I’m not going to get into the argument over whether video games are art or not (because that argument is dumb; if a human created it than its art…) I just wanted to mention how beautiful Outland is to look at. How I simply like to walk around the levels taking in the environment. This is a beautiful game. The artists have done an excellent job conveying through the visuals how ancient this place is, how much of an outsider your character is, how alone you the player are in this world. It’s evocative.
It reminds me of art deco, art nouveau, and film noir
Watch the video below if you want to get a small idea of the visuals. Sadly, it focuses mostly on the gameplay (it is a game after all) but you might get a small idea of what I’m talking about:
I haven’t played much of the game yet. Like I said I’ve been too preoccupied with just exploring the environments and soaking in all the style the animators and artists put into the game. So maybe the game will be crappy or maybe it’ll be great. It is certainly nice to look at.
PS – click on the still images to see larger pictures, it’ll help you appreciate them more.
I don’t think I’ll be playing Old Republic. I no longer have the excess cash to spend on a monthly subscription or the time to sink into an MMORPG. I just wanted to share the trailer. Star Wars is at its best when it’s true to its pulp adventure roots.
Despite coming out more than a decade ago Diablo 2 is still the best at what it does. What does Diablo 2 do? It convinces you that wandering around drab areas clicking wildly at badly pixelated beasties is a good use of time. I’ve beaten the game at least twice before (first time as a Barbarian second time as an Assassin) this time I’m going with an Amazon. This time instead of guessing my way through the best way to play the game, I’ve just used the vast accumulated wisdom of those who have been playing the game near non-stop for 11-odd years. Seriously, google “Diablo 2 builds” or “tips” some of these people playing this game down to an exact science.
Current Items, which mean nothing to you cause none of them are highlighted... It's okay stuff, I guess. I don't really know. This is a long caption, huh?
I don’t know how long this Diablo 2 kick will last. I assume at least until I kill Diablo, maybe I’ll be able to go all the way this time and make it through the expansion as well. I’ve never done that, yet. I’m also playing on-line for the first time (Diablo 2, not video games in general) Nowadays Blizzard deletes your character after ten days of non-activity. That is good incentive to keep playing, especially once a few hours have been invested into the character.
I suppose the real question is why hasn’t the industry been able to replicate the crack that is Diablo 2? No game since has been able to so perfectly ensnare players. No game has walked the fine-line between pleasure and grind as well as Diablo 2. I almost wonder if Blizzard is up to the task with Diablo 3.
I can’t end this post without “thanking” the man who is responsible for getting me to reinstall the game (curse you Bungle! I have a life now! I don’t need this). A poster on the best forums on the internet started a group Let’s Play of the game this month and invited us all to come along. So, thanks Bungle.
PS – my wife hates you now =P
PSS – If any game designer types stop by I’d love to talk to you about how Diablo 2 got so much right in its design. Maybe, together we can figure out just what exactly they did that makes a fairly mindless game so addictive and rewarding.
My Letter to Mr. Atkin and his ReplyMy Letter to Mr. Atkins and His Reply Cont'd.
I was going through my old journals (yes I keep one and yes it goes back 13 years or so!) and found this printed out old email exchange. It appears to be a letter I wrote in 1999, to Denny Atkins, who at the time had just left Computer Gaming World. I don’t recall ever writing this email or getting the response. I do want to thank him publicly now though for taking the time out of his busy schedule to write to me! I did take his advice, by the way, I started reading video game magazines and websites earnestly as well as emailing various authors/editors. I even landed a gig as a reviewer for Gamepen.com and then after that at UGO (2000-02). Sadly, I didn’t cultivate relationships with the people I worked with and I couldn’t tell you what most of them are doing today or if they even remember the young, eager high school graduate they were working with back then. When the dotcom bubble burst, writing assignments dried up and I found myself with a girlfriend, friends, a part-time job and a full-time students’ workload. For me, video game journalism fell by the wayside. I never picked it up again…
PS – well maybe a little, I’m still listed as a senior writer for GameStooge.com, a small news site, where an old friend from the Gamepen days is the Editor-in-Chief.
