GTA: Growing Through Adolescence

Playing through The Lost And Damned recently, I randomly came to the conclusion that Grand Theft Auto as a series has grown up as I have. I can't remember them that well due to being about ten years old when I played, but the original isometric games were the ones that introduced the franchise; the players discovering what the franchise was about, the type of enjoyment that can be found within and experimenting with what's available in order to learn about them. For me this happens to coincide with the time where I was doing much of the same thing: discovering, experimenting, learning and enjoying. Of course at the time I wouldn't have noticed and would probably have been laughing at the fart sounds that you could make, but looking back upon it now I realise that the life of the Grand Theft Auto series started in a similar fashion to mine, that of immaturity that slowly changed as we tested the waters, learned and began to grow up.

Moving onto the next generation of consoles, we enter phase two: Adolescence. The release of Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City and San Andreas expanded upon and evolved the series by introducing a new 3D perspective, new game play mechanics, and stories featuring characters that were actually memorable. Liberty City, Vice City and the state of San Andreas were all populated with believable people who performed various mundane tasks that while subtle, added to the immersion and injected life into the game. It was this character that gave the games a personality, one which allowed Rockstar to experiment with comedy by parodying things like the gaming industry, modern culture and even the GTA games themselves. This humour permeated throughout the three games though they also contained a serious side, depicting a life of crime through the narratives and pushing the boundaries of what could be done – something that of course led to a lot of controversy. Rockstar continued to do it anyway showing that the company was keen to push the medium forward while also not taking themselves too seriously. Conveniently, this occurred while I was in my teenage years where I was also starting to experiment and push the boundaries of what I could and couldn’t do in life. I formed my own character, my own personality, which continued to mature as I learned to take things seriously. Importantly though, I was able to have fun, finding the humour in life and approaching things in a relaxed, laid-back manner. Like GTA, I was evolving, introducing new elements to my life and creating my own story complete with its own set of memorable characters.

The release of Grand Theft Auto IV sees both of us finally reaching the early years of adulthood. Rockstar made a defining choice for the franchise by pursuing a more mature game, completely reinventing and redefining the game's mechanics such as driving and shooting to ensure that it aided something else that was a high priority, the story. Their decision to focus on maturity sees them crafting a compelling narrative designed to engage and to make the players care for the characters. Whether they succeeded is up to you but one can't deny the effort is admirable. This comes at a time when I am making decisions that will go on to define the rest of my life, reinventing or redefining myself if necessary in order to ensure that my own story continues to be told. The set of memorable characters may or may not have changed, but the effort to craft a compelling narrative continues.

The Lost And Damned has already shown that it can maintain our interest in Liberty City with its new perspective and I think it is safe to assume the second episode will continue to do so as well, so it will be interesting to see whether beyond those, the franchise continues to run parallel to my own life and the events that go with it.

Lost And Damned

I was really excited to see the release of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost And Damned last month as I had been anticipating it since it was announced, with it being my excuse to return to the unpredictable streets of Liberty City.

It did not disappoint either, with a smile instantly spreading across my face as I watched the introduction and realised that I was about to embark on a new adventure, one that was offering a different perspective on the Liberty City I had come to know and love. With the game handing control over to me once more, I soon forgot about the excitement and immediately focused on immersing myself within the story. I'm not quite sure what it is but Grand Theft Auto has always had a way of grabbing my attention from the get-go and keeping me entertained for hours with the new expansion being no exception. My first session lasted for over four hours and in that time I was able to get reacquainted with the controls, familiarise myself with the city again, learn about some of the new characters and enjoy some of the new things on offer including arm wrestling and air hockey. I was also able to look at the new in-game Internet and TV show content, as well as listen to the new songs available across the various radio stations. Combine them with the music and activities already accustomed to in Niko's adventures and GTA IV: The Lost And Damned ends up providing a new, fresh perspective on Liberty City that also remains familiar.

