PC Gaming Archives - Page 11 of 93

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’m done playing secret project game, so this weekend I’ll be able to devote all of my time and attention to Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for Mac OS. As I mentioned in the last Coffee Talk column, playing this game is like reuniting with an old lover. I’m having so much fun rediscovering the joys of Baldur’s Gate — the remake has been exceeding my high expectations. It’s everything I loved about the original, combined with updated graphics and several features from the sequel (class kits rule!). I’ve spent much more time with Lord Ra Ra (currently a level eight assassin) and need to give R.Pad (a prospective fighter-thief) some game time over the weekend.

On a side note, you know the nation of Amn in The Forgotten Realms? In my head, young citizens of Amn are called Amnlettes. That’s hilarious, right?!? *sigh* No one gets me….

So, what’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #575: My Return to Baldur’s Gate

On one of my trips to Asia, I was on the back of a motorcycle taxi and got caught in a big rainstorm. I asked the taxi driver to pull over and ducked into the nearest bar. To my shock, an ex-girlfriend — one that I never thought I’d see again — was in the bar, taking shelter from the storm. What followed was three excellent days between two people that knew each other intimately. In the immortal words of Journey, it was the “joy of discovering you.” That experience and that joy reminded me of my last three days with Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition. It’s a game that I know intimately, having played through it 18 times, and so far…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Robinson Cano switching agents from Scott Boras to Jay-Z, Mark Cuban saying that he’d give Brittney Griner a shot with the Mavericks, or T-Mobile’s awesome (and mentally unbalanced) CEO, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

On one of my trips to Asia, I was on the back of a motorcycle taxi and got caught in a big rainstorm. I asked the taxi driver to pull over and ducked into the nearest bar. To my shock, an ex-girlfriend — one that I never thought I’d see again — was in the bar, also taking shelter from the storm. What followed was three excellent days between two people that knew each other intimately. In the immortal words of Journey, it was “the joy of discovering you.” That experience and that joy reminded me of my last three days with Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for Mac OS. I knew the original intimately, having played through it 18 times, and so far it has been an absolute pleasure rediscovering this brilliant game.

Right now, I have two Baldur’s Gate EE games going on. First up is R.Pad, who is currently a level four thief, but will eventually be dual-classed into a fighter-thief. I’m playing this game straight up, without any cheat codes. Then there’s Lord Ra Ra (which is what I will legally change my name to when I marry Stefani Germanotta), the level six assassin (screenshot is a day old). He gets the benefit of the cheat console — stats jacked up to god-like levels and any weapon/item I can think of. It’s fun plowing through the game and relearning the maps as Lord Ra Ra, while using that knowledge to chart an optimal course for R.Pad.

There were a lot of habits I had to relearn during my first few hours with the game. Like many videogames released in the ’90s, the difficulty can be unevenly brutal and you can really screw yourself over by not saving every few minutes. While I love the deliberate pause-and-play combat, it’s something that I haven’t experienced in years. Today’s videogames are all about keeping you in the fantasy and moving things along at a brisk pace. Battles that let you pause several times to thoughtfully plot out strategies are considered passe. While it’s atypical in 2013, I found that it’s something that I still very much love (like the way my ex uses her…never mind). In fact, aside from the (still) moronic pathfinding, I’m loving everything about Baldur’s Gate EE.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Have you ever rediscovered a game that you haven’t played for more than a decade and found it just as captivating as the first time you played it? Now please excuse me as I have to get back to my Baldur’s Gate bliss.

Coffee Talk #574: Where Are the Superhero Movie Games?

My friend Paul and I were talking about the large number of 2013 nerd movies that don’t have videogames attached to them (at least, that we could think of). In the past, these games were automatic. If a studio had a superhero, sci-fi, or fantasy movie set for release then there would be a game — usually not a spectacular one — released in conjunction with the movie. The game would help promote the movie and the movie would help drive game sales, at least that’s what the bean counters thought. This year there seems to be lack of videogame-movie symbiosis. Where have all the superhero games gone? Are publishers…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the start of the glorious MLB season, the start of what should be a painful MLB season for my beloved Yankees, or the worst team in the whole damn league (Houston Astros) kicking things off with a win, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Off the top of my head, Star Trek: Into the Darkness is the only movie that has a hot game attached to it. Where are the games for Man of Steel, Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and others? One possibility is that movie studios and videogame publishers have learned that mediocre games have few or no symbiotic benefits. History has shown that good movies don’t need mediocre games (Thor, Iron Man) and great games don’t need the rub from movies (Batman: Arkham Asylum). Another possibility is that PC and console games are no longer the best choice for this type of outreach; it’s much cheaper and arguably more effective to promote a movie with a decent Facebook or mobile game.

