

So there you have it, the games that I was lucky enough to play during 2011. As suggested above it was a rather quiet year for me and I didn’t get to play everything I wanted to, including The Last Guardian which was unfortunately delayed for whatever reason. I missed Batman: Arkham City, The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Bastion, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and so many more games that I definitely wanted to play. Unlike 2011 my aspirations for 2012 aren’t restricted in any way so I definitely will be catching up with all of the titles that I missed throughout the year. I will also be playing a whole host of games due to come out, too, but I will have more on those in a preview for 2012 in a couple of days.

Finally, I suggested in yesterday’s post that I found the year to be disappointing. The reason for this is because I felt like all of the titles that had high expectations and immense hype either underperformed or failed to deliver. It’s not that the year’s best games weren’t great experiences and worth waiting for but, rather, that after looking so strong for so long the final outcome for each of these titles was a little… lackluster. A similar thing happened with 2010’s range of titles but I definitely feel like that year was a better success (if you will) than 2011 ultimately was. Was the year yet another example of hype reaching unrealistic and unattainable levels? Maybe, but either way it is an interesting thing to observe and contemplate. Here’s hoping 2012’s line-up has a better chance.

Preparing For GTA V

Tomorrow, after a surprisingly long duration of silence, we will finally know what is happening with Grand Theft Auto V. Announced last week with nothing more than a suggestive logo (seen above), the appearance of the game came out of nowhere after a few years of Rockstar focusing on their other titles, namely Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire. We all knew a new GTA was coming but when was another story, so the arrival of the game's trailer will certainly be interesting. 

If you have been following me on this blog for a while then you would be aware of how much love and respect I have for the last Grand Theft Auto: GTA IV. While I wouldn't necessarily consider it to be one of my most favourite games from this generation, the fascination I (still) have with the game's version of Liberty City elevates it to a level that few other games reach -- simply put, I believe Rockstar's achievements with Liberty City in GTA IV are incredible, and the place still manages to blow my mind every time I pop in for a visit. I've covered this many times before, however, so I won't expand on this point but it goes without saying that, due to my love for Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV, my anticipation for whatever Rockstar have in the pipeline for GTA V is sky-high. As soon as I heard the news last week that it was finally coming, it shot straight to the top of my most desired games from next year. Yes, even over BioShock Infinite and the new Tomb Raider -- how's that for excitement, eh? 

Anyway, I thought I'd take the time to make some personal predictions and disclose some of the things I want from the new game, particularly given that it's a numbered title rather than one with a subtitle. Usually when this happens it is because Rockstar believe they've made a ground-breaking step with the franchise, as was clearly demonstrated with the step up from the GTA III era (which includes Vice City and San Andreas) to GTA IV (whose continuation lied with the downloadable episodes, rather than individual titles). I know, I know, everyone jumps on the speculation train when it comes to something new in the Grand Theft Auto franchise so by doing it myself I'm just adding to the noise that, eventually, no one will even remember. But part of the beauty of the GTA series is the personal takeaways and anecdotes that its open-world, free-form nature allows for, so as a result it's only natural that its players have their own personal desires and expectations for each new title. That and, if you ask me, it's about time Grand Theft Auto as a whole started to do some things differently, so you'll find my desired changes below.

If GTA V can eclipse this, it's doing something right.

Things I Want To See 

A Continued Push Towards Realism: Grand Theft Auto IV divided the fanbase into two camps, those who enjoyed the more realistic and mature approach Rockstar took with the title, and those who missed the more zany, outrageous antics of the PS2-era GTAs. Naturally, as we approach details of GTA V these two camps are being very vocal about which direction they'd prefer to see the game take, complaining whenever the opposing one suggests something they don't like. Personally, I fall into the GTA IV 'mature' camp, but not because of the same reasons these people do. I want Grand Theft Auto V to continue focusing on maturity and, in particular, a more realistic approach because the ramifications of that direction appeal to me more. Rockstar have made some intriguing experiments with videogame storytelling in their recent titles and as someone interested in seeing games allowing us to inhabit these fictions, that's something I'd like to see continue with the new game. But if not for the narrative's sake, then I want a realistic approach to permeate Grand Theft Auto V because of the way in which it gave consistency and coherency to Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV -- put simply, I believe the game was more immersive because of the attention to detail and atmosphere that a more realistic style required. I thoroughly enjoyed the physics and handling of GTA IV's vehicles, for example, and how they behaved a little more like real cars (as opposed to floaty boxes) due to the sense of weight they now had. While obviously nowhere near the levels of racing simulations, this weight allowed for the game to communicate things like grip in a believable way, giving tactile feedback and a more informed sense of control to the driving mechanics of the game, as well as ensuring that these vehicles actually felt connected to the road and, more importantly, that they belonged in the environment. While Niko's (and later, Johnny and Luis') movement controls were inconsistent and arguably a little slow, his animations and weight also gave the impression of a connection to Liberty City, enhancing the ability to assume his character as we explored the environment and developed the story. These minor details, plus many more, really lifted Grand Theft Auto IV above other open-world games for me, something that continued in Red Dead Redemption -- it'd be nice to see GTA V follow the same direction, if not for the potential in storytelling than certainly because of the way in which it affects the game space. 

