'Press Start'........um, ok?

So, you've been waiting for a game for ages. Weeks, months, even years. It flops onto your front mat, the wrapping glistening like a newly polished diamond, You scratch away at it, shaking in anticipation. Its open. You run into your living room, slam on console and slide the disk in, revelling in the sound or computerised heaven. It appears on your homescreen and with a quick press of the X button you are indulged in gaming goodness. But wait, whats this? 'Press Start'? Oh it must be something exciting.......no, its the main menu. Barrowman!

Now we all experience this scenario and whilst it can be quite irritating, its not overly annoying. But after playing Bioshock for the first time yesterday it got me thinking, why do we have to 'Press Start'? 20 years ago when it took three weeks for a console to start up, 'Press Start' was probably a very sneaky loading screen, but now, when you can fit huge amounts of data onto a disk, do games still use 'Press Start' as a loading screen? If they do, what do they load, the main menu? Surely that cant require a lot of processing power compared to a spanning vista of the Wild West.

So much mainstream!

Of course I'm looking far to into this, but its a little thing that makes me wonder. Arcades still use 'Press Start' so the game knows when you have entered your money, but after an investment of £40, I expect my game to realise that I have paid for it! Maybe though, this whole thing is just legacy. Its something that every game has done, it has to be there I suppose.

Its just tradition. Everyone has random traditions, look at Christmas day or  that every time I enter Waterloo Station I have to claim 'there are no rotating billboards' (it was a conversation my brother and I had about the Bourne Ultimatum, long story!). Maybe 'Press Start' is a technique that all developers include because everyone else does it, MAINSTREAM URGHHHH!!!

So as games develop, letting us experience new places, new people, new abilities, we will always be haunted by the dreaded 'Press Start' screen that smiles smugly at our faces. We always push developers to change their ways, try new things, but we really should be telling them to take away the little tease of a screen. Some could say that it is a portal into the magical world of gaming, but that's an obvious lie. If you own a PS3, the bloody installing marathon is that portal, so we don't want to be faced with another barrier!
I guess I'm going to have to take a deep breath and close my eyes. It wont change. Ever. Its going to be here forever. Bit like Cheryl Cole. But hey ho, its annoying, but when you properly think about it, the bigger picture is worth it (Cheryl Cole + Teenage Boy= FUN). Lets just accept it, lets let developers continue destroying our true gaming experiences. Looking back at this whole post, I apologise for its extremely cynical view.

But seriously though, how can Matt Damon blow up a whole apartment by putting a magazine into a toaster? LIES I TELL YOU, LIES!

Even the best game ever suffers from the curse :(

EVERYONE READ PLAY MAGAZINE!!

IT IS AMAZING AND THEY ARE ALL REALLY FUNNY! 

Top 7 Game Art Styles

I don't really like art. First, I'm horrendously awful at it and second, I just find it a bit pretentious, trying to make something out of nothing, a bit like Shakespeare. However, some art does catch my eye, this can range from a cow cut in half to giant slides (HOW IS THAT ART???), but the best type of 'art' is of course our beloved gaming art. Before the countdown begins I would like to explain that by 'art style' I mean the games with the best graphical art style, you know, coloured lines 'n' shiz.

7) Borderlands

Cheeky!

If ever a game crossed 5 genres, it was Borderlands. Its an RPGFPSMMO, yeah, pretty mental. However, the thing that Gearbox really established was the beautiful art style that set Borderlands apart from other open world-y games. The vivid black lines, exaggerated characteristics and dull but lively colours, Borderlands is one of those rare games that looks better when witnessed running than in a screenshot. Whilst the game wasn't incredible and suffered from a few niggles, Borderland's unique style has already influenced many future games whether it be Brink or highly anticipated Rage.

6) Super Paper Mario

It is hard to pick one single Mario game that has the best art style. All games featuring the cheery little plumber feature a certain aesthetic, Galaxy is bright, Super Brothers is simple, but to me, the greatest Mario style has to be Paper Mario. Released in 2007, this adorable little franchise once again had innovative platforming that was perfectly paced and the amazing simplicity of Mario games, but lucky for us a new, a unique and stunning art style was lovingly included. The closest thing we have to a Mario comic, Paper Mario jumped out of our screen with its bold colours and detailed layers. However, the art style was also a large part to the actual game as it enabled the player to change perspectives to help complete tricky trips, resulting in an aesthetic, but practical implementation of the art style.

