September 2008 Archives

I came to the realization that I had an unopened copy of Dawn of War: Platinum on my shelf and that I needed to finally play through it. I missed this RTS when it came out... I think because of Half-Life 2, and I picked up the Gold edition about a year ago and played through the first 4 or so missions. Then I gave that copy away as a gift when I found the platinum edition and just never got back into it. Ever since I started working on Battle Monkeys (more on that later) I've told myself that I need to play through DoW since the squad command will most likely resemble the Dawn of War model.

This weekend I managed to get back to the point where I was before and I've got to say that it's a fantastic RTS, mainly because it does away with the tedious resource management and instead allows you to focus on the combat and the tactics. Plus, playing it four years after it came out I'm able to run it in high resolution and in full detail - to which I must add that the visuals still really hold up well. I'll give an update once I've played thought the main campaign with my thoughts. Until then...

Several weeks ago I finally finished Psychonauts for the XBOX. Why the hell didn't I finish this 3 years ago?? It's easily moved into my top 10 games of all time - it had everything I love about gaming. Granted, the platforming was not as tight as something like a Mario Galaxy, but the overall gameplay was fun as hell, the story was engaging and well structured, and the writing was hilariously genius.

What struck me most about Psychonauts was the amazing level design. The ability to go into the psyche of each character and have that directly reflected in the artistic style and layout of each level was something that I just hadn't seen done so well before. Each twisted brainscape felt like a unique experience and the designers were able to go all out while exploring some pretty heavy issues - all the while keeping the tone humorous and fun.

I have to note here that my favorite level was Gloria's Theater. I've read that the set changes and performances grate on some people's nerves, but the layout, lighting color, and all the small details poured into the level made me feel like I was exploring the theater of the mind - literally. In particular, the 2D set dressing, sinister lighting of the "dark" scenes, and the vertigo inducing catwalks while persuing the mysterious "Phantom," really made you connect with the character of Gloria and her psychological distress.

The infamous "Meat Circus" level, while somewhat frustrating to me, was not as bad as it was made out to be, and the sheer brilliance of the rest of the game easily eclipses whatever imperfections this obviously rushed level may have cast upon it.

Tim Schafer must be commended once again for his twisted vision. Please - find a way to bring us Psychonauts 2! Need more Raz!