A Female Protagonist: It remains to be seen whether we will ever be granted a female protagonist in a Grand Theft Auto game, but if any developer was going to try it and actually do a meaningful job with it, it's Rockstar. You only need to look at a character like Bonnie MacFarlane from Red Dead Redemption to know what they can do with female characters, so extending that to a playable woman (or girl -- think along the lines of Bully) for GTA V would be an interesting outcome for the franchise. They've already experimented with characters of colour (San Andreas; Luis from The Ballad Of Gay Tony expansion) and other, less explored territory for their characters (Gay Tony would be another example -- it's up to you to decide whether these experiments have been meaningful or not) so seeing a female protagonist in Grand Theft Auto V isn't necessarily as big a stretch as it may initially seem, particularly when rumours abound suggesting that this new installment might contain multiple playable characters for the main story, rather than just one like its predecessors. But whether one dominates the game like Niko did for GTA IV is another story (if one is included at all), so I guess we will find out either through the trailer tomorrow, or as more details about the game show up as we head towards its release. Personally, though, I would absolutely love it if the whole game was led by a female protagonist, as the result of that wouldn't just be interesting from a Grand Theft Auto point of view, it'd also be interesting from an industry perspective, too. Rockstar are usually regarded as pioneers and it's not unusual for developers to follow their lead -- if Rockstar were brave enough* to use a female protagonist then that could indirectly motivate other developers to use them for their games, too, improving the videogame medium by making it more diverse and catering to a wider spectrum of players. Time will tell on this one. 

New Faces, New Places: While GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas were interesting from a character development point of view, it wasn't until Grand Theft Auto IV that I believe Rockstar begun to make real progress as far as creating decent characters was concerned, something that only improved as the two downloadable episodes were released, and then later again when Red Dead Redemption hit the market. Now that they've gained some experience in creating multi-layered, unpredictable and intriguing characters, I'd love to see what Rockstar can do with a completely new cast that is separate to anything and anyone that we've seen before. I don't want to see cameos by Niko, Luis or Johnny, and I certainly don't want to see Claude, CJ or Tommy Vercetti appear either; instead, I want new people to get to know, new people to make friends (and enemies) with, and new relationships to be born. It doesn't matter whether this is in the form of multiple protagonists (as is rumoured), an emphasis on relationships (family or otherwise) as in GTA IV, or in the list of characters that make up the rest of the game -- all I want to see is new faces who continue to embody the direction that Rockstar appear to be heading in and who, more importantly, become people we care about as they join the ranks of the medium's other wonderful characters, such as the aforementioned Bonnie from Red Dead Redemption, the cast from Mass Effect or the companions from the Uncharted series. 

On top of that, I don't want to see a return to Vice City or the large, diverse environments that made San Andreas so compelling, even though a modern take on them would be quite fascinating (think of the way in which Liberty City changed from GTA III to GTA IV). Instead, I want to see a completely new city or expanse of land, one that gives Rockstar the chance to take us somewhere new and to show us something different, and one that can join those wonderful places as being some of the best videogame locations of all time. Aside from rumours floating around about a return to Vice City or Los Santos (GTA's version of Los Angeles, suggesting that the new game could be set in San Andreas), there's also some suggesting that this time around the game could be set in Washington D.C, particularly poignant given the material such a setting would give Rockstar, political or otherwise, and because of the proximity of that city to places like Baltimore and Philadelphia (not to mention New York or, in GTA terms, Liberty City). While nothing more than a rumour right now, I actually really like the sound of a Washington setting so while I'm not going to commit to expecting it, I do definitely think it would be an interesting change to what we experienced with Liberty City just a few short years ago. Wherever Grand Theft Auto V is set, be it a return to familiar places or new environments entirely, I am sure that the same care and attention will be given to the setting and as such, I can't wait to inhabit and explore GTA V's locations, no matter what they end up being. But it would be nice to see something new, so here's hoping that Rockstar's feeling the same way. 

Will GTA V see the same level of detail?