5) Shadow of the Colossus 

Its so deep and meaningful!

La-da-da-da-da, yes yes yes, Shadow of the Colossus is an 'inspirational' game that 'shows gaming as a true art form'. I could write a whole blog post regarding this soulful masterpiece, but to avoid getting my tongue too far up gaming's arse, I will refrain from rambling. Through all the interpretations of the story and revelations of the ending, SotC's visual style is outstanding. Whilst most games on this list contain bright colours that burn your retinas, SotC relies on dank, dull colours. The muted greens and blacks at first seem a little lazy, but as the game develops the colours start to become part of the gaming, mixing with your aim, leading you places that you never need to go. Much like the premises of SotC, the visuals are simple. No fancy technical tricks. Team Ico used the art style to be the experience, not to act as a gimmick. 

4) Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

It may not be the most loved Zelda game and maybe Link has received a better reception, but compared to Ocarina or Twilight Princess, Wind Waker had something that the latter sorely lacked, a truly distinctive style.   Similar to Paper Mario, Wind Waker utilises the bold black lines, but replaces the smooth cuddly edges with more jaggy, harsher corners. This gives the game a more grown up, childish feeling, if that makes any sense at all. The simplicity was welcoming and although it becoming incredibly tedious, travelling across the stunning sea is a wonderful experience and a beautiful moment. The vivid contrasts between the colours makes the screen pop out, but somehow, not intrusive. It is a subtle 'pop', somehow giving the whole experience another  layer under the initial picture. It succeeds in being memorable and it was a risk, but c'mon, its Zelda goddamit, you're going to love it whatever!

3) Bioshock

With our faces sufficiently melted from Bioshock: Infinite's E3 showing, it is quite mind blowing how the Bioshock series has developed. Released as the current gen consoles hit their stride, the original Bioshock shook us all. Never since Half Life 2 had we witnessed story telling so impeccably done in a FPS. One of the reasons why the Bioshock series will forever be cherished though is its incredible style and atmosphere. The first nudge of the left stick as you step out into Andrew Ryan's strange dystopia is an unforgettable experience. It is eerie, but welcoming, it is scary, but intriguing, it is mysterious, but lively. The underwater city of Rapture holds many emotions, all of which are shown through the muted colours. Greens and blues are prevalent, but the sudden shocks of colours give us glimpse of what Rapture may have been in its heyday. Dark and gorgeous, the Bioshock series is a forefront father of atmosphere through graphics, a trait which seems to be continued with the latest Infinite, another world of intrigue and mystery that us gamers can not wait to dive into (or fly).

2) Okami

Okami, sadly, joins the lists of games like Beyond Good and Evil and my beloved Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. These games are all amazing games that took away the guns and grenades, instead opting for a new, unique experience that was a risk. Sadly, in terms of sales, the risk did not pay off, will games failing to sell. Okami is a sad tale. One screenshot of this game fills your heart with joy. Following in the crazy Japanese footsteps of random 'stuff', Okami introduced the technique of painting the surroundings with, well, paint from a wolf's mouth. Pretty Japanese I know! The art style is reminiscent of ancient Chinese art, conjuring the flat, muted colours that somehow bring a simple painting to life, filling it with more noise than possible. I cant really explain why Okami is so good, just look at it. It is incredible. Every single frame is created with such love and care that it makes the game seem like an epicentre of emotions, revelling in colour and exploding out across your screen, urging you to share the experience with everyone. Sadly though, Okami may never return, instead, another dull military shooter or stupid motion based game will fill the void, a void that will always be to large to fill

1) Madworld

AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here it is, the greatest gaming art style ever. This is my view by the way, art is wonderful in that it allows millions of interpretations, maybe Bioshock beats Madworld, or maybe Paper Mario pips the competitiors, but in my mind, 2009's Madworld is the most stunning, beautiful piece of gaming to be created. And why? Well read on, there's still a big chunk of writing to go, go on, READ! I have used the word simple on here a few times, but what is more simple than black, white and red? Well maybe, black and white, or just black, but hey, you get the idea! Platinum games are known for their mental games, look at Vanquish and Bayonetta, but Madworld makes them look like a stroll in the park. Madworld utilises a black and white palette but when you kill someone, which you will do a lot, bright red blood will explode from the screen, covering your character in the gooey fluid. The style is proper 'style', it is edgy, it has attitude, it is a big middle finger to colourful games like Uncharted or Fifa. Madworld is made to be mental, and it doesnt care what you think. The actual design is simply stunning, somehow creating a living setting with the incredibly limited use of two colours. The blood looks gory and gorgeous, whilst also being damn hilarious and disgusting. Just look at it. See, when someone puts their mind to it, art can be interesting!