Rockstar's decision to set the majority of the expansion in the state of Alderney only enforces this further as the area is one rarely seen when compared to the likes of Broker or Algonquin in the main quest. With Johnny Klebitz's -- the main character of The Lost And Damned -- story running parallel to Niko's, subtle nods here and there are reminders to the player of what has happened before and provides a sense of familiarity to players while gently easing them into the new perspective. I found it quite fascinating and was reminded of my favourite show, The Wire, because of how it focuses on something different while retaining reminders and references to what has previously occurred. Even the credits at the end of Johnny's story contain subtle hints towards the events of Niko's story and I give full credit to Rockstar for successfully managing to pull it off, though it comes as no surprise given their extreme attention to detail.

As is obvious from this post, I thoroughly enjoyed playing through The Lost And Damned. I now look look forward to using the weekend to finish up on what I need to do in order to reach 100% completion as well as detailing some more of my thoughts here. Until then, stay safe and as always happy gaming.

A Brief Look At Fable II

Similar to the situation I have with LittleBigPlanet, Fable II has been neglected while I played the other games I have posted about recently. Before delving into them however, I managed to play a decent amount of Fable II and therefore know what I think of the game.

If I were to take a guess, I would say that I am about halfway through Fable II. I have seen a significant chunk of the game's narrative, experimented with the game's social aspects, tried my hand at the various jobs you can do and I have thoroughly explored every location I have been to so far. I have loved every second of it too. Is that a cop-out given the praise I have given every other game I have written about lately? Maybe, but I believe it to be true. The consistent quality across all of the games I have been playing lately is astounding and I feel privileged to have been able to play them all, especially as it was such a different experience for me.

The neglect I gave Fable II disappoints me -- I loved every second that I've played and yet I suddenly stopped playing? -- yet it also inspires me. It inspires me because the neglect is a constant reminder of a game that I have enjoyed playing and would like to return to, inspiring motivation to see it through to the end and maybe even play through it again. To say I am looking forward to it is an understatement. I have many thoughts swirling around in my mind regarding Fable II and I cannot wait to compose them into some posts on this very blog. In the meantime know that I love what I have played so far and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys RPGs, you won't be disappointed.

That concludes the brief impressions I have given to the games I have been playing lately. In future any brief look I take at a game will be about one that I am playing at the time instead of reflecting on what I should have written about ages ago. Now it is time to actually do what I've been intending and look at these games in more depth. It is also time to look at what I have been playing in the last fortnight so expect to see a post on that in the next few days.

A Brief Look At LittleBigPlanet

I am not sure why but before I purchased my Playstation 3 LittleBigPlanet was not a game on my radar. Like all of the PS3 games, it just seemed irrelevant to me at the time and because of that I didn't pay attention to previews or get on board the hype express. I am pleased to report that I was pleasantly surprised the first time I played the game, coming away from it impressed by the game's charm and in a very happy mood.

Unfortunately for me I got the game at the wrong time and it was not long before both LittleBigPlanet and the PS3 were neglected in favour of the many other games I had to play, with the holiday rush of titles overwhelming me and a feeling of disappointment in myself for neglecting a newly purchased console. As much as I would like to play every single game I want at once, it is simply impossible. Why else would I be writing about all the games I have lately two or three months after their release?

All was not lost however as my lovely girlfriend took to the game's charm not too long after seeing me play and she has been playing it regularly ever since. She has finished all the game's levels, played a great deal many more created by other users and is even attempting to build her own level. Her interest in the game doesn't surprise me because she is a gamer as well, but I can't deny the fact that I was expecting to take to the game more than she did. I don't think it is a matter of not taking to the game though; I've certainly loved what I have played so far and have an extreme desire to continue playing it in the future, I just haven't been able to yet due to playing everything else. Maybe it wasn't just time management issues that I had late last year, maybe I also failed to prioritise the things I wanted to do. It doesn't matter though as I have played it a little, watched my girlfriend play it a lot and formed an opinion of the game. One of the things I liked immediately was the simplicity of it. It is very easy to pick up and play yet maintains a level of depth for the times when I may be craving it. I appreciate this a lot as it's a nice contrast to some of the more intense games I have been playing lately. It has also taught me a little about level design, especially after seeing how people have created their levels and watching my girlfriend build hers. I love checking out other people's creations, admiring their creativity and enjoying the different experiences the user-generated levels already contain. To put it simply, the game makes me happy when I play and any game that does that will always have my respect.

