It's been a while...

Hmmm...Last post in July! Bad times. Time to start blogging some more. Or, as the brilliant Contagion puts it - graffiti with punctuation. So what's been happening, what's to come?!

Firstly, college is once again behind me. Exams are done, thesis is handed in and results from the latter will be signed, sealed and delivered in December. Let's hope for the best. Had a horrible feeling the other day when I opened a draft of a feature to get a quote for a new feature I was writing. Saw an underscore - my temporary holding symbol for a point or word to add - and my heart sank. Thankfully it was an early draft, but that was not a nice feeling.

Attended the Italian Grand Prix in Monza with a friend. That was a blast. Great weekend overall - really nice weather, great views, beautiful place. To make it even better, we were able to get a tour around the Lotus garage, into the Paddock area and got to sit up in the business seats on the main straight for Friday. Unforgettable. My view for the race itself was pretty good too. Here is the first lap from where I was:

Still doing some freelancing and writing, but need to step up my activity. This short blog is a good way to start, but I have a couple of previews and a review to put together soon too. Fun, fun! Also hoping to ramp up my activity on YouTube. Have started to connect to other channels and am browsing YouTube partner forums. Ultimate FIFA Adventures is still going strong and Season 2 has started really well. We are only entering knockout competitions. This means more drama, more raw emotion and more tension. Here's the first episode that we shot - new episodes every Wednesday.



In order to bolster my channel, and because I'm interested in producing more content, I have started to record my progress in FIFA 12's ranked mode. Tough going but two episodes recorded. This is going to have a more frequent output. Hoping to schedule for Mondays and Fridays. Need another few projects...I never do anything by halves. Once again, I look like I'm going to make myself overly busy!

Ninjamurai Preview

Limerick based Open Emotion Studios is back with a new title destined for the PS3/PSP Mini's market. Ninjamurai puts you in control of a young ninja/Samurai known as Ninjamurai, as he tries to outrun a number of evil forces.

The artwork is subtle, simple yet gives the impression of being carefully crafted. After seeing the artists at work at their studio in Innovation Works, it is evident that a lot of care and detail is being put into the work. Some recent titles to hit XBLA and, when it was active, PSN have shown that simple graphics can suit the game. This is certainly the case in Ninjamurai.

The gameplay is fluid and thankfully the controls are responsive. When the character is running at full tilt across dangerous, and sometimes collapsing, terrain the last thing needed is an input delay. Players of games such as N+ or Super Meat Boy will have to make a minor adjustment as there is no wall jumping up a single wall. As a player of such games, that was one of the first things I tried to do. Thankfully, there is usually an easier way to travel across and up a level. Learn from my mistakes!

Ninjamurai is set to cater for a variety of gamers. Rather than putting together a formula and hoping that all playstyles are catered for, Open Emotion Studios have implemented a few different features which should fit the bill. There are two stances: one is a running stance with slow attacks, while the other is a combat stance with less overall speed but quick and deadly attacks. This enables players to battle tooth and nail, or stealth their way through a level.

In addition, it is possible to unlock five outfits. Again, these can cater for or adapt the way in which a player plays. For example, one has less health points for Ninjamurai, but enables the player to inflict more pain.

The level designer is clearly fond of the classic "pit-of-death". While this keeps the player on their toes, it can also make it quite nerve wracking when told to wall slide down. It doesn't make it any more reassuring when that comment is from an Open Emotion staffer, I can tell you! However, the team has seen difficulties that players have faced and are actively working to rectify this issue. It is one of the few things that slows progress down, but if sorted will have players blasting through at a mile a minute.

The pit-of-death is a classic element that designers were fond of in the past: Remember Mario? That is not the only classic touch that a player will see. Certain gameplay elements and level features are a well implemented homage to old school games. A certain age group of gamers will feel that surge of nostalgia down the spine. Unfortunately, I have come to the realisation that I fit that age bill! Worse things could happen though; it allows me to appreciate these references.

Ninjamurai is designed to have people play again and again. A number of playmodes are on offer. These include a hardcore mode designed to test Ninjamurai skills, speed runs and a survival mode. Each is a unique take on the game and challenges the player to get better and better. In a novel touch, Open Emotion Studios has implemented in-game achievements. 

Ninjamurai is shaping up to be an exciting release from a home grown development studio. The aimed release date is in May 2011, but the studio is keeping tight lipped on an exact date at this point in time. 

Bulletstorm Preview

2011 was supposed to be the year of the glorious return of the King: the year where Duke Nukem got to revive his good name, kick some ass, and chew some bubblegum. However, in his absence, a new smart assed, wise-cracking, loud-mouthed, protagonist has come to the fore.

Meet renowned space pirate, Grayson Hunt, on a quest for revenge with his rag tag bunch of misfits after a mission goes sour. If you were to imagine Captain Jack Sparrow for an adult audience, Grayson Hunt is what you may come up with. The obvious connection is that they are both pirates and have a fondness for alcohol. But they also have a wit, and something resembling charm, about them.

Bulletstorm begins, like most other titles, with a tutorial. Unlike others, this tutorial is fluid and welcomes the player into the game and the story immediately. Fittingly, the first thing that the player learns is how to aim and fire. This sets the tone throughout the game, where questions are secondary.

The action kicks off immediately and is unrelenting throughout. Initially, Bulletstorm plays like other first person shooters, but once you gain access to the leash, a whole new world of opportunity opens up to the player.

It is the leash combination and the implementation of skill shots that set this game apart. Suddenly, the player is prompted to try out new things, to be aware of their surroundings, and to dispatch enemies in a variety of cruel and sadistic ways. There are a total of 135 skillshots to discover, in addition to the challenge that the game itself offers.

There are times when the Unreal engine looks slightly dated. For example, there were close up shots of characters that should not have been used, when we have become so accustomed to life like detail in all models. However, there are moments where the player can just admire the landscape. For much of the game, there is a scenic beauty on display. Some of the areas are jaw dropping. The team has certainly pushed the boundaries of what is possible, and succeeds.

A trend has emerged within games where they often compete with Hollywood in terms of cinematics and action sequences. Bulletstorm is one of those games that will spring to mind when this trend is mentioned. The set pieces are truly amazing, gripping and unlike what has gone before.

Bulletstorm is crude and not for those with sensitive ears. In an interview with TechTV101, Cliff Bleszinski stated that “f-bombs” are infrequent but may redefine how people think about profanity. Essentially, the characters make hybrids of any conceivable insult and swearword.

The multiplayer is different from what has been rehashed time and time again. Anarchy mode takes the basic concept from the hugely successful Horde mode from Gears of War, but puts the Bulletstorm stamp on it. Up to four players combine to hit points targets in a number of waves. Unlike in the Gears series, survival is fairly straightforward. However, players will have to work together and communicate in order to meet point targets and accomplish team challenges. From the first wave, this mode is a blast to play and rewards players, rather than having them go through the motions for ten waves before the game gets interesting.

The other “multiplayer” mode is Echoes, which was showcased in the demo. This is “snack gaming”. It is very possible to sit down and play one level for five minutes, or play through multiple levels trying to set the highest score on each. There is a competitive beast in all of us, and this mode allows us to feed that with global and friend leaderboards. In addition, it removes the need to pay for upgrades, guns or ammo. The player is given the freedom to play as they wish. Nothing takes care of stress better than tearing up enemies in pre-determined and calculated ways.

This is a title to look forward to. It is easy to pick up but difficult to master, and features enough to satisfy most gamers. The first person genre may have found a new loud mouthed King to sit on the throne. Bulletstorm will be released in shops on February 25th.