What goes around comes around

Whether it be planets, a boomerang or swingball, life is one giant vicious circle. The famous saying of 'what comes around goes around' is, sadly, very true. The saying is usually related to life, you know relationships, friends and all that malarkey, however, this trend is becoming ever more prevalent within gaming.

I don't want to cause a fuss here, but 'real' gaming appeared around 1995 (by 'real' gaming I mean the emergence of games that can be linked to the everyday releases of 2011). The stars were Lara Croft, Solid Snake, Rayman etc. All of these were, and in some cases still are, mascots of the platforming era. Back then games were much simpler, there was no fancy online components, there was no stupid motion control, the only thing that the game had was its gameplay, and luckily, it was usually great! But, as time went on games developed and evolved into these new orbs of enjoyment. New features were added; 'full destructibility', '10 million graphics' and 'its better than Call of Duty!' are all slogans that will appear on modern games, tempting in the naive with one dimensional 'innovations'. Anyway, lets stop rambling and get to the point.


After E3 it is becoming ever clearer that the games industry is looking back and using it as a guideline, a concept that is resulting in quality over quantity. Take the newly announced Rayman Origins. Beneath the Bioshock's and Uncharted's, Rayman Origins looked incredible at E3. The beautiful art style and nostalgic gameplay conjured up memories from the 1990's era. Ubisoft seem to have gone back in time, stripping the game down to its basics. Likewise, the recently released Mortal Kombat game makes do with a much smoother, simpler and stream-lined approach.


I recently posted an entry regarding Tony Hawks and how we should look back in time for inspiration, and I take full responsibility for this, game developers seem to be doing it. Simplifying things down. But, it cant all be good can it? Much like 'what goes around comes around', the phrase 'karma's a bitch' is also surprisingly relevant  Two words for this. Duke. Nukem. The 14 year wait has proven to be a bit of a waste as Duke's cockiness and self loving character is simply annoying now, much like his actual game. So the question is, is the past better? There are many examples of games being stream lined and stripped to help create a purely quality game with no fancy features. Pure gameplay is where its at. Take Super Meat Boy for example. It is not at all afraid to be horrible. It is simple, yet addictive due to its 'one more go' attitude and annoyingly difficult levels. Yes a story is sometimes interesting, but what would you prefer, a long detailed story regarding some despressed emo kid who is just trying to carve his own destiny or a 2D game that eats away at your life? Wait, stupid question, but I hope you understand what I am getting at. 

Me and my Ginx TV

We all love games. We love the feeling of being someone your not, we love the feeling of being somewhere that does not exist. But, through all the artsy fartsy stuff, I, and many other people love being part of the community which we call 'gamers'. The term 'gamers' has wild preconceptions. 'We're all spotty teenagers who are recluses'. But, us gamers can swallow the pride and look past the ignorant public who whisper our names in hush tones. We should be proud of who we are!

We are a group, a community, a family if you like. We share the same interests, and many of us want to discuss these, sharing our views and trolling forums. There is this new TV Channel coming to Sky in a few months named Ginx TV. It is a channel that is made by gamers, for gamers. I have been part of this group for quite a while ago, and I can safely say that (although I am licking serious arse), it is amazing, I love it! There is a tightly knit community that talk about the things that we all love, the games. There is currently a show on Challenge named the Blurb which acts as a taster of things to come from Ginx TV. It is a studio-shot programme that includes reviews, previews, features, interviews and more. The team at Ginx have worked really hard with everything and through their constant support of the Ginx fans like myself, they are forming a channel to please and cater for us, the gamers. So I really do urge you guys to join up to Ginx TV whether it be on Facebook or Twitter. Join the community and experience real conversations with real people who just want to chat about their passion, games.