That's all I can really say for now as I feel that I need to play it a whole lot more before I can form my final opinion and look at the game in more depth. I also am curious to know if watching my better half play it has influenced my opinion in any way. Now that I don't have as much to play, I look forward to spending more time with it and discussing the game on here. Until then, happy gaming.

A Brief Look At Gears Of War 2

Mindless entertainment. I could use those two words only as my post today as it describes my thoughts on Gears Of War 2 quite nicely. It wouldn't be much of a post though so allow me to offer some thoughts on the game.

Gears Of War 2 was exactly what I expected a sequel to the original to be. It didn't evolve too far beyond Gears Of War with only slight improvements to the gameplay, graphics and narrative. It didn't really need to evolve though, as the core experience that the series provides remains in tact and that is fine by me. As I mentioned before, I see the games as mindless entertainment - the series I can go to when I want to see massive amounts of gore or satisfy any sadistic urges I have to kill something. I mean, I can't help but smile when I hear the satisfying pop of a Locust's head as it gets sniped from afar, nor can I resist a smirk when I chainsaw one of the ugly monsters in half. It's a guilty pleasure, what can I say?

Interestingly enough I haven't played it as much as I did the original so I wonder if that is because the Achievements were easier this time around or because I am getting tired of how the game actually plays. I stand by my opinion that Gears Of War's multiplayer is more enjoyable for me than other games out there, but then I also can't help but think of all of the bad experiences I have had while playing the series online as well. Perhaps the easier Achievements this time around were a blessing because I didn't have to play the game online as much, keeping me away from the possibility of getting into a frustrating match or having to listen to anonymous idiots and their foul-mouths? Another reason could be simply that getting the game finished faster allowed me to play the many other games I have been playing lately? Who knows, who cares? What I do know is that the game was a good enough sequel to me and gives me the mindless fun that I crave sometimes. Nothing wrong with that, is there?

A Brief Look At Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

I am cheating with this post in a way as this little mini-series was meant to be about games from the holiday rush of last year, not games I only got a couple of days ago. I can't help myself though with Gran Turismo 5: Prologue on my mind after a long Saturday afternoon spent with it.

I have always been a fan of the Gran Turismo franchise with each game in the series being 100% completed (and beyond - Gran Turismo 2 went to 105% if I recall correctly) and thousands of races under my belt. The franchise has taught me more about cars in general, allowed me to drive some of my favourite cars around some of my favourite tracks and also continued to impress me with its visuals with every new release.

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is no different and I was amazed with how beautiful the cars, scenery and even the menus looked. Taking a Mazda RX8 for a spin around the Suzuka track, I was instantly back in my element with my experience with the track and of course the franchise easing me straight back in. I was blown away when I tried the in-car view for the first time, as it was animated a lot better than I expected. I have mentioned on this blog before how I try to make my racing games as realistic as they can possibly be and using an in-car camera view is one of the ways I can make this possible. Other things I found impressive include Gran Turismo TV, a service that provides car related videos such as the famous BBC show Top Gear. I also imagine that playing Gran Turismo online would be quite fun though I haven't been able to try it just yet.

It is essentially a demo though, so naturally it isn't as good as it could (or will?) be. Handling has improved since Gran Turismo 4 but still feels, well, Gran Turismo. After playing Forza 2 for the past two years it feels like a step back to be playing with a system that hasn't evolved all that much. That is something I will look at in an upcoming post, though. There is still no damage modeling in the game nor any dynamic weather effects or things like that. As a long-time Gran Turismo fan, it is disappointing but Polyphony Digital are known to be perfectionists so it still remains to be seen as to whether they will be in the full game or not. Track selection feels limited with only six tracks to choose from and it's another thing that feels like a step back. I can overlook it though as Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is, after all, just a taste of what is to come and after enjoying my time with the game so far, all I can say is bring on the full game!

EA: So misunderstood

People like to hate on EA. The gaming media stuck a target on their back some time in the last generation and the public have been taking shots ever since. "They're taking over the world!" "They're amassing an unstoppable gaming army!" "They're gonna release a console!" We've all heard these ludicrous claims from gamers we know and love, and I'm sure we've all nodded along without really thinking about it; why would we? Everyone else agrees - EA are the devil.

