Tag: ps4

RAPTOR’S GAME OF THE YEAR 2017

Posted on - by RaptorFire

Every year is an adventure, huh?

It’s easy to look back on the time you’ve had over the last 12 months and say “we had a really great year!” or “this was our worst year yet.” Perspectives are a penny a piece when it comes to the human race. We all have our own challenges, tragedies, gifts, triumphs, and tastes. Some people experienced their first year of marriage or saw their favorite movie. Others were forced to face the loss of a loved one or could never look past the failures of their own government. When it comes to the gaming scene, we had some of the biggest, boldest, far-reaching titles in a long, long time. We also saw the rise of the most disgusting, obnoxious business practices that proved just how little the monolithic software companies of the world have for their own paying customers who continue to put them in business. However, given that the purpose of this blog is to focus on the positive side of our little hobby, I’ve decided to overlook all of the latter transgressions for now. Though I urge all readers to exercise their best judgement when making a purchase. This medium is special to a lot of people, and I feel it’s important to be thankful of the good things we have on this earth while always looking for ways to improve, pushing back against practices that are both predatory and immoral.

That said.

I generally avoid a simple ranking of games from 10 to 1 when coming up with a list like this. My goal today will be to praise, in no particular order, the games I enjoyed playing the most this year that were released from January onward, while also giving out “awards” for specific categories that I feel deserve a nod of recognition. Only games I’d played will be on the list… so no Switch titles, unfortunately. I also like to name my Game of the Year just for fun, outlining the game I thought gave me the best time and encapsulates the finest that video games can offer. For reference, here were my last 7 GOTY:
2016- Overwatch
2015- Undertale
2014- Super Smash Bros.
2013- Bioshock Infinite
2012- Halo 4
2011- Portal 2
2010- Mass Effect 2

I haven’t been able to cover all the following games with a blog post… and I may get to that. But without further ado, here are my top picks for this terrific year:

Zelda fans finally received an all-new adventure with the excellent open-world of Breath of the Wild. The wacky but wonderful sequel we never asked for, Nier: Automata, gave gaming another strong story with all the fantastic meta-narrative elements that only a video game could accomplish. Persona 5 presented its take on the classic turn-based JRPG formula, then knocked it out of the part in the most stylish way seen in years. The fantastic world of Pyre proved to everyone that Supergiant games were no two-trick ponies, effortlessly blending character and gameplay in compelling contests of strength. The multiplayer landscape was once again taken in a surprising direction with Invisigun Heroes’ unique use of invisible player characters, creating an experience both fast-paced and strategic for all four players involved. The long-awaited Cuphead promised a whimsical cartoon world from the 1930’s and delivered on every level. Shovel Knight proved it still has what it takes to revitalize the classic side-scrolling designs of yesteryear with it’s amazing expansion, Specter of Torment. Sonic Mania saw Sega’s decades-old mascot frustratedly turning on its own makers and telling them off for missing the point of what the blue blur is all about… all by delivering the best Sonic game of all time 25 years post-inception. We discovered a shocking story within the game that showed off both the best time-travel mechanic of all time and the most ridiculous name of all time, The Sexy Brutale. And finally, while not reaching the same monumental heights as its predecessor, Wolfenstein II: The New Collossus still showed us just how much fun can be had with with just a hatchet… and a Nazi.

Great gaming soundtracks are incredibly important to me, so let’s kick the categories off with that, yeah? I’m a huge fan of many Japanese composers, so it’s no surprise that Nier: Automata’s sorrowful-yet-soaring soundscape really stuck in my brain long after the credits rolled. Its incredible use of vocals, strings and piano set such a unique mood that has been achieved in very few games since. Zelda’s always had great tunes (like, LEGENDARY great tunes), and this year was absolutely no exception. Though the music was spread particularly thin in Breath of the Wild, the songs that we DID get set the mood of this epic, open-air quest. Pyre showed off some amazing variety from the legendary Darren Korb, with memorable character themes, folk music, and minstrelsy peppered throughout the story. And let’s not forget Cuphead’s fantastic devotion to its source material, complete with record filtering, old-timey vocals, and the best big band sound on this side of the swing era. However, it’s the unbelievable variety and style of Persona 5 that wins this category. Never have I heard a better mix of j-pop meets jazz meets funk meets heavy metal. I haven’t stopped listening to this OST since April, and if you haven’t started yet, get on YouTube and fix that!

