Genre = Game developer sim?
Seller = Kairosoft Co., Ltd
Platform = iPhone
When I first heard about Game Dev Story I have to admit I was a bit confused about what I would be playing. Was I to be a rogue bracket on mission to bring down a function? Was I a coder on the edge who's inevitable mental breakdown would result in an office based shooter? I write code as part of my job and truthfully it's not that interesting, definitely not something that could be the subject of a game. Thankfully Game Dev Story is less about the code and more about managing those damn dirty code monkeys.
You start the game with a small company consisting of a receptionist and 2 minions. Your job is presumably to make the next 'World of Warcraft' or 'Modern Warfare'. To do this you first pick a genre, and a type for your game. If the combinations go together like for example RPG, Fantasy then you can assume it will sell well. If they clash like shooter and golf then you're not going to make a profit. Once this has been done your loyal monkeys will begin coding. Each developer has skills in coding, art, sound and writing. Picking the right staff member for a job results in more “quality” points in your current game's stats. These being; fun, graphics, creativity and sound. At the end your game gets released and depending on what console and the popularity of the company you'll start to make money.
In truth it sounds rather simplistic but it's actually a fairly difficult balancing act, staff members get tired and bored of certain genres so you have to continually mix things up... or fire them. New consoles come out all the time so you aren't releasing title after title for PC, instead they mock the last 20 years of gaming meaning you have to keep up with the latest trends and tailor your games to the types of audiences. Cute RPG and puzzle games sell quite well on the DS. Managing your staff is also more complicated than just giving them a role, you get to train them and level them to improve their stats. You also get to hire and fire new staff depending on what skills you need.
There's not a great deal to say about the graphics of the game, it looks very 8bit and cute, so while it's not ground breaking or amazing it's functional and adds to the charm of the game. The sound again is fairly standard stuff, the music changes as you move between offices and events occur but you may still get sick of the standard theme song which gets repeated quite frequently.
If I must criticise the game at all it's the lack of focus, it would be nice to have a bit more direction, am I trying to just survive the 20 years? Should I be creating the greatest game of all time? Is it all about the money and booth babes? Still this is a minor issue, the games so light and easy to pick up such focus would probably weigh it down. There doesn't need to be a story line when the game's purpose is to help kill time, which it does magnificently.
I honestly didn't think this game would be worth a review with its 8bit style graphics and sound, and simplistic experience but it's such good fun I simply had to. The formula works so well that it will keep you hooked for hours and you'll find yourself constantly saying, “Just one more game” as you desperately try to out do your last effort.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Right said Fred Dead Redemption.
Genre = 3rd Person Shooter/Horse Simulator
Developer = Rockstar San Diego, Rockstar North
Publisher = Rockstar games
Players = 1 Player
Online = 2-16 players
Age = 18
Wandering through the desolate plain atop my horse, I scanned the horizon for signs of life. My dusty coat blowing in the wind behind me. Just on the horizon I could make out the vague outline of my target. The murderer, the man with the bounty on his head, the team killer. He was a good distance away but I drew my rifle, slipping into focus I lined up 20 shots at his head. I was determined he wasn't going to walk away from this one. In an instance I let loose a salvo of shots that would put even the most trigger happy lunatic to shame. The target dropped instantly. Drawing my revolver and walking closer I went to confirm the kill. It would take time for his friends to find me and by then I would be long gone. I waited at the site of the kill planning my next move when a stray mountain cat pounced, killing me instantly. That pretty much explains Red Dead Redemption, really amazing moments tempered by frustration and annoyance.
The story is set in the at the end of the wild west era, where technology is starting to appear and the days of gunslingers are coming to the end. You play John Marston, a man desperately trying to turn his back on his lawless past. I presume the lawless aspect was occasionally failing to tip his hat to ladies because for a bad ass outlaw he's a bit of a softy. Unfortunately for him and his flower picking ways the US government has plans for him and they don't include spending days on the ranch rustling cattle. or whatever cowboys do when they aren't robbing banks. Instead you're sent to track down your old buddies and bring them to justice so that you can free your family and return to your former life. Queue gun fights, bar room brawls and more horse riding than you could rattlesnake at.
Sadly the rather flakey story is stretched so far it needs to be nailed down at the edges. You will find yourself begging for an ending that never seems to come. To get near to the aforementioned buddies you have to help every low life in the old west. Which means you are reduced to moving from town to town either killing x, capturing x, protecting x or rustling x like the handy man from hell. All the time bound to what is essentially a cover based shooter with relatively well thought out horse physics. No serious there are horse physics, you can trot around town like you own the place or you can race around like a lunatic, just don't push your four legged friend too far else you'll be thrown from the saddle and end up looking like a right idiot. Get used to the horses though as you'll be using them at every opportunity. Rockstar seem quite proud of their little mechanic which means you get to spend every opportunity on horseback accompanied by people who refuse to shut up. This could have been bearable but horse riding itself isn't always easy to do. You're supposed to press A to keep up with your companion but whenever they changed speed my horse refused to. Like it had suddenly succumbed to a bout of depression brought on by the repetitive scenery. I don't blame it though, the scenery, while expansive and different, is often quiet and uneventful. The quiet occasionally being punctuated by someone challenging you to a skinning competition or the sound of your shins being eaten by a pack of wolves. It's nice to be away from the crowded and claustrophobic cities of the GTA series but would it hurt to make the towns a bit bigger? I found myself wondering where half these people lived because there simply weren't enough houses for them. Was the old west known for being the biggest collection of homeless people?