Here's the link: www.ginx.tv.com

Thanks guys, and I look forward to seeing you chatting about shizz!

Infamous 2 Review

The original InFamous found its way onto our Playstations in early 2009 where we were treated to a wonderful open-world superhero game that actually worked, and although it may have suffered from a few major faults, InFamous was hailed as the best comic book game ever until a certain Mr Batman arrived. 2 years after its original birth, the world of InFamous is back, but have Sucker Punch created a mega watt experience or is it a broken fuse? Here is my review:

The story opens with a heart racing battle against the aptly named 'Beast' from the originals finish. Cole McGrath is faced with his demons and after an intense fight, is forced to flee to the recently flooded city of New Marais, a New Orleans inspired location. Travelling with his trusty friend Zeke, of whom is much less annoying this time, and an FBI agent named Lucy Kuo, Cole lands in New Marais in attempt to strengthen his powers, but instead he is faced with a mutant-hating tyrant and an army of ice soldiers. The whole narrative is structured around Cole finding 6 Blast Cores which will be used to destroy the Beast who is slowly closing down on Cole once again. Whether you choose to be a hero or villain, InFamous 2's story is great and is full of tantalising twists and a heart wrenching finale. The story borders on being too cheesy but strafes into the compelling with a more sympathetic Cole and humbling Zeke. (I will briefly mention that whilst I miss Cole's original voice actor, the newer Cole is a vast improvement on the first).

Sucker Punch have listened to the fans and have improved on what the fans wanted, resulting in a greatly improved sequel. Whilst the gameplay was original and unique in the first, Sucker Punch have charged Cole up in such ways that even after 15 hours of play, the feeling of novelty is still incredibly prevalent. With added variations of Cole's powers and the introduction of a new melee weapon known as the 'Amp', InFamous 2 increases Cole's arsenal 10-fold, resulting in a wider range of tactics and play styles. The powers are unlocked from either gaining XP or reaching a certain Karma level. The new destructive moves such as the Ionic Vortex are incredible and rip through the streets with such beauty that you'll end up you feeling like an actual electricity charged superhero. The 'Amp' is a lot of fun and adds an extra incentive for close combat but the camera can get muddled up sometimes, however, this is only a little niggle.

My other 'little niggle' would be the Karma system. After the purely Black and White Karma system in the original, I was hoping for a few more subtle decisions, ones that weren't obvious to either direction, but sadly, the return is a miserable one as the inclusion of Cole's Angel and Demo Nix and Kuo make the Karma system much more laughable. However, saying that, it is still a very fun inclusion and adds an incentive to complete the story twice to see each ending.


The introduction of Nix and Kuo also means that Cole can use some different powers, not just is burning electricity. If you chose Nix, or the evil side, you are granted control over oil, whilst Kuo gives you power of ice. Both are fun combinations and reflect your morale compass very well. And you need this vastly increased power set if you are to defeat the enemies on offer. Long gone are the boring rebels of the first and in their place comes giant swamp creatures, ice titans and weird acid spiting snail things. The boss fights are less frequent now and are replaced with simply larger battles, although when a boss fight does occur, it on ridiculously massive terms! 


Whether it be fighting mutants with ice blades or gliding over the ruins of New Marais, the frame rate is constantly smooth and the graphics are amazing.The original was a little bit rough around the edges but Sucker Punch have ironed them out and have made the second look simply mind blowing. The cut scenes are very well acted and voice acting is above average,e but not anything special. Also, the city of New Marais is much more alive than Empire City and each area is very distinct and unique, offering different challenges. It was great to see the city become more alive as the original was a bit dim. 


With a single player campaign lasting around 15-20 hours, InFamous 2 is long enough to quench your superhero needs but with many people being urged to complete the game a second time around, the game will be in your disk tray for a while to come. There are still thousands of Blast Shards to be found and Dead Drops to beef up the background meaning that you can never get bored. And, as InFamous 2 is the latest Sony game to include the 'Play Create Share' moto, there is an incredibly deep mission creator, much like LittleBigPlanet, is terrifying at first, but once you tame the beast you will be editing away.


