The Best Game Openings Ever December 20, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Editorials.1 comment so far
With the end of November, all the major game releases have come out before the holidays. With all the games coming out, the importance of how a game starts is increased tenfold. A game has to grip the player immediately in order to keep their attention and having amazing opening is essential.
I wanted to share with you guys a list of some of my favorite game openings over the years. These are presented in no paticular order.
Max Payne – The Prologue Level. My best memory playing the opening cutscene to the game was right after I had just installed a GeForce 2 MX 64MB into my new PC. In fact somewhere in my video archives there’s a high-8 tape of that reaction. Seeing the sweeping landscape of New York City as helicopters flew through it recording the journey brought upon it by just one person, the player. The camera climbs up the building and holds on our hero, Max Payne, finished with his journey. Then the game flashes back to the beginning where Max’s perfect life is destroyed. Really it could have happened to anyone. Drug addicts break into Max’s house and he is too late to stop them from doing what they intended to do, kill his wife and baby daughter. The developers chose to have this scene playable as you fight your way though the house trying to save them to give you a deeper connection to Max and his story. To this day it’s one of the most tragic scenes I’ve ever witnessed in any media.
Half-Life – Tram Ride. Everyone cites this game as having one of the best openings in the history of games and who am I to argue with them? The first game’s opening was perfect at setting the stage for the game and the environment you would be playing in. As you ride the tram on the way to work, you are teased with the diverse environments of the Black Mesa Research Facility. As the ride continues the information about just who the character the player is controlling. It was one of the first games to give a player downtime before the fighting started and it was a great design decision which foreshadowed where the player would be going over the course of the game.
Dead Space – Introduction. As our protagonist watches the brief transmission from his girlfriend silently, we know what’s at stake in this game within the first few seconds. Suddenly we’re shown the most beautiful vista of space that I’ve ever seen, as glowing light fills up the cockpit and we see our destination. We’re introduced to the supporting characters, and their archtypes are set up very quickly as all of a sudden, a dangerous situation is presented and they have to react to it at the immediate possiblity of peril. As Mr. Plinkett would say, is it cheap and easy? Yes. Does it work? Also yes. Another interesting note is that rewatching the sequence after playing through the whole game a second time, with full knowledge of all the supporting character’s real motiviations, the scene still works perfectly. I can’t say the same for a lot of poorly written movies or comic books which have twist endings.
God of War – The Hydra Battle. I don’t think anyone would ever question my choice of this opening. I know some would argue that the openings for each subsequent God of War game had been designed to outdo the previous game’s opening (in a lot of respects the Collosus of Rhodes in the second game was a bigger more epic battle then the hydra battle, in that you’re given the Blade of Olympus from Zeus to slay it) but there is just something so classic about the first God of War in that it’s an all encompassing beginning that plays a part with the game’s ending, something that no other God of War game has done. By the time we first hit the start button, the game menu morphs into the opening cutscene and we see our protagonist attempt suicide. Then the game flashes back to the events that started him on that path and we find ourselves on a ship under attack from the hydra. Everything from the atmosphere to the music feels right to complement the opening to this story as it serves to introduce the player to Kratos and the whole game’s universe. After the defeat of the hydra the game continues and we not only find ourselves being a jerk to a guy who’s been recently swallowed by the creature but we are also treated to some fully exposed breasts, something unusual for games of the time, but now more commonly accepted because of that game.
Bioshock – The lighthouse. Almost immediately upon hitting the start button you find yourself treading water in the middle of the ocean. The only safe venue to swim to is a lighthouse not too far from where you crashed. As you enter it and you see the first inklings of Rapture and it’s creator Andrew Ryan. Quotes of Ryan’s and statues made of him adorn the interior of the lighthouse. You step into the bathosphere and are treated to a short filmstrip about the ideals of where you are headed, but nothing in the film can compare to the vista you’re treated to of underwater city as the bathosphere makes its approach. When you enter you see a disturbing sight, a beautiful location with the remains of a protest. Hand carried Signs are all over the ground, but no people, not even any bodies. You ask yourself, “What happened here?”