Graphics don’t make a game, but how a game looks in motion is an inescapable factor in its ability to compel a player forward. Over the years, art styles have grown more vibrant, charming and wonderful; the fact that there was even competition in this category this year is a testament to that. When I saw Persona 5, I thought the contest was over already. Persona takes advantage of its new HD engine and pours style into its every facet, from its menus to battle commands to monster designs and even the text bubbles(!?!?) Every action taken in the game pops out of the screen with reckless abandon, showering the player in red-soaked anime goodness, demanding they have the time of their life (before it steals your heart). Did I mention this is a PS3 release??? Then Pyre showed up about a few months later, straightened its tie, and proceeded to beat Persona’s aesthetic into the ground with its own hand drawn, glorious animations and environments. Characters come alive with amazing designs and colors, while the titular Pyres burst off the monitor with every victory goal. And YET… both still couldn’t keep up with the fabulous animation of Cuphead. There are 19 bosses in Cuphead. Each of them had to be drawn and re-drawn thousands upon thousands of times in order to get the silky-smooth 1930’s artstyle that simply needs to be seen in action to be believed. It’s a true testament to Studio MDHR’s commitment and passion for its vision, and the result is a game that will forever stand as a gold standard in independent game development. In the world of gaming aesthetics and artstyles, Cuphead is a triumph.

My final category goes to the game that surprised me the most this year. I love surprises. Games and movies that throw clever curve balls and continually subvert expectations are the kind that usually give me the most memorable experiences (Undertale and Madoka still haunt me to this day and I love it). This year had plenty of great experiences, but not quite as many surprises as usual. There are few exceptions that stuck out: Pyre was a particular treat, as the concept of a “fantasy sports RPG” didn’t appeal to me at first blush. But as the reviews came out and the true scope of the game became clearer, my interest grew enough to give it a try, and the result was an unforgettable story of my own making. In a similar way, Nier: Automata’s meta elements and its talent for changing its audience’s expectations at every corner were delightful to uncover, with its dozens of endings, secrets and thoughtful psychological musings peppered throughout. Sonic Mania, on the other hand, promised a return to form for one of my favorite childhood heroes, and the surprise inside wasn’t found in its adherence to that promise, but in simply how spectacularly I found the game’s execution of Sonic’s original vision. On top of all that, a strange little game named The Sexy Brutale came from seemingly out of nowhere, giving the player one of the best examples of a time-travel mechanic I’ve ever seen in a game. (I’d love to talk more about what makes it so great here, but you’ll find my more complete thoughts on Sexy Brutale in an upcoming spoiler-ific post.) In the end though, the most fantastic surprise I found was in my escapades within the twisted world of Persona 5. As my introduction to the celebrated series, I could not have picked a more excellent gateway. Persona 5 oozes style, personality and swagger from every pore, extending beyond its striking visual aesthetic and seeping into its formulaic but ingenious execution of classic JRPG dungeon-crawling. P5 eliminates so many of the issues I have with the JRPG formula, namely the stat grind. Battle commands have shifted from a scrolling menu into a single button press for each action (making P5 one of the few RPGs that remember how many buttons a Playstation controller has, thank you very much), and if that isn’t quick enough, Persona’s trademark “Rush Mode” clears out enemies that can hardly be bothered with in a jiffy. Outside of battle, the min-maxing remains compelling through the Confidant system, where players are required to build relationships with teammates and neighbors. The stronger your relationships, the stronger your Personas can be, cleverly weaving together your character’s personal growth as a young man and his growth as a warrior. The compelling nature of your social interactions, the emphasis of stealth to drive home the theme of “Phantom Thievery,” and the experience’s inimitable style throughout its 100+ hour run… the pleasant surprises this game offers are endless. I approached it intrigued. I left blown away. Like Fire Emblem Awakening before it, Persona 5 simultaneously made me stop wondering why I still owned a PS4 while revealing to me a whole new franchise to have a place in my heart. And there it will stay, waiting patiently for the countless P5 spinoffs to drip from Atlus’ depths before Persona 6 inevitably comes out on my 50th birthday, probably.

Which brings me to my Game of the Year. It’s shocking to me how much I really needed to ponder which experience meant the most to me, especially considering that this is a year that a new Zelda game came out. Alas, while Breath of the Wild’s scope and scale were impressive, serving as an example of the best open-world gaming has to offer, its various technical hiccups, lack of traditional dungeons and reliance on the ill-advised weapon durability system failed to enrapture me in the same way previous entries had. So the battle came down to Persona 5, The Sexy Brutale and Pyre. It was an incredibly close call, but…

My Game of the Year has to inevitably go to PYRE.