Here's a thought - what if they're not? What if EA have actually been kicking ass all over this generation?

Here's another thought - if it wasn't for the tireless perfection of Rockstar's development teams, Electronic Arts, with all their labels and studios, would be my favourite gaming company of all time. And I'll explain why; but first, the hate. The needless hate. Let's think where it all began.

I'd like to state at this point that I'm not an employee of EA, nor is this advertising, I'm merely explaining how I, as a dedicated hardcore gamer, have come to love EA.

It's hard to disagree that EA are primarily known amongst gamers both hardcore and casual as a producer. They've produced big titles for developers such as Crytek Studios, Harmonix, Valve and many more, gaining notoriety for essentially sticking their logos over other people's games. Or so people think. I stayed away from using Black Box, Criterion, or DICE as examples, as these are a few of the many studios which EA have bought but not absorbed. Assumedly as part of the deal when buying these companies, sometimes they will keep their original names, as Criterion have, sometimes they will be partially changed, as Digital Illusions CE became EA Digital Illusions CE, and sometimes they will be entirely renamed, seeing DreamWorks Interactive become EA Los Angeles. The example of the latter sets a precedent for the others; when EA absorbs a studio, they become EA. Whether it's them being kind enough to allow them to keep their name or a stipulation in the contracts that allows for the confusion, it seems to be irrelevant to the fact that EA mostly publishes their own games. This clears up what tends to be the #1 gripe people have with EA; sticking their logos and advertising all over other companies' games, because more often than not, they're publishing games they themselves developed.

What seems to spawn from this, however, is the idea that EA are taking over; more specifically, that they're running previously successful companies into the ground. This is a point I can understand and sympathise with, though it's not objectively true. The most common example is the spiraling downfall of the Need for Speed series, with people criticising that EA are churning them out year after year with an attitude of quantity over quality. In a nutshell, this gripe is with EA functioning like a business and it's something the hardcore gaming community aren't used to. We're used to developers spending years perfectly crafting their games like artwork, to be released to high acclaim, thriving sales and eternal love from the fans; this is rapidly changing. Perhaps thanks to Nintendo's efforts, the casual market has become increasingly more financially appealing since the very start of this generation and hardcore gamers are being neglected. We don't like how Wii Sports outsells No More Heroes, how Nintendogs sees more play than Ouendan, or how the call for gimmicky, pick-up-and-play gameplay is now more popular than an engrossing story, but what we forget is that we are now the minority, and we're just no longer the primary interest of the big, big businesses. I can't hold it against EA that they should seek to exploit the casual market, because it's simply the evolution of gaming, and I feel I have to step aside and think, okay, we've lost a couple of good franchises, but we're gaining force as an entertainment medium, we're being taken more seriously, and companies are getting more funding for future projects. The way I see it, EA has killed Need for Speed to allow for the growth of Skate; they've killed The Sims to allow for Spore, and I believe this to be the correct way to do things, as opposed to, for example, picking on Nintendo again, using the collective money from killing their core market to produce a third DS SKU costing 50% more with 50% less functionality (though this may be a topic for another time). EA's armada of studios strengthens the company as a whole, and we have to remember they have more fans than just those who want to see a stream of original IPs or generally detailed projects; there are millions of people who are blindly screaming "MORE!" and throwing their money around, which EA will take advantage of, and we'd be hypocrites to claim we'd act any different.