That being said while the storyline goes on for far too long and sometimes feels like a broken record, at least it has one. You start to feel John's frustration as he's made to pick flowers for the 15th time and the characters while not particularly helpful are for the most part interesting and relatable. The game itself can be enjoyable, being forced to six shooters and lever action rifles slows down the combat to a more suspenseful and strategic pace and despite the emptiness of the setting the scenery is often stunning and atmospheric. If you can look past the faults and uselessness of the mini games you've got a decent game here. Of course you can always disregard the single player and its faults and go straight into the multiplayer.
The multiplayer has the usual death match settings which are quite enjoyable but the real beauty lies in the free roaming mode. You get to roam the entire world of Red Dead Redemption and form posses with your friends. From there you can go around taking down gangs or laying siege to the innocents of a town. Everything you do giving you experience which unlocks, new horses, characters and weapons!
If you have friends get yourselves online and enjoy some good old fashioned cowboy shenanigans. If not, you're going to find yourself in a decent cover based shooter with problems that can be for the most part overlooked. At least until the story gets boring.
Developer = Rockstar San Diego, Rockstar North
Publisher = Rockstar games
Players = 1 Player
Online = 2-16 players
Age = 18
Wandering through the desolate plain atop my horse, I scanned the horizon for signs of life. My dusty coat blowing in the wind behind me. Just on the horizon I could make out the vague outline of my target. The murderer, the man with the bounty on his head, the team killer. He was a good distance away but I drew my rifle, slipping into focus I lined up 20 shots at his head. I was determined he wasn't going to walk away from this one. In an instance I let loose a salvo of shots that would put even the most trigger happy lunatic to shame. The target dropped instantly. Drawing my revolver and walking closer I went to confirm the kill. It would take time for his friends to find me and by then I would be long gone. I waited at the site of the kill planning my next move when a stray mountain cat pounced, killing me instantly. That pretty much explains Red Dead Redemption, really amazing moments tempered by frustration and annoyance.
The story is set in the at the end of the wild west era, where technology is starting to appear and the days of gunslingers are coming to the end. You play John Marston, a man desperately trying to turn his back on his lawless past. I presume the lawless aspect was occasionally failing to tip his hat to ladies because for a bad ass outlaw he's a bit of a softy. Unfortunately for him and his flower picking ways the US government has plans for him and they don't include spending days on the ranch rustling cattle. or whatever cowboys do when they aren't robbing banks. Instead you're sent to track down your old buddies and bring them to justice so that you can free your family and return to your former life. Queue gun fights, bar room brawls and more horse riding than you could rattlesnake at.
Sadly the rather flakey story is stretched so far it needs to be nailed down at the edges. You will find yourself begging for an ending that never seems to come. To get near to the aforementioned buddies you have to help every low life in the old west. Which means you are reduced to moving from town to town either killing x, capturing x, protecting x or rustling x like the handy man from hell. All the time bound to what is essentially a cover based shooter with relatively well thought out horse physics. No serious there are horse physics, you can trot around town like you own the place or you can race around like a lunatic, just don't push your four legged friend too far else you'll be thrown from the saddle and end up looking like a right idiot. Get used to the horses though as you'll be using them at every opportunity. Rockstar seem quite proud of their little mechanic which means you get to spend every opportunity on horseback accompanied by people who refuse to shut up. This could have been bearable but horse riding itself isn't always easy to do. You're supposed to press A to keep up with your companion but whenever they changed speed my horse refused to. Like it had suddenly succumbed to a bout of depression brought on by the repetitive scenery. I don't blame it though, the scenery, while expansive and different, is often quiet and uneventful. The quiet occasionally being punctuated by someone challenging you to a skinning competition or the sound of your shins being eaten by a pack of wolves. It's nice to be away from the crowded and claustrophobic cities of the GTA series but would it hurt to make the towns a bit bigger? I found myself wondering where half these people lived because there simply weren't enough houses for them. Was the old west known for being the biggest collection of homeless people?
That being said while the storyline goes on for far too long and sometimes feels like a broken record, at least it has one. You start to feel John's frustration as he's made to pick flowers for the 15th time and the characters while not particularly helpful are for the most part interesting and relatable. The game itself can be enjoyable, being forced to six shooters and lever action rifles slows down the combat to a more suspenseful and strategic pace and despite the emptiness of the setting the scenery is often stunning and atmospheric. If you can look past the faults and uselessness of the mini games you've got a decent game here. Of course you can always disregard the single player and its faults and go straight into the multiplayer.
The multiplayer has the usual death match settings which are quite enjoyable but the real beauty lies in the free roaming mode. You get to roam the entire world of Red Dead Redemption and form posses with your friends. From there you can go around taking down gangs or laying siege to the innocents of a town. Everything you do giving you experience which unlocks, new horses, characters and weapons!
If you have friends get yourselves online and enjoy some good old fashioned cowboy shenanigans. If not, you're going to find yourself in a decent cover based shooter with problems that can be for the most part overlooked. At least until the story gets boring.
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