Pyre to me demonstrates both the raw talent behind Supergiant Games and how the challenge of blending gameplay and narrative (a feat that only video games can achieve, and one I believe every story-heavy title should strive for) can be pulled off with flying colors. Persona achieves this in many ways with its Confidant system, giving each face in your party a unique voice and background, but Pyre does something even more special. It successfully creates a cast of colorful characters whose fate is tied to your actions even more intimately and successfully than the legendary Mass Effect 2 did. Creating a sports RPG where failure is not marked by a Game Over screen, but by the knowledge that a dear friend must suffer in exile longer than necessary is simply brilliant. My favorite story from this year involved me giving up my own character’s freedom due to my own failure as a team leader. Few games can achieve such a simple yet dynamic approach to storytelling, and it’s this reason that ultimately, amidst so many other incredible titles, Pyre earns it’s place as my top game of 2017.

Thank you for reading! It’s my hope and prayer that your 2018 give you good health, great games, and wonderful memories.

“And That is Why I Succeed”

Posted on - by RaptorFire

Minor Spoilers ahead for Pyre

In life we fail. We fall. Mistakes are made, and no amount of regret or remorse can take away the actions we take, regardless of intentions. As a very wise cartoon man once said: “Whatever happens, happens.” Failure is a hard truth we all must swallow at some point.

Indie game studio Supergiant Games might know a thing or two about hard truths. In 2014, their second game Transistor was released to critical acclaim and tremendous sales success, earning over one million sales by the end of the following year. With this title and its 2010 Game of the Year contender Bastion under the studio’s belt, it’s safe to claim that Supergiant is practically the scale by which all indie games are measured. The hard truth was people were watching carefully, awaiting Supergiant’s next big indie blockbuster. If I were in their shoes, I’d be more than a little nervous.

So the studio, not content to make the same game twice, went back to the drawing board and brainstormed ideas. One of the more interesting ideas was centered around the hard truth of failure.

The concept of a “failure state” in gaming is an ancient one. In Pong, one side had to lose. In Pac-Man, a Game Over would force arcade-goers to feed machines more of those sweet, sweet quarters. The infamous Souls series won its reputation by getting players very familiar with death. (Very.)

Only recently has there been a growing trend in removing failure states from games… or at least rewriting the rules on them. The adventure game Heavy Rain featured not game over screen, only a story that continued to unfold whether the playable characters survived the journey… or didn’t. Most puzzle games only truly “fail” when a player decides to give up on a brain-teaser in frustration. Controversial “walking simulators” like Dear Esther or Firewatch are basically impossible to lose, only asking the player to experience the story by traveling from point A to point B. For years, developers have been experimenting and warping the rules of conventional gaming, with mixed results.

Which brings us to Supergiant’s newest title, Pyre. Pyre’s concept evolved from the studio’s idea to rewrite the conventions of failure in games. Would it be possible to create a game where defeat can happen at any time, and players are forced to face the consequences of their actions rather than be given infinite chances, as is the norm? Well, it should be. Reality is full of unchangeable failures, yet life goes on. With that in mind, the team devised a title crafted around this unique concept to modern video games, a non-violent competition between factions in which failure resulted not in character death, but in lessons to be learned for the next bout. Sound familiar? Think about it. Millions of Americans watch it on TV every week.

Pyre is, for all intents and purposes, a fantasy sports RPG. You play as an un-named exile, banished from his or her homeland for the unforgivable sin of literacy. You are rescued by a crew of fellow exiles who, upon learning of your unique skill, begin putting you to work deciphering a mysterious book detailing a path to freedom from eternal exile. Soon, this path is revealed to be attainable only through “The Rites,” thrusting you into an epic quest to travel the land, gather companions, and win enough Rites to earn your freedom.

The Rites themselves make up the bulk of gameplay. Players select a team of three party members to participate in a competition that can only be described as a cross between blitzball, basketball and lacrosse. The rules are simple: grab the orb at the center of the arena and use teamwork to dunk it into the opponent’s goal (their titular Pyre) enough times to snuff it out. Achieve this before your opponent does the same to your Pyre, and you win. But as with all great sports, the simple rules can make way for some truly impressive tactical depth. Each and every exile you pick up on your journey has his or her own specializations , abilities and upgrades for you to tinker with, as well as a slot for equipment you can buy along the way. I won’t describe any of the options available to you for fear of spoiling surprises, but the customization of your three-member team goes far beyond big/slow/strong characters versus small/fast/fragile combatants.

