{"id":11395,"date":"2012-07-12T08:00:20","date_gmt":"2012-07-12T07:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/?p=11395"},"modified":"2012-07-12T08:32:40","modified_gmt":"2012-07-12T07:32:40","slug":"gamer-diary-what-ive-been-playing-june-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/badreputation.org.uk\/2012\/07\/12\/gamer-diary-what-ive-been-playing-june-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"[Gamer Diary] What I’ve been playing… June 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

This June just gone, I\u2019ve been having fun on a variety of games – but that also means I haven\u2019t finished any of them just yet.\u00a0 Plus I\u2019ve only had three weeks of the month to play before writing this as I\u2019m moving home, so I expect some disruption.\u00a0 Nevertheless, I can finally bring you comments on Assassin\u2019s Creed: Revelations<\/strong> (over 6 months after release – soz),<\/em> alongside Bastion<\/strong> from the Humble Bundle V<\/strong>, which, by the way, ended up with over $5,000,000 raised.\u00a0 Also: Torchlight<\/strong> and some watching-over-my-partner\u2019s-shoulder of Max Payne 3<\/strong> (for PC).<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also had a bit of a TF2<\/strong><\/a> revival this month, and that\u2019s been fun, but what more can be said about TF2?\u00a0 There are no female characters (yet), although there are plenty of female gamers.\u00a0 I personally haven\u2019t seen much SexistFail in chat but I know it does happen on some servers (you do, however, get a lot<\/em> of childish insults and obscene \u2018sprays\u2019 on some servers).\u00a0 It\u2019s a fun, team-based game that\u2019s F2P (Free2Play), and Valve<\/strong> just hired an economist<\/a> to help with the ever expanding Mannconomy and the inter-game economies as they grow further still.\u00a0 That\u2019s interesting, right?\u00a0 Plus PYROMANIA<\/a> has landed.<\/p>\n

\"Screengrab<\/a>

Bastion’s protag, “the Kid”, looking a bit moody.<\/p><\/div>\n

To Bastion<\/strong><\/a>!\u00a0 This is a very curious indie title that offers a considerable amount of play-time compared to other indie offerings.\u00a0 It’s described as \u201c\u2026an action role-playing experience that redefines storytelling in games, with a reactive narrator who marks your every move<\/em>\u201d.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard similar claims before and ended up disappointed, but Bastion<\/strong> really delivers on this concept.\u00a0 Admittedly, the narrator\u2019s voice does get on my nerves but it really does react to what you do.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure there\u2019s an inventory of quips and comments that are selected according to specific trigger events in the game but it\u2019s still pretty cool.<\/p>\n

The art is lovely and it isn\u2019t just the simple damsel-in-distress format that I have encountered in a lot of other indie titles (LIMBO<\/strong>, Braid<\/strong>, for example), which is a nice change of pace.\u00a0 Although the main active characters are all male and the one female (so far) has been pretty passive, there\u2019s still a good bit of joy to be taken from this game.\u00a0 It\u2019s simple enough to grasp and you can make it harder in a variety of ways, so for gameplay and originality it gets a thumbs-up from me.\u00a0 Unfortunately, if you didn\u2019t get lucky and snap up the Humble Bundle, Bastion<\/strong> as a standalone is \u00a311.49 on Steam<\/strong><\/a> but is currently going for under \u00a39 on Green Man Gaming<\/strong><\/a> (sort of an alternative to Steam).<\/p>\n

The one last thing that I will mention about Bastion<\/strong> is the soundtrack, which is beautiful, and I bring this up because I also want to make a special note of Torchlight<\/strong>\u2019s soundtrack.\u00a0 While playing Torchlight<\/strong> I am constantly finding myself with the urge to go and watch Sunshine<\/strong> again.\u00a0 This is because the generic background twinkling of Torchlight<\/strong> often hits some of the same chords or sequences that the piece \u2018Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor)\u2019<\/a> features.\u00a0 Now, that piece (composed by John Murphy) makes me all soft and wibbly on the inside every time I hear it.\u00a0 As does watching Sunshine<\/strong>.\u00a0 But, alas, \u2019tis presently packed in a box somewhere.<\/p>\n

\"Box<\/a>

Torchlight only features 3 classes and only one gender and set appearance for each… HEY LOOK more boobs that don’t require proper armour; that really is magic.<\/p><\/div>\n

