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Q.T.E.’s can be B.A.D.
Xbox 365.com’s Top 10 until 2010
Xbox 360 Passes 1 Million Milestone in Japan
Q.T.E.’s can be B.A.D. Monday, 4 05 2009 by Craig
by Craig Schorling
-Staff Editor
Nothing can bring down a game faster than poor game play. Controls that are not responsive and unnatural control schemes plague games and can ruin what might otherwise be a good game in all other categories. However, no game can be just as bad if not worse than bad game play. I speak of quick time events (QTE) which are not new to the gaming industry but appear to be on a steady increase as seen in such recent titles as Resident Evil 5 and Prince of Persia.
QTE’s can be traced back to the Dragon’s Lair games that started in the early 1980’s. These games were contained on laserdisc which allowed for animation quality images but not room for much else. These games consisted of watching the game and hitting the correct button at the right time to avoid certain doom. At the time, these games were unique and offered something that had not been seen before. Then in 1999, Yu Suzuki, who coined the QTE term directed “Shenmue”. This game introduced QTE’s in the form of cut scenes or interludes in an otherwise action based game. Since then QTE’s have found their way into many household titles such as God of War, Kingdom Hearts, Saints Row 2, Sonic Unleashed, The Force Unleashed, Ninja Blade, and countless other titles. While these QTE’s can offer cinematic scenarios and fun to watch moments, they really can take a player out of a game when done poorly or abundantly.
First we look at the aforementioned Resident Evil 5 and Prince of Persia. Resident Evil 5 relies on QTE’s to progress almost all of the boss battles that take place within the game and some are entirely QTE. While these look great when executed properly, I constantly found myself dying then redoing it over and over again out of memorization. This truly feels like lazy programming at times. Why not have boss fights where you actually fight? This is evident at one fight near the end of the game (being vague as to avoid spoilers) where the player has to fist fight, shoot, and evacuate to safety. All of this is done via QTE’s which begs the question, why not just create this scenario but with game play? Far more enjoyment and possibilities arise when actual game play is part of the equation. Where do I hold up? Where will I shoot? Which combo should I use? All of these options go bye-bye when QTE’s are implemented.
Prince of Persia uses QTE’s in all of their 24 boss fights (that’s right, you have to go through this 24 times) and various miscellaneous battles. As you are fighting a quick cinematic appears and you have to hit a specific button in order to succeed. If you miss you take damage, should you succeed nothing happens other than you get to go back to fighting. This was fun and exciting but after 24 fights riddled with this tactic it became stale fast. To have a system like this with no reward for succeeding and punishment when failing is beyond me and caused the game to have an artificial difficulty to it. A far more rewarding and engaging experience would be to give the enemies attacks that the player would have dodge, deflect, run away from, or handle any way they see fit. Prince of Persia had an ok concept but fell short on its execution.
Not all QTE’s are bad. In fact some are well done and leave the player with a sense of accomplishment. The God of War series implements QTE’s very well into their game. During battles you can, when prompted, begin a chain of QTE’s that will finish off you enemy and grant the player more experience than finishing off the foe by conventional methods. Here is a system that gives the player a choice on whether or not to do the QTE, thus never taking the player out of the experience and rewards them for doing it. It should also be noted that in these titles the QTE’s can become difficult to execute but they do not become a burden in the same way that some games make QTE’s. Kingdom Hearts 2 also implements a similar approach to QTE’s as they give the player choice whether or not to initiate the sequence and cancel it whenever they wish to.
QTE’s are not bad, in fact they have an ability to enhance a game in ways no other device can. More and more developers and programmers are adding QTE’s into their games and a lot of them tend to be poorly implemented. It is when this occurs that gamers and critics will bash the QTE system which is unfair. Developers need to look at the QTE as a way to deepen their game and not cripple it. When you offer a QTE mechanic but fail to provide game play to accompany it then you are left with a game that feels stagnant and stale. I hope for the gamer’s sake that more games incorporate the QTE in new, fresh, and innovative ways.
Xbox 365.com’s Top 10 until 2010 Monday, 4 05 2009 by Cam
by Cameron Woolsey
-Staff Editor
Just when you thought it was safe to finally go through your backlog of titles from 2008, another year of impressive looking titles is upon us. With E3 just around the corner, which is sure to bring us huge announcements and some new titles which are still in the works, let us take a look of some already announced games coming up in 2009. Here are the top ten most wanted games of the second half of 2009.
10. The Saboteur – Pandemic’s stealth action title, set in WWII, follows the underground efforts of a saboteur as he tries to redeem his city of Nazi influence. The game is set in black and white and color only returns once you rid an area of influence.
My take: I have been interested in this title for some time now. The concept of black and white games is still fresh, and The Saboteur looks to add a whole new fresh coat of paint. With Pandemic’s usual track record, I think we can expect The Saboteur to look and play great when it’s released.
9. Bionic Commando – This is the latest title in the Bionic Commando series and being developed by GRIN (better known for the PC version of GRAW) and published by Capcom.