And said combatants are what make up the meat of the experience. Like a great Bioware game, Pyre is full of memorable, distinct allies and adversaries that are full of both personality and ambitions, which delightfully your character will keep record of in his or her journal as your observations increase. This information-gathering is somewhat optional… but choosing to forego building a bond with your companions will also rob the player of the high stakes at hand when carrying out The Rites. As mentioned above, each encounter you have is a non-lethal ball game, but while life and limb of each character are not in jeopardy, their freedom most certainly is. Victory in each Rite will bring your companions closer to “enlightenment,” which in turn will eventually give you, the player, an opportunity to free one of your friends from the desolation of exile. This will allow your ally to achieve the dream you so desperately want to give them… but will cause your team to lose both a beloved friend and valuable combatant for the remainder of them game (and giving the player the ultimate choice on who stays and who escapes just rubs more salt in the wound). On the other hand, losing in a Rite will increase your opponent’s chance of escaping the wasteland, never to be encountered again. No matter how well or how poorly you perform in the game, a friend or an enemy will return home, and the story’s ultimate conclusion will be twisted to reflect your decisions one way or another.

This is far from a convenient choose-your-own-adventure gimmick, however. Your crew will go up against a variety of different teams of three, each with their own team name, history, emblem, color, captain, quirk, and jamming theme song. Enemy captains are given personalities and motivations just as compelling your companions’, and each adversary will likely hold some form of grudge against your team… or a teammate. The game records your win/loss ratio with each team, and like any good sports game, each encounter provides an opportunity for some compelling rivalries to emerge.

I’m going to give a slightly heavier spoiler warning here to give you one of my more interesting moments during one of these rivalries (so feel free to skip this paragraph if you want as little story spoilers as possible). Roughly midway through the game, my team was sitting pretty. We were undefeated, and ready to send another deserving ally back home. Our rival for the deciding match was a group of ex-terrorists, one of which was an estranged sibling of a different teammate bent on returning home to continue wrecking havoc on the homeland who’d exiled her. Despite my opponent’s relative on our team feeling torn about her sibling’s chance at freedom, we battled them as fiercely as ever… only to suffer our first loss at this critical juncture. Our enemy was released. My friend was forced to continue her unjust sentence because of my failure. The devastating effect of one simple loss was shockingly palpable… and eventually forced me to give up my own chance at freedom. Pyre is filled with situations such as this, each with its own triumphs, tragedies, and everything inbetween.

Pyre’s aesthetic is a beauty to behold, easily the best-looking game to be released this year (and when you’re going up against a game like Persona 5, that’s a very bold statement indeed). Every art asset is gorgeously detailed in vivid watercolor sketches and playful animations. Characters bounce about the battlefield with their own sleek personality. And those environments? Any fan of the popping, bright art styles found in Pyre could easily frame any of those wide, sweeping landscapes on their wall. Plus, I don’t know of another title that better captures the essence of cartoon, colored fire.

The game is bursting with lore at every turn, giving players an obscene number of opportunities to study the histories of this creative, Middle Eastern-flavored culture. This may not appease every gamer (expect to do some reading… a lot of reading), but even to the casual visitor to Pyre’s world, understanding the unfolding events can be as simple as hovering the cursor over a highlighted word of interest (I seriously wish more lore-heavy RPGs would do this sort of thing). On the other side of the spectrum, the hardcore historians in the audience are provided a vibrantly detailed in-game book that is gradually filled with pages upon pages of backstory as the player advances through the game.

Failure is not the end in the world of Pyre, but the effects of loss are no less devastating. By the end of your lengthy journey through the Downside, each of the vibrant characters you meet will be different in some way, and this is reflected in both the epilogue and end-game minstrel song that sings over the credits (once again composed by the fabulous Darren Korb). Like the many, many games that have tried this before, Pyre turns into a tale that is truly yours in the end, one that I shan’t forget anytime soon.

For an experience that can harbor so much bitter failure, I believe there can be no greater triumphant success for Supergiant.

 

References used:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/271161/How_Supergiant_Games_aggressively_prototyped_its_way_into_Pyre.php