Still, as a comic-book and videogame nerd, I would love to be playing console games based on this year’s nerd movies. How about you guys and gals? Do you want more videogame-movie tie-ins? What’s your take on why there seem to be less of them this year? Fire off your repulsor rays, blast your arctic breath, and sling your uru hammers in the comments section (please!).

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Screens

Here’s a batch of new screens for the upcoming Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. When I saw the game last October, I was impressed by its art style, unique yet simple gameplay, and non-verbal storytelling. It reminded me of Ico, with a bit of Heavy Rain thrown in. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is coming to PC (via Steam), PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in Spring 2013. It will be available for $15 or 1,200 units of make-believe Xbox Live currency. Check out the screens below and let me know what you think (please!). Continue reading “Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Screens”

Xi3 Piston Console Steam Box Arriving Holiday 2013

Xi3 Corporation has announced that its Piston Console will start at $999.99 and arrive during the Holiday 2013 season. According to Kotaku, this “unofficial” Steam Box is being partially financed by Valve. Curiously, the “Valve” and “Steam” brands aren’t mentioned in the Piston Console’s press release. The system is available for pre-order with a $100 discount that’s good until March 17, 2013 at 11:59PM CST.

The pre-order page shows that the Piston Console packs an AMD R464 quad-core processor listed at 3.2GHz, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. A 256GB SSD can be added for an additional $340 while a 512GB SSD can be added for an additional $750. According to CPU World, the AMD R464 has a standard frequency of 2.3GHz and a “Turbo” frequency of 3.2GHz.

I know that RPadholic smartguy is anxious for a Steam Box. Are any of you interested in Xi3’s Piston Console? Will you take advantage of the pre-order savings? Or are you going to wait for more choices? What do you think of the Piston Console’s looks and price?

Source via Kotaku

Torment: Tides of Numenera Blows Past Kickstarter Goal

inXile Entertainment’s Kickstarter pitch for Torment: Tides of Numenera has blown bas its $900,000 goal in less than a day. The game “continues the thematic legacy” of Planescape: Torment, one of the most critically acclaimed PC RPGs of the ’90s. The game frequently comes up in conversations I have with old-school PC gamers, often starting with, “You know, I sure wish someone would make a sequel to Planescape: Torment. That game was the bomb, like Ben Affleck in Phantoms.” While Tides of Numenera isn’t exactly a sequel, the developers appear to be working on something that will make many Planescape: Torment fans happy. Check out inXile’s Kickstarter video below.

Even though I prefer swords-and-sorcery settings, I was totally jazzed by Planescape: Torment’s rich storytelling and deep gameplay. It stood out back in 1999 and there really hasn’t been anything like it since. inXile seems very much aware of the legacy it has to live up to. The company is also passionate about games from that era and has talent that worked on some of the best games from the Interplay/Black Isle Studios days. In fact, several key members of the Planescape: Torment team and writers of the Planescape setting for TSR are working on Tides of Numenera. If anyone is equipped to deliver a thematic successor to Planescape: Torment, it’s these guys.

As of this writing, iNxile has reached $1,217,050 in funding, blowing past its original goal in a matter of hours. In the immortals words of Darth Vader, “Impressive. Most impressive.”

Any of you excited for Torment: Tides of Numenera? Will you contribute some Kickstarter funds?

Source

Thief Stealthing its Way to PC and Next-Gen Consoles

Square Enix has announced that Thief is in development for PC and next-generation consoles. The game is a “reinvention” of the classic PC titles made famous by Looking Glass Studios. I’m sure that some of you aren’t old enough to remember those games (stop making me feel old!); they were critically lauded and worked on by several notable developers, including Warren Spector, Ken Levine, Doug Church, Seamus Blackley, and Randy Smith. The game is now in the hands of Eidos Montreal.

Here’s what Eidos Montreal general manager Stephane D’Astous had to say about the reboot:

We’re handling a precious gemstone with Thief. Fans remember the original games very fondly and we want to preserve that essence which we have excellent experience of doing at Eidos Montréal, whilst also introducing Thief to a brand new, next-generation, audience. Our goal is to deliver the fantasy of being Garrett, the master thief, and we’re building this game around that core experience.