Before moving onto my justification of the good points, I will say I'm not a blinkered fan. I share a hate with many of you who enjoy a good anti-EA rant; I'll be countering your points until you bring up EA Trax, where I just have to concede. For a company with such experience in entertainment to create such irksome soundtracks confounds me. Burnout Paradise's selection of music is perhaps the one shining example amongst the quagmire of coarse, grating nonsense the Black Box studio seems to think is appropriate for a Need for Speed audience, though it's far from perfect; it's simply beyond me why they saw fit to include one emo track and one pop-punk track, and one single example from other genres just to pathetically pander to their respective audiences who have to wade through a 90+ list of mostly culturally-irrelevant music for a 4 minute respite of enjoyable tunes, which is then likely to either have DJ Atomica talking over it, be susceptible to various volume drop-outs due to crashes, or accidentally be skipped with an unintentional hit of the R1/RB button. EA's confidence in the Trax system is perhaps the most blind arrogance in the business these days, in that they don't provide a custom soundtrack option. 360 gamers at least have the option to mute the music and play some HDD tracks through the dashboard, but spare a thought for the poor PS3 gamers who have no choice but to rush through the streets of Paradise City with Avril Lavigne and Killswitch Engage blaring. And this was the most favourable example.

Claiming that EA are one of the world's greatest developers is not something that can be backed up by simply discrediting the negative points - I'm very well aware I have to bring something to the table. Exhibit 1: EA Sports. "Really?" I hear you say, "the ace up your sleeve is their sports games?!" Well, yes, it is, with very good reason. EA Sports is a label of EA dedicated, believe it or not, to developing and producing sports games. Their company motto is, "If it's in the game, it's in the game." EA Sports games are of the sports simulation genre, which is a very critical point: these games are developed for sports fans. The Fifa series is for football fans, the NHL series is for hockey fans, the NBA series is for basketball fans. They're not casual games for casual gamers, nor are they hardcore games for hardcore gamers; they're simulation games for sports gamers. The majority of criticisms over the label are due to them releasing games each year with, and I quote, "nothing but an updated list of players." To gamers, this is a valid point, we're used to sequels really adding to games, perhaps even changing the gameplay or engines and adding a brand new story to keep us hooked. For sports fans, this is an absurd idea. Between NFL 07 and NFL 08, the league didn't change the gameplay, they didn't decide to use bats and dress the players in leotards, it's still the same sport the fans have loved for years; all they need is the new players, the new subtle rule changes and the slight changes that are made to improve gameplay, usually in the form of more customisation and management options, or a more realistic AI, for next year's game to be worth a purchase. Up to the 08 series of the EA Sports franchises, this was perhaps an understandable gripe from the gaming community. Now, with the introduction of the 09 series, the point is simply moot. The gameplay mechanics of every sport have been significantly overhauled to provide the most realistic simulation to date, along with intelligent AI systems installed to have the opponent teams learn from your own personal gameplay style. Extensive new modes, top-of-the-line graphics and in-depth online play with individual player control has seen the entire genre improve more than any other over the course of this generation. The best example of this, certainly for me personally, is NHL 09; IGN voted it the best Xbox 360 sports game of 2008, Gamespot, GameTrailers and Spike TV voted it the best overall sports game of 2008, and it currently sits on Metacritic in the #1 and #2 spots for best sports game of this generation. Interestingly enough, the top 10 (and possibly more) sports games of this generation are all EA Sports titles, the top 4 of which are 09 series franchises, the other being Fifa 09 sitting just below NHL, and NHL 08 featuring twice in 7th and 10th. Now while some of that information is more generally regarding their success this generation, it's plain to see that EA's latest series of sports games have revolutionised a genre in a way that not many other developers have ever managed to achieve; Polyphony Digital did it with Gran Turismo, Epic Games with Unreal Tournament and with fanboy alarms ringing, Rockstar with Grand Theft Auto. I would class the new level of immersive realism and true simulation that EA Sports have provided sports fans across the world above and beyond these feats of revolutionisation, to a level where I can but urge, nay dare any naysayers to play NFL 08, then NFL 09 and tell me it's not one giant leap for gaming-kind, whether the hardcore gamers out there are willing to admit it or not.