Some Predictions

A First-Person Perspective: This may be somewhat bold (not to mention surprising), especially considering how crucial a third-person viewpoint is for things like driving and brawling, but I predict that Grand Theft Auto V will have (because I'd like to see) a first-person perspective because that would represent the kind of shift Rockstar like to make whenever they do another numbered installment in the franchise. Grand Theft Auto IV was already incredible due to its atmosphere and attention to detail, where walking around the city was just as exciting as participating in an intense battle was -- imagine if GTA V provided this in a first-person perspective, where we were even more up close and personal with the environment and where things like shooting could adopt the insane progress we've made in recent years from other genres. Imagine driving with your focus behind the steering wheel as opposed to the car you're driving, or the potentially visceral brutality of melee as you fight against your foes. By using the first-person, Rockstar could fix a lot of the issues that GTA IV still exhibited despite immense improvements over the PS2-era titles, because our medium's obsession with First-Person Shooters has resulted in great gun-play while things like movement have been advanced thanks to titles like Mirror's Edge. The likelihood of Grand Theft Auto V being completely in the first-person perspective is probably rather slim, despite my desire to see Rockstar attempt such a thing with the series, but I have a feeling with GTA V so I guess we'll have to wait and see. If anything, they could opt for a mixture of first-and-third-person, similar to what Bethesda does with their Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises. 

Multiple Cities: Whether it's revisiting old favourites or taking us to where we (and GTA) have never gone before, I believe Grand Theft Auto V will feature more than one city. The first reason I think this is because that's a direct way to improve on what was managed with Liberty City in GTA IV, signifying the next step up that the 'V' in the title represents, and the second is because Rockstar are ambitious like that and would want to send this generation out in a way that only they can. If the main game doesn't contain at least two cities (with rural areas and etc. in between), then I think they'll do it using downloadable expansions after the success they had with GTA IV's DLC. If the rumours about LA/Los Santos are true then it is quite possible that we will see the entirety of San Andreas, recreated as Liberty City was last time around. If it is a new setting altogether, like the aforementioned possibility of Washington D.C, then we could be seeing places like Baltimore, Philadelphia or Chicago appear for the first time. Wherever it will be, and whether it's on the disc or through expansions after release, I definitely believe GTA V will have multiple locations for us to explore and inhabit, so I look forward to seeing what those places will be when Rockstar reveal them. In some respects, they can't not offer more than one city: the fans have been pining for a new San Andreas for years and whilst what we may be getting with GTA V might not satiate that particular desire, I dare say the new environments -- and the fact that multiple locations offers the diversity that these people are after -- certainly will. 

Storytelling Progress: Whilst I already covered what I'd like to see Rockstar do with storytelling above, what I believe they will do happens to follow the same path -- after playing Red Dead Redemption I have no doubt in my mind that Rockstar have made it their goal, somewhat, to focus on and emphasise the importance of storytelling in videogames, and that they will be demonstrating their progress in this area with Grand Theft Auto V. Whether it is driven by a strong suite of characters, the journey that its protagonist(s?) will take or through the environmental information its setting can convey, I definitely think Rockstar are keen to continue telling tales and if they expand upon the progress they have made so far, then GTA V will be very interesting from a narrative point of view. Ultimately speculating on this aspect of the series is difficult because it's hard to know what direction they want to take the franchise in, let alone what they may or may not want to do on the storytelling front, but their approach to this generation thus far has all but confirmed to me that they are trying to advance the medium, once again, because few other developers seem comfortable in doing so. Will it result in the same levels of controversy that previous Grand Theft Auto titles have received? Maybe, but then again it is because of this controversy in the first place that we've made the progress we have in such little time, so I do think we will see it continue with Grand Theft Auto V. I just can't see them returning to the immature, juvenile antics that they used to revel in. Sure, it has its place in the medium as Saints Row clearly exemplifies, but Rockstar had their adolescent fun so now it is time to see how they're faring as an adult -- something I'm sure they are just as eager to find out as we are. Guess we'll find out with the trailer tomorrow!

****

So there you go, my personal desires and predictions for Grand Theft Auto V. I can't wait to see what Rockstar will be revealing in the trailer and, indeed, as the game gets closer to release (I strongly suspect Game Informer's next cover will feature the game, too). Despite having these preferences and forecasts, I'm excited for the game no matter which direction they choose to head in. The franchise is one of the few in this industry that transcends the medium it exists in and is truly a global, cultural phenomenon -- the explosion on the Internet after that simple logo was shown proves this -- so, no matter what the game actually involves, it's just great to have a new GTA on the horizon and something to reinvigorate people's passion for games again after an arguably dull period in recent times. A new Grand Theft Auto is an event as much as, if not more than, it is a new game in a successful franchise so yeah, absolutely, I'm going to indulge in the emotion and attention that such a thing inspires in so many people. Something like this doesn't happen every day so the fact it is happening tomorrow is an incredibly exciting thing. Bring it on! 

