I recently got Shadow Complex, as did everyone else in the world. But, unlike everyone else, I have some severe problems with it–the limitations of downloadable on current-gen platforms show in the character models, which I found remarkably bad for an Epic-ish product on UE3 on the Xbox 360. However, I do like that I haven’t gotten the “UE3 texture loading” pop-in facet yet–and I’m hoping that it doesn’t rear its ugly head.
It does have some strange game design choices, though. Like the oft-mention flashlight that runs out of batteries, but takes less than a second to recharge once it does. I also, personally, don’t like that you have to shine the flashlight to find secret items–Metroid was never like that. The colors were revealed to you.
The spacing of checkpoints is atrocious, in my opinion. Please don’t put a checkpoint, then a boss, then a firefight, and then have the character have to go back to before the boss when they get killed. I also don’t like the design during the first boss–you need grenades to defeat it, but you only get six, and getting more is quite difficult.
All in all, it looks like a fun Metroidvania explore-em-up, but with some deplorable choices in design and unforgivable checkpoint spacing. After playing it more I may post further impressions.
I’ve recently learned of Dog Adventure Game Engine (Dage), and I’ve been trying to get into it. It’s got HUGE potential–I might make some editors for it for myself for personal use if I can ever get out of the bug I’m in–but it needs a bit of work. I think that if the author open-sourced it a lot of things could be worked on, and I hope that if he ever does discontinue it that he open-sources it. I can’t wait to follow this program’s development. It’s about time the indie community had a 3D adventure creator. I also can’t wait until some great talent catches on and releases a killer freeware app on it.
Well, that’s it for now. You should really all follow me on Twitter! All negative one of you!
Filed under: Games — Zac North @ 7:12 pm on July 2, 2009
Ben There, Dan That is a freeware adventure game from last year with an incredible sense of humor. It’s a great few hours–and it warms my heart that adventure games are living on.
Especially now that the creators are making money, with their latest release–Time Gentlemen, Please! A sequel to BTDT, TGP is a direct continuation–longer, tighter, and with much better graphics.
These guys really have the indie spirit. I’d love to release a product like this–a game that any adult can enjoy, for a small price.
If you haven’t played BTDT already, I’d recommend it–it’s free and it’s funny. And please, before you complain about the death of the adventure game, go buy TGP, because adventure games live, gentlemen. They will always live.
One of the games I intend to create when I’m a big-time developer who can do whatever they want is a concept I’ve been calling Desktop Zombie Defense. It’s basically the Nazi Zombies mode of Call of Duty: World at War, blown into an entire game. It’d recreate the classic map, Nacht der Untoten, as well as offer new maps to unleash the 4+-player co-op action on.
Now, obviously, this game is a bit beyond my scope at the moment–my vision for DTD involves incredible graphics, flawless netplay, and well-balanced maps. However, it is within my ability to create a series of prototypes that will allow me to refine the gameplay concepts that I one day wish to implement. The first series of these prototypes will be 2D, and I will be documenting every step of work that I do on them.
Nazi Zombies, as a game itself, is a VERY two-dimensional concept. Zombies shamble towards you along a flat plane, and you kill them by shooting them anywhere. Three dimensions aren’t required for fun with this concept, even though the game is executed in that way. That’s why it’s my belief that a perfectly playable, and fun, 2D representation of the game can be created. And that’s my goal right now. To make a fun 2D game.
Will the graphics be good? No. Is netplay feasible? Not particularly. Can I even do this? Only time will tell. But it’s worth a shot. So I give to you, using graphics that are entirely not mine, the first ever screenshot of the Desktop Zombie Defense 2D prototype.
As someone who has devoted countless hours of personal time into the Turok franchise, these words make me pretty damn giddy: “I felt like I was 14 again, playing Turok on my N64.”