InFamous 2 is a masterpiece. Sucker Punch have tweaked and changed the formula, and as a result have ended up with a wonderful sandbox game that outs you in the shoes of a genuine superhero. Cole is more likeable and powerful this time round, finally tipping him into Sony's roster of mascots this generation. The graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay is fast and fluid and the story will leave will hit you like a 100,000 volt shock. Yes, the game is 'electrifying' and 'shockingly good', but cheesy puns aside, InFamous 2 is a charged up thrill ride that any comic book loving gamer will adore and cherish. Once again, 2011 ushers in another beautiful game. Bring it on Batman, there's a new hero in town!

Best and Worst of E3 2011

Here we are then. After months of tense anticipation, E3 2011 is finally over. Was it good? Did you guys like it? From the 3 E3's I have properly followed I would most certainly say that this years Electronic Expo was the best I have seen. Whilst it may have lacked in huge mind blowing surprises, this years E3 has once again poured petrol onto our flames of anticipation as all of our favourite sequels and games have been teased and tried, only adding to the excitement for next year. However, although there were some great moments, there were also some totally crap ones. Here is my compilation of best and worst moments of E3 2011......


NGP Melting our Faces!


This was a good'n. After many months waiting for concrete details on Sony's new handheld system, Sony's press conference on Monday did a great job of summing up this new device and showcasing what was on offer. The first piece of information was the name. Now the NGP will be known as the PS Vita, but that's a crap name so for now on I'll keep calling it the NGP, I don't like change. Sony set itself apart from Nintendo's 3DS by showing the great games that will be on offer; Uncharted, Resistance, Modnation Racers, the list goes on. Each game was shown to have implemented the innovative touch pads surprisingly well and the cross capability's between PS3 and Vita seem to have a lot of potential. La La La, I could go on about the actual console, but the best moment regarding the NGP has to be the price. Sony have learnt from their painful over pricing and stunned the audience with an incredibly competitive price of $249. The price may be the thing that sets the NGP off, but we can only wait to find out.


SO MUCH KINECT!

MY EYES!

Maybe it was just me but after Microsoft's appalling conference last year I expected this years to be more on the games than the stupid bloody Kinect. It started off well. A live demo of MW3 followed by Gears of War 3, then Kinect crept in. Its use in Mass Effect was OK, if not a tad pointless whilst its implementation in Ghost Recon seemed to be quite interesting, then, it went downhill. Disneyland-land? Muppets? Kinect Sports 2? Bloody hell Microsoft, it was painful! For a cringe worthy hour we witnessed poorly paid child actors pretend to be having a great time. But the worse was to come. Kinect has potential and we know it, but after seeing it all go to waste with 'say hello to my friend Ronando', all our hopes were simply gulped up and shat out of Microsoft's money rimmed arse. Luckily though the MS conference regained a few tatters of dignity with its last surprise, but still, FISTBUMP FTW!!


The Games!

Sounds stupid I know but what is the main reason for E3? To showcase the games! And man was this year good! We already know that 2011 is going to rock our socks off but after witnessing these beautiful creations we are getting ready for a very large rocking! Demo's of games such as Gears of War 3, Skyrim, Hitman, Batman AA, Twisted Metal, Battlefield 3 and Resistance blew us all away. Most of these games are at early stages but they already seem to be incredible! Battefield 3 is just simply WOW whilst I feel a special mention has to go out to the downloadable game The Heist which slipped under our radars and from what I have seen, it looks great fun and perhaps a GTA heist beater. The games of 2011 and 2012 are shaping up to be huge and I am pretty sure that most of us will suffer from dry and empty wallets due to this!

THE  SMUG BASTARD!

The Surprises
Earlier on I claimed that although there were no surprises, E3 2011 still owned in terms of games and hardware, but you can't deny that you missed them? Sadly the big surprise of Halo 4 was leaked a few hours before the conference and whilst the trailer still made every nerd squeal a squeal of joy, it wasn't exactly the most amazing surprise ever. Where were Valve? That is the question. What new exclusives can we expect? What about a tease of the new Xbox? What about the announcement that the Call of Duty franchise would end at MW3 to spare us from an infinite line of trolls claiming that Deus Ex sucks because 'its nothing like Call of Duty!'? Thats right, there were none. It didn't exactly spoil the whole show but I felt that E3 sorely missed a big bad surprise, we just want news on Half Life!