*It irks me having to call using a female protagonist a “brave move” but, let's be honest, male-centric campaigns dominate the medium currently and whilst some developers have made inroads (think BioWare, or Valve), the reality is that most are too comfortable with using male characters for their games' leads. Things are changing, slowly, but they would change even faster if Rockstar led the way and showed them how things can, or should, be done. Here's hoping.

F1 2011

Pixel Hunt, an E-Zine and online website, recently posted their review of F1 2011... meaning that after many years posting here on the blog, I have finally been published elsewhere!

Yes, it's true, I wrote the review of Codemasters' latest installment in their rather wonderful Formula 1 series, and it was an absolute pleasure to try my hand at writing a review rather than whatever I feel like here on Raptured Reality. Writing a review means that you're writing for an audience, basically, so with that in mind I tried my best to keep things simple and cover a variety of things about F1 2011 that I thought would be beneficial to anyone who may end up reading it. F1 being what is, however, it was rather challenging as the sport is just too complex to be able to describe without venturing into motorsport jargon territory, or at the very least areas in which only automotive enthusiasts would understand. Still, I thought the review came out pretty well considering it was my first, so do let me know what you think.

While we're on the subject of Formula 1 games, I suppose I should address a few things. First of all, reviewing this year's title suggests that I have moved on from last year's F1 2010 and, by extension, that I might be done with my Living The Life story or, indeed, covering that game from an analytical point of view. Not true! Whilst I have slacked off, again, with coverage for the game and my story, I don't consider myself to be finished with either and will continue to focus on that game until I am. This means that you can expect the story to resume (sooner than you may think, too!) and that I am still dedicated to seeing it through to the last round, in Abu Dhabi. You can also expect me to start posting about why I fell in love with F1 2010 so much as well as pick up on some of the issues I think the game has -- some of which I actually mention in my review of F1 2011. 

Once I have done that, then I will shift my focus over to F1 2011 and begin discussing what makes that game worth playing, as well as why it is so different (surprisingly) from Codemasters' first effort with the license.  I will also elaborate on some of the things I covered in the review, and point out some of the things I left out. Then I'll begin the second season of my Living The Life story because I'm interested in what it would be like to experience another season using that mentality (or persona) and to then convey those findings, once again, here on the blog. 

As far as other content is concerned, both the Metroid Marathon and Red Dead Ruminations posts will continue (apologies for the delays) and I will also be taking a look at both L.A. Noire and Test Drive Unlimited 2, finally, as I am now ready to think about my experiences with them.

It was an absolute pleasure to try something new and do a review of F1 2011 for Pixel Hunt. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my editor for the review, Dylan Burns (if he's reading this), for giving me the chance to experiment with my writing. Will I do more reviews in the future? I'm not sure yet but considering this experience was nothing but positive the entire way through, I am certainly willing to consider it if the chance arises once again.

Anyway, if you're interested then by all means give it a read and let me know what you think. Thanks again for reading my work, everyone, and happy gaming.

Liberty Blues

Images taken from the glorious DeadEndThrills.com

Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City is, easily, my favourite videogame setting around. That may surprise you given my bias towards certain games and, indeed, their own locations, but Rockstar's faux-version of New York is king because it continues to surprise me each and every time I visit.

Every three months or so I fire up GTA IV simply to go for a walk or drive around Liberty City. I do this, I guess, because I want to relive my experiences of playing the game when it first came out, or when the Episodes proved that the city had many stories to tell. I also do it because its huge size, impressive design and sense of life is unparalleled in this medium, even three years after its release. You know something was incredible when even L.A. Noire's Los Angeles -- already impressive in its own way -- can't match Liberty City's scope or awe. It truly does feel like Liberty City exists whether you're visiting it or not, and this distinct difference elevates it above any other game setting as the best one I have ever had the luxury of visiting; of inhabiting.

Verisimilitude is wonderful and certainly something that has seen substantial progress within this current generation, but it means nothing if these wonderful worlds that get built for games like Mass Effect, Fallout 3 and Red Dead Redemption are under-utilised or, worse, forgotten about. Obviously that's a non-issue at the moment as these games and their amazing environments are absolutely relevant to us right now, but my fear is that as we continue to progress and continue to move forward with technology, new hardware and new, amazing intellectual property (IP), these places of wonder will exist only in memory and nothing more. This might have been acceptable (to a degree) in the past where the medium's evolution was such a significant force, but as we reach and surpass the uncanny valley and photo-realism, I don't think it will be right to forget about Venice in Assassin's Creed II, Empire Bay in Mafia II or, yes, Liberty City in GTA IV. So much effort, time and resources go into making these virtual masterpieces but, because of the always looking forward mentality (that I keep bringing up on this blog) and the perception that what has come before must be outdone, I'm seriously worried that these wonderful game settings, these amazing spaces, will be left behind. Whether they are or not remains to be seen, but if it does happen then losing the brilliance of Liberty City will be the biggest loss, I think.