Uncharted 2 – The Train Crash. The beginning of the game is actually the…middle of the game. Teased originally in preview videos, Nathan Drake found himself bleeding inside a train dangling off the side of a cliff. The player has no idea how he got there or if he will survive. Injured, you start the game’s first platforming segment, which the series is famous for. In no time, you’re climbing up the train cars as they dangle over a snow covered cliff. As you climb, things bend and break under your weight. It’s the perfect mash of suspense and adventure and it starts immediately. As soon as you see the dagger the scene ends and you see how Drake got to be there.
So those are my ideas but I want to hear yours too! What do you think are some of the best introductions in games? Post a comment!
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare Extended Trailer December 19, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
This is an extended version of the trailer for Alan Wake’s American Nightmare which was originally released at the VGAs. In it, you get to see a bit more gameplay from it to show indeed that all the original gameplay from Alan Wake will be retained.
But what’s most important is this extended trailer shows the first glimpses of a new arcade mode. You’ll just have to see that for yourselves.
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is coming Q1 2012 exclusive to Xbox Live Arcade.
Club Nintendo Updated December 19, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
The Nintendo Fun Club…er… Club Nintendo, has been updated this week.
Club Nintendo is Nintendo’s official rewards program for their loyal customers. By creating an account on the site, gamers who purchased Nintendo’s games and systems can register the serial numbers from their consoles or handhelds and the included PIN numbers from Nintendo games for coins. These coinss can be redeemed for unique Nintendo Merchandise. These items can range from the physical, like posters or collectibles, to the digital, like screensavers and even downloadable games.
Well, the Club Nintendo site has just recieved a major upgrade. The site’s interface has been changed and a whole new slew of rewards are now up for grabs for anyone with the coins to spare. Downloadable games can now be redeemed on your Nintendo system including (as of the time of writing) games like Super Mario Kart (for the Wii).
If you already have a Club Nintendo account, just log into it as usual, you won’t need to modify your user name and password. If you haven’t signed up for a Club Nintendo account yet (and you have some Nintendo hardware and games) there’s no reason you shouldn’t sign up and register your stuff.
A major update to this is that Nintendo is now offering coins for hardware, something they had not done previously. At most they would just offer to extend your manufacter’s warranty for a few extra days.
Personal Tribute to the End of the Iraq War December 15, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Uncategorized.add a comment
At the end of the month, the United States will leave Iraq, ending the Iraq War. The war, which has gone on since 2003, has been a big part of so many young people’s lives, and it has changed so much about discussion over politics and the media.
With the end of the war officially declared, and an end date specified, I felt compelled to say something. What I felt needed to be said was already written just a few years ago, in a video game. This video is dedicated to everyone who has served. I wish you all only the best and a safe journey home.
I was planning to have this video posted up on the 31st of the month, but with the recent news developments it looks like they’re stepping that up to have everyone home as quickly as possible, and I moved up its production.
What Happened to Metal Gear Solid: Rising? December 15, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Game News.1 comment so far
Metal Gear Solid: Rising was first announced in 2009 at the Microsoft E3 press confrence. In it, all we saw was just a teaser but the Kojima Team’s Official Podcast did confirm the game would be coming to the Xbox 360, the Playstation 3 and the PC at the time.
One year later at E3 2010, more of the game was shown off, including a pretty fun looking technical demo of what the game’s signature cutting everything gameplay mechanic would look and play like in the final version of the game. We also knew by this point that the game would take place in the space between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4, which I thought was a pretty good idea since it gave them the chance to detail just what had happened to Raiden between the two games.
Well, this past E3, I had been really looking forward to seeing something Metal Gear related at the first E3 I attended in seven years. Alas, while there were Metal Gear related games being shown, they were just 3D ports and HD updates of games that had already been released. Rising was a no-show, and people became worried about just what happened with the project.