Tomb Raider
I have chosen to include the latest Tomb Raider in its separate category because that is how special I think it is. After having her crown stolen by Nathan Drake, Lara has had to come up with something sensational, and from this very early build, we can already see how much Lara has changed. Most reboots that claim they are 'grittier' usually suck as they try to be more serious but end up being rubbish, however after seeing the latest demo at Microsoft's conference, the latest Tomb Raider looks amazing! Lara is de-sexualized and seems to have more sense whilst being more vulnerable. The short snippet of gameplay enticed the audience in with the mysterious pursuer and even some very Uncharted-espue jumps. Overall, Mr Drake may need to watch his back, the Queen is back!


Minecraft on Xbox
This angered me a lot. I dont want to be bias but I feel that Markus 'Notch' Persson has made a big mistake here. If you are not aware, Minecraft is an extremely popular game on the PC that allows players to simply roam around an ever expanding 8 bit land with the necessary tools to create almost anything. Sound familiar?  Probably the closest relative to Minecraft is LBP, on PS3. I feel that by making Minecraft exclusive to Xbox they may be missing out on a much more creative, friendly community that has proven itself to be capable of creating amazing stuff. Also, the announcement seemed to come and go perhaps making way for the stupid Kinect games. Minecraft coming to consoles deserves much more attention than it was given and I sincerely feel that by either switching the console base or going multi-plat Minecraft's reception and utilisation would be very different


Dust 514- Revolution?
Much like Minecraft, this game has been quite quiet and when announced, was met with a simple 'meh' by the audience. However, after researching the sci fi shooter Dust 514, I truly believe that we may be witnessing a revolution and perhaps turning point in online gaming. Valve's masterpiece Portal 2 already allows PS3 players to play online with PC, but only if they have a Steam account. Dust 514 simply joins the PC servers with the PS3 servers, resulting in a mixture of both in a single match. This new combination is great as it shows how some developers are trying to work together and get a new revolution starting. I love the idea of playing with PC players and I would also love to play against my friends who own Xbox's. No longer would we have to be split between different consoles, we could all play with each other with no stupid squabbling. I understand that Dust 514 may not be the greatest shooter ever, but I believe that it could be, and I mean could be, a turning point for the online aspect.


And finally, the one you have all been waiting for........


Here it is. After 7 long paragraphs I am finally here. All my anger and disgust has been building up inside of me over the past couple of days. I will try and not bore you, but here goes. The biggest disappointment of E3 2011 by far is the WiiU, or as my brother likes to call it, 'a pile of wank'. After the truly revolutionary Wii we were all expecting something amazing from Nintendo's conference and all we were given was a stupid controller with a screen on it, so basically a PSV but not portable. What is the point in this? It was a huge let down. Gaming is about the experience. Gaming is about having the largest TV possible with gun shots so loud that your ear drums burst, not a dull screen causing neck pains. Taking the TV out of the equation is one of if not the most retarded concepts for anything. Consoles are for the TV, handhelds are not. Why cross them over and create a hybrid? Thats like combining a gorilla with a daffodil, there is no point!


There is no point in the Wii U except milking the Nintendo fanboys (cough*Marc*cough) who believe that everything Nintendo create is as special as a golden shit from a unicorn. The Wii did change gaming, the growth of gaming is due to the runaway success of the Wii, so how would Nintendo follow on? How about not creating a worthless accessory that is better suited to being a doorstop than an actual useful gaming device. Seriously, why? The price for this crap will be around $300 probably, and for that price you could purchase a genuinely good piece of tech, the PS Vita with actual good games, not another bloody brain training. What a let down, I would have rather been raped by a cactus than watch the poor reaction over this underwhelming  'revolutionary' pile of pure tosh. Waste of time. 

Thought this is more relevant

(I would like to point out that this is a complete rant and very very biased. I do not fully feel what I have just written, but I do feel that the Wii U is extremely pointless. I also understand that this feeling is due to a poor presentation from Nintendo where there was a painful lack of explanation. I am not giving up hope on it just yet, after all it is Nintendo! I imagine that I will regret this rant in a couple of years after the Wii U takes over the world, but for now, I am just extremely underwhelmed. Just to reiterate again, this is for fun this rant, I do not believe everything I just put down!)


Thank you guys, hope you enjoyed it!
James