Think about it for a second. The Episodes From Liberty City downloadable content bucked the trend of DLC by redefining the city through new, fresh perspectives, adding a different take on a place we had all become familiar with. Like, say, Minerva's Den (also fantastic) from BioShock 2, this content took what we knew about these worlds and showed us that this was only just a small part of their overall make-up, that our insight was just a small component of a much bigger, much more incredible picture. They made something old new again, and definitely enhanced our overall enjoyment (and perception) of Liberty City as a whole. But, now that those episodes have been and gone, where do we go from here? Towards the next instalment of GTA (whatever that happens to be), of course, leaving Liberty City as nothing more than a memory -- an amazing memory, sure, but still a memory.

This year's E3 is the perfect example of this situation: every single press conference that opened the show was met with gamers everywhere anticipating the announcement of the next Grand Theft Auto. Like Half Life Episode Three (or, indeed, Half Life 3) the announcement never came, but the point is that everyone is ready to move on and experience the next title in Rockstar's seminal franchise, and they can't wait to hear about even just confirmation that it is coming. These people have moved on, in other words, and while they can reflect upon their time in GTA IV's Liberty City and acknowledge how great it is, it's no longer relevant to their gaming habits because they're too busy awaiting the future. This is understandable, of course, and I don't begrudge anyone who is excited to see where the GTA franchise goes next (both literally, in terms of where it is set, and figuratively in terms of the impact it will have) -- I know I'm anxious to know as well -- but as such an immense fan of Liberty City, it's somewhat disheartening and definitely disappointing to know that no one cares about it like they used to.

I don't know -- I look at Liberty City and see a gigantic metropolis with so much to see, so much to do, and also get the impression that we know so little about this remarkable city. Sure, we may have it memorised (I certainly do, thanks photographic memory!) and may know where we can go to play darts or go bowling, but as a whole we are a very small element in the city's massive scale, and despite three adventures within it, we've made such a little impact on it overall. At the end of the day we're just one person roaming the streets, with thousands more like us clearly visible amongst Liberty City's hustle and bustle. We may be the protagonist and, like all games, the experience may be centered around us and us only, but as I suggested before Liberty City leaves me with a sense that it exists whether I am there or not, and that my presence won't affect its ability to be home to so many civilians. It is kind of like New York for me in real life -- I know it is there and I'd like to visit one day, but it means nothing to my life here in Australia unless I actively seek to change that by hopping on a plane and flying to America. My concern is that no one will make the effort to make the trip to Liberty City any more, and the reason for that will be because they are always more interested in visiting the places that the various videogames out there take us next.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, but Liberty City isn't exactly a disposable thing, either -- it is still the most stunning technical achievement and fascinating environment videogames have ever seen, but all of that will be forgotten once brand new games, perhaps even the next GTA, come along to wow us with their own amazing locations. New York will never be forgotten -- why does Liberty City have to be?

Beautiful Disaster

Destruction caused by war is fascinating, but what if Mother Nature caused it instead?

War. Death. Destruction. Turmoil.

These are all things that videogames are synonymous with, so much so that brown and grey textures, muddy environments and charred ruins are, perhaps brazenly, more common than colour itself. But most of the time this significant imagery -- the “Destroyed Beauty” of Gears Of War; the apocalyptic ruins of Washington D.C. in Fallout 3 -- is the result of war, the remnants of the past now nothing more than ruins. Why is this? Obviously war and combat are important from a gameplay point of view, justifying these settings, but what if there could be other causes behind the destruction? What if the perdition came not from humanity’s struggle or fight against an enemy but from something out of our control? What if Mother Nature was responsible instead?

This is something I have been considering for a while now and something that I’m reminded of every time another game with an environment impacted by disaster comes along or, this year, another tragedy in real life occurs. In fact, this year’s sheer quantity of natural disasters has been so significant that I have felt compelled to delay this post out of respect for those who have suffered from them or, worse, lost their lives. The floods and cyclone in Queensland; the Earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand; Tsunami (and subsequent nuclear disaster) in Japan; floods in Brazil; the Californian fires or, indeed, the recent tornadoes in America, including the recent one which wiped portions of the city of Joplin off the map -- all of these and more have been exceptionally serious, extremely unfortunate events that, when combined, make this year absolutely horrific and inherently depressing. I put off this post because I felt uncomfortable publishing it -- much like the creators behind those games that were either delayed or cancelled, I imagine -- when so many things were happening and where so many people were being affected. But I can’t put it off forever and, forgetting the tragic brutality we’ve seen so far this year, for a moment at least, I think that natural disasters in videogames could be something important and definitely an area worth exploring. Allow me to explain.