My take: This update on a classic franchise has been looking great so far. While the arm—thankfully without hotdog wires—still looks ridiculous, being able to swing like Spiderman while mowing down enemies looks like a blast. Look for this one hitting May, 19th (22nd for Europe).
8. Prototype – The upcoming game by Radical Entertainment is a sandbox-style action game where the player takes control of a shape shifting anti-hero on a hunt for his missing memories.
My take: Radical is obviously taking the successful design of one of their previous games, Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, and using it with their own original IP. From what I have seen so far, Prototype’s fast pace and sandbox design is coming together to make a pretty sweet looking game. Look for this one hitting the stores June 9th (the 12th for Europe).
7. Ghostbusters: The Video Game – Developed by Terminal Reality (BloodRayne) and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, Ghostbusters: The Video Game looks to try and recapture the comedy and scares from the classic movies.
My take: Who is not excited when thinking about a Ghostbusters 3? Well, with this game we are closer than we ever can be. Written by Aykroyd and voiced by most of the original actors, this game has gotten me and many other Ghostbusters fans excited to once again see the team in action.
6. Red Faction: Guerilla – Unlike Previous Red Faction titles, Guerilla is a third-person shooter with sandbox design. You take control of the protagonist and fight against the EDF (Earth Defense Force) using guerilla-style tactics. The game uses a revolutionary new physics engine (Geo-Mod 2.0) to create realistic destruction.
My take: What has my attention is the amazing physics and design seen in the construction (or destruction) of the buildings in the game. Every building has supports to be destroyed and every wall can be taken down. Just watching a video on the wanton destruction alone has me wanting to play this game simply to find out how many ways I could destroy a single building.
5. Batman: Arkham Asylum – Instead of doing something predictable like making a game based on the recent films, Rocksteady Studios is bringing a separate game based on the comics instead. Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure title with stealth elements and features the original voice cast from Batman: The Animated Series.
My take: I’m surprised you are actually reading my opinion; the description alone would cause any Batman fan worth his/her salt to squeal with joy. With the cast of Batman: The Animated Series (such as Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker) combined with solid action and stealth elements, this is the first Batman game in years that has been able to catch my interest to this degree. Look for this to hit stores June 23rd.
4. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Taking place during the Renaissance, players take control of the assassin, Enzio while taking out targets in the streets of Venice. Enzio has a wide array of weapons to use including those of his enemies.
My take: The main reason I already like this game is simply the fact that ENZIO CAN SWIM. Forget the multiple weapons, never mind Leonardo da Vinci, because now your super assassin no longer has to put on his water wings. Look for this one to ship by the end of the year.
3. Halo 3 ODST – This downloadable pack allows players to see the Halo universe through the eyes of an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper). The game takes place during the time frame of Halo 2 in the destroyed city of New Mombasa.
My take: Halo fans have practically already bought this. This add-on pack will allow players to view the Covenant-Human war through a fresh perspective. I’m looking forward to see how Bungie is able to put players in the role of a character far weaker than the Chief while still maintaining the frenzied action everyone is used to.
2. Modern Warfare 2 – Not much has been revealed for this title but with Infinity Ward’s track record, gamers can expect the same heart-pounding action seen in the previous title. One difference to note, however, is the absence of the series title, Call of Duty.
My take: If Infinity Ward is still doing what they do best then we can expect another high quality shooter. It can be seen that with the removal of the series title, Modern Warfare should now be taken as a separate series while still under the Call of Duty umbrella. The most recent trailer announced a release date for November 10th of this year.
1. BioShock 2 – Players get to take control of an infamous Big Daddy in the sequel to the critically acclaimed shooter, BioShock. Ten years have passed since Jack’s escape and new terrors are now roaming through the forgotten city of Rapture. What new terrors will players find?
My take: BioShock was my GOTY choice for 2007. Sure it was a semi-clone of System Shock 2 but that certainly didn’t tarnish the game one bit. BioShock 2 will continue to tell the tragic tale of the impossible dream while answering many remaining questions and shedding light on new mysteries. Look for BioShock 2 to hit this Fall.
Xbox 360 Passes 1 Million Milestone in Japan Wednesday, 22 04 2009 by UtahSaint
To celebrate the Xbox 360's one million units life-to-date in Japan, Microsoft touted increasing support for Xbox Live Arcade from the Japanese development community and unveiled a number of new Xbox Live Arcade titles.
The company held a press conference yesterday, according to consumer website GameSpot, where it announced it would celebrate the milestone with a "Thank You" campaign, offering one million Microsoft Points and a free dashboard theme in Japan.
According to Enterbrain data, the console passed the 1 million mark last month. By comparison, the original Xbox sold only around half a million units in Japan since launch, lacking software that satisfies Japanese audience tastes. However, exclusive RPGs like Star Ocean: The Last Hope and Tales of Vesperia have helped drive the Xbox 360's userbase in the country -- the latter actually sold out the console's stock nationwide when it launched.