Remember Me?

It's been nearly two years since I've made a post on here.  Is it because I'm lazy?  Mostly. 

Anyhow, I've decided to re-open the place, as I've made some relatively significant progress as a developer.  In January, I attended my first Global Game Jam, and made a small project with a group of people.  This event taught me a lot about making video games.  So much that it inspired me to take on several mini projects.  One of these projects is nearing completion.

This blog will no longer host things like reviews.  I've decided that it would be best to write articles on gameplay or design in general, or posts about the things I've been working on.  So look forward to some new content coming soon!

Mini Review: Spec Ops: The Line

Pros:
-Interesting plot, quite unlike anything in the genre
-Soundtrack is very fitting
-Graphics are great, and the game's art style makes it stand out
-Voice acting is top notch
-Emotion, something rare in a shooter

Cons:
-Gameplay is nothing special
-A little on the short side
-Characters are lacking in detail

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Thoughts: Spec Ops: The Line is the best shooter I've played in a long time.  It's not only intelligently made, but also makes the players really think.  It makes them question their actions, not unlike games such as Nier and Shadow of the Colossus.  And for applying that in the shooter genre, I applaud Yager and 2K Games.

*Note: Multiplayer is not taken into account with this review, as I believe it would not impact the game's score. 

Mini Review: Gravity Rush

Pros:

-Exploration is a blast, especially with gravity powers

-Graphics look great

-Sound and Music is top notch

-Interesting story with a colorful cast of characters

-Makes good use of the touchscreen, especially in combat

Cons:

-Some controls are hard to grasp (especially the Gravity Slide)

-Lacking replay value

-Frustrating aerial enemies

-Simplistic and sometimes repetitive missions

Overall Score: 9.0/10

Thoughts: Gravity Rush is a really interesting game that really feels fresh in a time of HD Remakes and Ports, especially on the Vita.  The game is the best reason to currently own a Vita and an even better reason to consider buying one if you have yet to purchase one.

Zone of the Enders HD Opening Animation

Words cannot do justice for how incredible this opening for the Zone of the Enders HD Collection truly is. As a long time fan, I am incredibly pleased!

Mysterious Orbital Frame in Early Zone of the Enders 2 Trailer

Recognize this orbital frame?  I doubt it, because this particular frame never made its way into Zone of the Enders 2.  It appeared in an early e3 trailer and never showed up again.  So what is this frame?  And where could it have fit in the story?  Hit the jump to read my take on this cut out frame.  

First Draft and The Future

Two days ago, I completed the first draft of my first major game project, titled "Snowfall."  Closing in on 146 pages, I'd say I'm very happy with it.  For now, the draft will enter a long and scary revision process.  In the meantime, I think I'll be starting to work out sprites and play around with some music editors to get an idea of what the music will sound like.  I do have some concern that the draft may not be "good enough" compared to other things out in the industry in terms of style and language, but I will definitely make sure it is once other things are worked out.  The next draft will focus on coherency and stability of the characters.  It really does feel great to have a completed piece of work though, even if it is only a first draft!

Underappreciated Gem: Jesus: Kyōfu no Bio Monster

When one typically thinks of the Famicom, platformers, shmups, and arcade style games are pretty much the first kind of games that come to mind.  But to those who have truly dug deep into the great titles the system has to offer, one can really see that there's more out there, particular some great visual novels.  Jesus: Kyōfu no Bio Monster, a Japanese-only release is one of those, and for a Famicom game, it's rather in depth plot and characterization really make it seem ahead of its time.  And despite its name, Jesus is not what you think it is.