Videogame spaces, in this generation in particular, have come alive, with thematic settings, incredible atmosphere and multiple stories to tell. Discovery has been particularly strong, finding an abandoned shack in Fallout or a messy room in BioShock an intriguing affair, both because it gets us, as players, asking questions -- why is this room like this? What happened here? Where did the owners of this shack go? -- and because it adds weight and meaning to the environment we are exploring, the locations we get to inhabit. More than any other generation the combination of visuals, sound and atmosphere allow for videogames to take us anywhere, to places we can’t go. Mass Effect enables us to travel the galaxy and mingle with other species; L.A. Noire and Mafia II take us back to a time period long ago and incredibly different to our own today. Red Dead Redemption, finally, showed us what it was like to exist in a Western setting, enlightening us, indirectly, to how things were back then and how far humanity has come. But all of these settings, all of these locations that games allow us to visit -- both ‘real’ and fictional -- are static, mostly unchanging environments, only alive when our consoles are on and only existing to serve a story, mechanics or a particular intended experience. Rapture is, bless its soul, already in ruins when we get to see it, the levels built to convey the narrative and service the combat dynamics rather than to demonstrate how things can change, how characters and civilians alike can leave their mark or have an impact on the city or proceedings. If something changes it is because it was supposed to, a scripted moment to benefit or influence a particular facet of the overall experience. A good example of this is Mafia II’s transition from Winter to Spring: snow and blustery conditions give Empire Bay one kind of atmosphere (which, I might add, is quite charming) while the brighter, more positive aura of a warmer season gives the city another. What if this changed? What if Mother Nature’s ferocious but beautiful power -- if weather -- changed an environment or setting in a meaningful way? What if a tragedy in a virtual world could impact gameplay, the story, or the demeanor of a game’s characters in really interesting ways, changing our experience in the process and reinforcing our connection to that world and everything in it?

Just imagine if rain flooded Liberty City, and just what that could mean.

We’ve already seen how a thunderstorm in Red Dead Redemption or showers in Liberty City can change their respective games, even if it’s momentarily. It changes the atmosphere, makes driving (for example) harder because things are slippery, and breaks up the pace and alters the dynamics of our session. But what if Liberty City was flooded, its rivers overflowing and spilling onto the roads? What if the weather was so ubiquitous and ongoing that the streets were covered with water, buildings inundated and the result was a different city -- even if it did eventually recede -- than the one we’re already accustomed to? It would force us to reassess our approach to what we were doing or how we’d do it, and test our knowledge of the space we have inhabited for so long, making us find alternative routes or different means of travel. Furthermore, narratively, it could affect the people who we come to know, showing us sides of their personality we couldn’t see previously and how they would deal with such adversity. What if these quest-givers -- because, let’s face it, that’s all they really are -- couldn’t offer us things to do or tasks to perform because they simply had more important things to attend to? What if, god forbid, these characters -- some of whom we might actually have a connection to or relationship with -- died because they weren’t prepared for an excess of water to come and flood their houses, their home? What if, to go in a slightly different direction, Liberty City was hit by an earthquake, unexpectedly, because like the weather it was dynamic, unpredictable and unforeseen?

Such scenarios can pose many questions and, if done effectively, really impact upon a game world and the things inside it in meaningful ways. Part of the reason Heavy Rain resonated so much with me is because it used rain as a significant, serious part of its narrative -- something that hadn’t been done before. From a technical standpoint serious events and tragedies in games might be unrealistic to do, but surely there is incentive in trying if it can add weight to a world, make our connection to it as players more meaningful, and ultimately ensure that games as a whole can be as deep, emotional and affecting as products in other mediums? Mother Nature’s fury in real life is nothing more than a negative, unfortunate and unpredictable series of events, where loss is prevalent everywhere and the need to rebuild is essential. But in a virtual sense her wrath could be absolutely beautiful, especially if it engrosses us into our games more thoroughly than ever before. The result might not be pretty but it sure beats having yet another war be the justification for why all of our games are always... well, in ruins.

Mafia II

Oh Mafia II, what can I say about you? I love you so much and yet you left me feeling puzzled, confused and conflicted. You enticed me with your beautiful city, strong focus on narrative and realism, and your prospect of taking me on a virtual trip to the 1940s, a time I will never get to experience in reality. You did those things but then didn’t allow me to explore Empire Bay; to inhabit that wonderful time period or, indeed, Mafia story; and your attention to realism -- admirable as it is -- was a letdown once I realised it was barely enforced and that I could treat the “rules” like I would in any other open world game. You were supposed to be different, supposed to be unique, and certainly supposed to deliver something that couldn’t be found in other games. Instead, you are more like them than you realise. You deal with things just like they do, portray them in the same light, and the results of my actions are the same they have always been. You relied on genre conventions and tropes, on familiarity rather than something new, and became just another example of how right games like Grand Theft Auto actually got it. But you’re not GTA. You’re not concerned with mayhem or freedom or the relationship between player and world, of protagonist and ally. You are much more interested in conveying a story in a cool setting. So why didn’t you?