EA are more than just their sports franchises of course. Their other major company label, EA Games,  invites you to challenge everything - well, challenged we were in 2008, bringing me nicely to Exhibit 2: EA's exceptional fourth quarter, 2008. The last few months before 2009 came rolling around brought a veritable avalanche of games, with the majority of killer titles coming from EA. To drop some names, here is what we saw, amongst plentiful offerings from Ubisoft and Activision-Blizzard, in such a short space of time: Skate It, Need for Speed Undercover, Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, BioShock (PS3) and Spore. Three brand new IPs, two continuations of series', one spin-off and one port, all in the space of 3 to 4 months. If this is the result of EA buying out companies around the world, then I hope they buy them all, because this cluster of concentrated Christmas awesome was an absolute gaming paradise. This isn't at all to say they burned out in time for the present-giving masses, as 2009 has so far seen the release of Lord of the Rings: Conquest, Skate 2, SimAnimals and the Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box, with plenty more to come. What we see here is a company so perfectly structured and organised, that we have studios within labels releasing games at such a quick-fire rate, without having to be rushed, due to the sheer number of people working on each project. This driving force of raw talent spearheaded by one financial body is intent on serving the public with what they want; what we wanted in 2008 was a body of quality gaming on which to sail into the new year with the knowledge that all is well in the industry, after months of accusations of dumbing down and pandering to casual markets, and this is exactly what EA gave us.

Now, not only are EA continuing their current output, and not only are they constantly throwing brand new IPs at us, but they're offering a level of online support unparalleled by any other developer. Exhibit 3: EA Online. Aside from the initial frameworks of the Playstation Network and Xbox Live, EA's online community is the brightest-shining example of exactly how to tackle console<->internet connectivity. A gamer playing a skating game can pull off an insane trick they never even thought possible and be astounded for as long as the memory remains. A gamer playing Skate can pull off the same trick, pause the game, check the replay, edit the video, save it to the HD, upload it to an online community where other players can comment on and rate your skills. Is this not exactly what we want from our consoles being online during our single player escapades? This level of connectivity is not as common as it should be, but EA is setting the standard with the skate.reel, the name given to the aforementioned community. Likewise with EA Sports, they have managed to create an environment wherein a sports gamer who may own NHL 09, NFL 09 and NBA 09 can check their overall statistics, season records, game summaries and so on, for each individual game in one single space, as the game uploads your results on-the-fly as you play. This is surely the pinnacle of seamless interactivity between one single player and the gaming community; it adds an entirely new dimension to the games when you're able to look through your virtual sports career recorded to fine detail. It enhances the simulation to a point where, when combined with the Be A Pro mode modelled to your face and statistics, you become one with the games. It's a level of interactivity so far unparalleled in the industry. As if this wasn't enough, EA continue to be one of the most active developers in terms of offering patches and downloadable content, bridging the gap between the developers and their fans. If we shout loud enough, they listen and they change. The best example is most definitely Burnout Paradise. It was criticised for being a bit too small, with the likes of GTA and Saints Row offering detailed environments on much larger scales; they respond with upcoming DLC of a brand new island. Criticisms of "samey" cars being too much alike rang out after release; they respond by constantly offering diverse new cars, including the recently released Legendary Pack featuring famous cars from films. People said it's too dark, they brighten it; people said they want a restart option, they put in a restart option. Evidence enough that EA care not only about their games but also the people who play them, they want to make sure we're satisfied. They don't release a groundbreaking game such as Paradise and stand arrogantly proud when the stellar reviews roll in, they continue to look for improvements and tweaks to make it that much better. EA's service to the fans is an incredibly commendable trait, particularly for such a huge company.

Which brings me to my conclusion really. I can see how aspects of what I've talked about come across as simple advertising, or apparent fanboyism, but honestly, if you told me this time last year I'd be praising EA's work I'd never have believed you. Their tireless efforts to provide gamers with some serious quality over 2008 caused me to look very closely at what they'd done; beyond the press' ideas, beyond the lies and beyond the cheap shots, what I've discovered is an undeniable truth. Even amongst EA haters, surely the releases of Spore, Dead Space and Mirror's Edge, three Game of the Year contenders that won many awards between them; the endless online support, both in terms of community projects and continued DLC; the torrent of this generation's quality sports simulations constantly being tweaked to perfection, all correct past wrongs. Whatever EA may or may not have done in the past, they have more than made up for it now and shown themselves to be a company for everyone, dedicated equally to casual, hardcore and sports gamers alike. They have bought themselves not power, not international fame, but a platform from which to serve gamers till the end of time. I'll be challenging everything 'till the day I die, because, well, it really is in the game.