Well, that question has been answered. A documentary, which looks as if it had been made for TV broadcast, has been released on one of Konami’s YouTube channels. In it are interviews of the developers of the project, including Hideo Kojima himself, and several of the game’s producers. I recomend watching it to anyone interested in the behind the scenes of game development.
Curious about the new game? This is what aired very last at this year’s VGAs.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance is coming soon!
The Last of Us Announcement Trailer December 14, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
A secret reveal this year at the VGAs included this Playstation 3 exclusive which is in development at Naughty Dog, the company responsible for the hit Uncharted series.
When I first saw the game trailer during the VGA’s I was reminded of Namco’s Enslaved, which also took place in a colorful post apocalyptic world where the vegetation reclaimed the cities. The game released in 2010 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, and I considered it an overlooked little gem worth whatever price you may find it at right now. Apparently the similarities in style between the two games is no coincidence, I heard one of the designers of that game is working on The Last of Us.
The Last of Us is coming to the Playstation 3.
Duke Nukem Forever Single Player DLC Released December 14, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
The first single player downloadable content for Duke Nukem Forever has been released to the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. “The Doctor Who Cloned Me” follows our hero Duke Nukem as he faces with his longtime mortal enemy Dr. Proton, who is planning to unleash a clone army of Duke Nukems with the intention to use them to…take over the world (of course!).
For those of you who may remember when I talked about what had been cut from Duke Nukem Forever, this synopsis may sound familiar to you and that’s probably because this was included in the original design document for Duke Nukem Forever, written way back in 1998 or so. Still no mention of Bombshell in it, but rumors have it that one more DLC for the game is expected.
The Darkness II Co-Op Trailer December 14, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
From the looks of it, 2K Games is no longer on a “no comment” policy when it comes to asking questions about multiplayer in The Darkness II, as they have just announced that the game is shipping with an entire cooperative campaign.
Four new characters have been introduced, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and each with their own axe to grind against the evil brotherhood which endangers Jackie Estacato. Want to know more about them? Well this new trailer breaks it down perfectly.
The Darkness II is coming Feb, 2012 to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare Announcement Trailer December 14, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
First shown at the Spike VGA Awards this year, here is the full trailer for the next story in the Alan Wake universe.
Its exciting to see where the series is headed. The character of Mr. Scratch was first introduced towards the end of the first Alan Wake game. He has the exact same appearance as Alan, and it is said that, “his friends would be meeting him soon.” Originally, Scratch’s name was not spoken clearly. When his name was said, a scratch sound effect was played over it, almost like it was being censored by something otherworldly. When interviewed about him later on the developers made it clear that the name Mr. Scratch was another name for The Devil, teasing just what would be in store for us in future Alan Wake games. Did anyone else notice that when Alan saw Mr. Scratch on the drive-in screen he almost looked as if he was Max Payne standing over his wife in the prologue of the first Max Payne game?
Well, what we have in store for us looks just fantastic. It looks like all the gameplay of the original Alan Wake game is intact but we will be seeing just a major expansion of that. The signature light versus darkness gameplay (a staple of the first game) remains, with Alan using flashlights and flares to harm his enemies before firing on them. We also see Alan firing his first ever automatic weapon in the trailer. Since all the weapons in the first game were semi-automatic, this hints that there will be new weapons in this game.
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is coming Q1 2012 exclusive to Xbox Live Arcade. No price has been confirmed yet.
Alan Wake PC Version Announced December 14, 2011
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
Stop the presses, something people have been anticipating for the past six years has been confirmed. The formerly Xbox 360 exclusive, Alan Wake, will be getting a PC version.
The PC version of Alan Wake will include the entire game with higher resolution support. Both of the game’s single player DLC episodes, The Signal and The Writer will be released as well. It hasn’t been determined if they will be included with the game or sold as DLC.
Alan Wake is coming to PC in Q1 2012. It’s already out now for Xbox 360.
GameXcess.net - Gaming News, Videos and Editorials! 