It’s no secret that I was pretty keen on Mafia II. At the time I was excited about it because it truly seemed like something different, something I hadn’t experienced before. In some ways, it was. The time period and therefore setting -- particularly aesthetically -- was new (to me) and definitely a change from more modern surroundings and post apocalyptic adventures. But go beyond its looks and sounds, its sights and period-appropriate melodies, and what you get is just another game city, one impressive in size, scope and activity, but also one that has been done before. Liberty City, despite being released in early 2008, is still the most active, appealing metropolis that videogames have ever seen. Even L.A. Noire’s meticulous recreation of 1940s L.A. has nothing on the city that never sleeps, the city where there is always something to see and do. Mafia II’s Empire Bay tried to replicate some of the amazing diversity and sense of wonder that Liberty City inspires with almost every visit, and in some respects even achieved this, with a compelling atmosphere; similar sense of a “living and breathing” city; and places to go and explore, but then it takes it all away again in order to continue on with the story it is trying to tell. At first it is awe-inspiring, the beauty of skyscrapers in the distance and the little (scripted) moments that can take place due to the strong focus on story and the structure that reinforces it of particular note, but before too long you start to notice how deceiving it is, how it’s more of an illusion than a real city, and how little reason there is for it to actually exist. You only go places because you have to, because the story demands it. This might make these locations fascinating in their own right, because your attachment to the characters or the details you find within are relevant to you (think Heavy Rain), but consequently it leaves the rest of the city behind and makes it feel mostly irrelevant. There’s no motivation to go and explore; no incentive to see what Empire Bay has to offer. Sure, you could go for a drive or stroll and admire the architecture and personality, but your interest wouldn’t last long because there’s very little to see, very little to do, and the game keeps demanding you to go home, to go to your next mission or destination, all of the time anyway. You might be able to break free from the story’s linear structure and do your own thing, but that doesn’t mean the game wants you to. And why should it, anyway? It’s not as if time will pass or the weather will change. That goes against the game’s scripted focus, and we can’t have that.

And what about that realism that was so intriguing for me personally? Surely that added weight and meaning to that environment; to that time period? Nope, instead it is just there, not really crucial to the overall experience. Sure, like Empire Bay itself, engaging it can be interesting and offers something to break up the game’s forward-looking pace, but ignoring it won’t affect your time with the game in any significant way, and you certainly won’t be punished for your diversionary actions either. Following the speed limit (something made particularly convenient given a simple button press activates a limiter, making driving almost automatic), obeying red lights or parking your car in the garage might seem like something you should be doing given the setting and atmosphere of Empire Bay, but you don’t have to and, honestly, it’s easier if you don’t -- you’d just be wasting time. Police are mostly oblivious to your presence in the world, ignoring you unless you do something right in their face or because a mission caused them to take notice of you. They will chase you for speeding but only if you zoom right past them; do it a few metres down the road or going the opposite way and they won’t care. Red lights? By all means go through them, just slow down first so you’re not seen as a menace -- in other words drive slowly enough that civilians won’t panic but fast enough that the speed limit means nothing -- and the cops will turn a blind eye, no doubt enjoying their blissful ignorance and the quicker pace with which they can despawn, again, since they’re obviously only around when you are anyway. Brandishing a weapon in public is more dangerous for you and rousing for the Police of Empire Bay than driving erratically is. But, should you get in trouble either way, your indiscretions and misdemeanors can be quickly overlooked through bribery or a simple visit to a phone booth. Or you could, you know, kill them and outrun their pursuit like you would in other games, but this isn’t supposed to be like other games, remember? *sigh*

Don’t get me wrong, I loved Mafia II and I am definitely glad I got to play it, but it’s disappointing not because it is a bad game -- quite the opposite, in fact -- but because it didn’t execute on what I thought its qualities would be, and because it doesn’t appear to know what it wants to be, either. Not since Mirror’s Edge has a game left me feeling so conflicted, confused about how I feel, and dismayed by its failure to meet its potential. It lacks identity; delivers arena-style shootouts and over-exaggerated action, just like other games of its ilk; and doesn’t even recognise, perhaps ironically, that it is a game about the Mafia. It could be so much more than it is, then, but thankfully what it did end up being is still pretty good. I’ll have more on that, soon.