Music aside, Torchlight<\/strong> (yes, it\u2019s 3 years old, sorry!) is a great little RPG offering.\u00a0 I have it because I pre-ordered Torchlight II<\/strong><\/a> via Steam and got Torchlight<\/strong> to play with in the meantime.\u00a0 Torchlight II<\/strong> is making some people in RPG land a bit excited after the numerous issues people have had with Diablo III<\/strong>.\u00a0 The first game is charming, easy to use and offers some features bigger RPGs haven\u2019t, such as sending your pet to town to sell items from your backpack \u2013 meaning you\u2019ll end up with a huge surplus of Town Portal Scrolls as you never need to use them!\u00a0 It does, regrettably, fall foul of the tediously standard female-armour-fail\u2026 do all these women seriously have bullet\/arrow\/sword\/magic proof tits and navels?<\/em>\u00a0 That\u2019s the only negative so far, but this looks like it might be halfway rectified, at least, in Torchlight II<\/strong>: go and check out the character classes<\/a> on their site (only one of the 4 female figures has cleavage showing!)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Now for something released in 2012; I know, incredible, right? \u00a0Max Payne 3<\/strong> has amazing visuals, even on low-spec PCs, and great mechanisms for exciting gameplay.\u00a0 It showcases the new Rockstar<\/strong> engine that will be used in next year\u2019s Grand Theft Auto V<\/strong>; not a franchise I\u2019m fond of, but with this engine, it’ll look stunning and run spectacularly.\u00a0 Max Payne 3<\/strong> has kept fairly faithful to the originals and the basic \u2018essence\u2019 of Max, which is a relief for the old fans, but offers plenty for those new to the series.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Max Payne 3 has refined and capitalised on the Shootdodge mechanic of previous games<\/p><\/div>\n

As an observer <\/em>(not the sinister Fringe<\/strong> kind) to Max Payne<\/strong> it\u2019s a little different to discuss than if I’d been the player<\/em>.\u00a0 I was hoping to get my partner to contribute something here, but the house-moving saga has put paid to that plan.\u00a0 Max Payne<\/strong> does play with some damsel-in-distress themes and always has, but it also manages to twist them around.\u00a0 Originally, Max becomes an avenging angel, fallen-from-grace figure after his wife and infant daughter are murdered.\u00a0 He tears up NYC seeking revenge, but finds conspiracies abound, and then his moral compass takes over and he kills all the baddies.<\/p>\n

In MP3<\/strong>, he\u2019s given up being a cop and is playing the private security game.\u00a0 Although the game starts out with the feel that Max is off saving, and I quote, \u201cfallen women\u201d all over again, it swiftly changes tack in the brutal underworld of Brazil and Max, in the middle of an identity crisis, isn\u2019t sure whether he\u2019s a good guy, a bad guy, or a magical pixie putting the world to rights.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure if he ever really \u2018finds himself\u2019, but he shoots all the baddies and conquers another conspiracy in typical grim, noir style.\u00a0 The combat mechanics set this game apart and offer a truly varied way of kickin\u2019 ass.\u00a0 As, I say, the graphics are gorgeous, the engine is shiny and the music is atmospheric (not to mention nostalgic) the whole way through.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Still pretty spry for an old guy: Ezio takes in the view of Constantinople.<\/p><\/div>\n

Here I am, talking so much about music and mechanics, you thought I\u2019d forgotten AC:Rev<\/strong>, didn\u2019t you?\u00a0 Well, let me squeeze it in now.\u00a0 I have yet to complete the game because I’ve been purposefully dawdling in order to enjoy sandboxing in such a magnificent environment.\u00a0 Constantinople looks great, and you get to train up your Assassins right from the get-go, as well as the usual bits and pieces around the city with added stalkers who occasionally try to stab you right when you\u2019re supposed to be tailing someone.\u00a0 The main storyline, so far, hasn\u2019t been too riveting, which is a shame.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure – after I\u2019ve finished unpacking – that I\u2019ll charge through the story and update you all next month.<\/p>\n

What else can you expect in July\u2019s end-of-month post?\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a couple of new games to play with (actually new, i.e. newly released!) and I\u2019m always keeping an eye out for things to play, but summer tends to be time for the blockbuster films until autumn brings gaming back into focus again…<\/p>\n