Thief was a groundbreaking first-person game. Prior to its 1998 release, first-person games were mainly shooters, with an emphasis on action. Thief brought smarter sensibilities to the mix, adding in several adventure and role-playing elements. It changed the perception and expectation of what these kinds of games could be. It sounds kind of quaint in 2013, but 15 years ago this was a big deal.

Any of you remember those early Thief games? If so, are you looking forward to the new one? If not, are you at all intrigued by Square Enix’s announcement?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I have a bit of a dilemma. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for OS X. It feels like the iPad and Windows versions were released forever ago. I kept getting annoyed when submission after submission was rejected by the Mac App Store. The good news is that it’s available now for OS X through the Beamdog client. The bad news is that I have a bunch of App Store credit, $20 of which was reserved for Baldur’s Gate. Should I be patient and wait for the Mac App Store release? Or should I go with Beamdog? The former would require waiting and cost me nothing. The latter would give me immediate gratification, though I’d be dealing with an unknown client. What to do?!?

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #570: The Ewing Theory and Videogames

As a Bill Simmons fanboy, the “Ewing Theory” is far more relevant to my life than any scientific theory. When Simmons posted a column revisiting the Ewing Theory, I started thinking about it in videogame terms. Obviously videogames are larger team efforts than sports are, so some of the principles of the theory don’t apply, but it was a fun exercise. Over the last week, I asked a bunch of friends if they could think of any videogame franchises that improved when a “celebrity” developer moved on or left the team.

The most common answer I received was the God of War series. A lot of my friends feel…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Shia LaBeouf getting booted off a Broadway play, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. switching from HBO to Showtime, or celebrities wearing pajama pants, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The most common answer I received was the God of War series. A lot of my friends feel that the series reached new heights after David Jaffe left the team. The answer surprised me. Part of it is because I hold Jaffe in high regard and part of it is that I believe the series simply progressed. Of course Cory Balrog and Stig Asmussen did wonderful jobs directing the next two God of War games, but I believe the series would have improved similarly with Jaffe at the wheel. (Hmmm, now I want to rewrite the song “Jesus Take the Wheel” with the lyrics “Jaffe Take the Wheel.”) While I understood their points, I don’t think it was a “Ewing Theory” situation. God of War definitely got better, but I don’t think it was because of David Jaffe taking a different role (II) or leaving the team (III).

A few people mentioned John Romero and the Quake series. I understood this argument more, but felt that the older guys I spoke with still had Daikatana on their minds. That said, Tim Willits and Graeme Devine definitely took the franchise to new heights.

Now it’s your turn! What videogame franchises can you apply the Ewing Theory to?

Wargaming Buys Gas Powered Games

Wargaming, the makers of the popular free-to-play World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, has announced an agreement to buy Gas Powered Games, the creators of Demigod, Dungeon Siege, and Supreme Commander. Gas Powered Games recently made some news with its Kickstarter pitch for Wildman. The beleaguered company was facing financial issues and had to let several employees go to stay afloat, while its fate was in the hands of Kickstarter. Gas Powered Games CEO and founder Chris Taylor posted a teary and heartfelt video explaining the situation. Thankfully, the company was able to find a financial backer in Wargaming.

Now here’s the part with all the quotes! Let’s start with with the excellent Chris Taylor:

Wargaming growth in recent years has been tremendous, and we’re looking forward to joining one of the fastest growing gaming companies in the world. I’m sure our experience and expertise will help us contribute even more to Wargaming’s global success.

And here’s one from Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi:

Gas Powered Games’ heritage and development pedigree shows us just how valuable an addition Chris and his company will make to the Wargaming family. Gas Powered Games has a long track record of providing incredibly engaging AAA gaming experiences and we can’t wait to start working with them.

I’m thrilled that Gas Powered Games was able to find a solution. Hopefully, the developer will be able to rehire everyone that was released. And hopefully the partnership is everything the company needs and wants. I’m a huge fan of the Gas Powered Games and, especially, Chris Taylor.

On the other side of the deal, it’s interesting watching Wargaming move and shake. The company’s purchases include Day 1 Studios and BigWorld Technology. All signs point to bigger and better things from Wargaming, including a console invasion (presumably full of tanks and warplanes).

Now here’s the part where I’m supposed to make a joke about the Belarusian company’s acquisitions being backed by Russian mob money…but I’m much too afraid of the consequences.