Preview Power: L.A. Noire

[Part of a series of smaller posts that I'll be doing about various upcoming games. I don't jump on board the hype train too often, but when I do I like to think that there's a pretty significant reason for why, and in this series I will attempt to explain my anticipation for each game.]

By now it would be pretty obvious that I really like games that feature cities. Whether it’s the big names in Liberty City or Rapture, or the smaller and perhaps more interesting locales such as Bullworth Town in Bully, or the many different towns and settlements that can be found in games like Fallout 3 and Red Dead Redemption, exploring, learning about and ultimately inhabiting these places is very appealing to me. Games by their very nature have the ability to take me anywhere I may want to go, either because it might be fun to do so or because we can gain a lot out of the experience. L.A. Noire’s recreation of a 1940s Los Angeles is, then, incredibly interesting to consider as we approach the game’s release later this week.

L.A. is, easily, one of the most famous cities around the globe and certainly a big name location to set a videogame in. Home to Hollywood, it’s synonymous with glitz, glamour and celebrity culture. It’s also known for its corruption, crime and character -- something Rockstar are also famous for. And there’s the other big name: this is Rockstar’s next big game. They might not have made it internally like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption, and it’s most certainly Team Bondi’s baby, but Rockstar’s support and influence brings with it a level of respect and expectation that you can’t help but be excited about. Rockstar means ambition. It means attention to detail. It means pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the videogame medium and it means discovering what’s yet to come, too. Combine this with the city of L.A. -- and that’s before considering the technology, period setting and strong focus on storytelling L.A. Noire seems to be championing -- and you have a game, an experience, that doesn’t just deserve the attention, but strong investigation when it releases this week. But it’s that, too, which makes L.A. Noire so enticing: this isn’t a crime game in the traditional sense; it’s one where the police matter -- a key difference to games like GTA.

Just by virtue of playing a cop, L.A. Noire’s gameplay changes dramatically to games before it. Instead of breaking and entering, in L.A. Noire you are discovering clues and investigating them. Instead of receiving errand missions from wanted criminals, you’re hauling them in and interrogating them. Instead of causing murder, you are attempting to solve it. This distinction separates L.A. Noire by simply shifting focus, and the results of that will be intriguing to say the least. But how is clue investigation and crime solving going to be as exciting and fun as the crime is in other games, and how will it be balanced with the exploration and variety -- not to mention unexpected humour -- those titles bring? The answer lies partly in the impressive facial technology that currently has everyone salivating and justifies their anticipation. It also lies with what the game, hopefully, represents going forward.

Open world crime games are great because the crimes they portray and the actions they enable make for incredible, personal moments that change based on what the player wants to do. But these are usually exaggerated, over the top antics that, while fun, hold games back and restrict them to the kind of false maturity -- which is usually the opposite and, instead, immature -- that the medium seems so enamoured by lately. It’s where violence and gore reign supreme, and where sex is either a joke or an after-thought because it’s too risky to do properly, and will spark controversy as if games were child’s play, anyway. By focusing on the cop angle and, seemingly, toning down the action to let character development and case progression take centre stage, L.A. Noire has the real potential to be that adult videogame that everyone claims to want but so few are willing to actually try. It’s an opportunity to pioneer, once again, while everyone else plays it safe and releases yet another, probably unnecessary, sequel. It’s a chance to display the impact of violence, however brutal, in a way that doesn’t glorify it and instead highlights how serious it can be, and how it affects the people and society that is troubled by it. It’s an ability to display sex, nudity and anything that goes with that in a more tasteful, more -- dare I say it -- natural way, ignoring the sex for sex’s sake angle in favour of discovering why, for example, a murder victim’s body was left naked rather than fully clothed. On this point, the setting suggests that sex will still be celebrated to some extent, but treated right it can portray and even enhance the period that it exists in positively, whilst also being the most ‘modern’ videogame take on content that, in reality, we see and deal with on a daily basis. The ability to pick up a prostitute for a little fun on the side should be something left in the past; the chance to gain insight into prostitution because it’s relevant to a case (or something like that), on the other hand, could really change the way games are made in future, if not perceived as a whole.

Whether any of these possibilities are met remains to be seen, but it’s a testament to L.A. Noire that I can be excited about them while barely mentioning the things everyone else can’t wait to see, namely that facial animation and how it will affect games going forward from a technological point of view. A meticulously detailed replica of L.A. set in a period that oozes style and class, and one in which I get to investigate, both literally and figuratively, at my leisure. That’s why I want to play L.A. Noire, that’s an experience I want to inhabit, and if it manages to move things forward while delivering it, well even better. It wouldn’t be a surprise, though -- it is Rockstar and L.A. after all; dreams come naturally when they’re involved.