Steam Sale Haul: Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon

Earth Defence Force: Insect Armageddon (PC)
Developed by: Vicious Cycle Software
Published by: D3 Publisher
Sale Price: £11.24
Standard Steam Price: £14.99

Oh Earth Defence Force, where do I start with you? Part kaiju movie, part Serious Sam, with a sprinkling of the customization and weapon feel of Armored Core, EDF: Insect Armageddon is an experience like no other... well maybe except for the other EDF games.

The premise of the game is simple, aliens are invading Earth using giant bugs and even bigger robots, as the leader of strike force Lightning, it's your job to defend the streets of New Detroit from this menace. That's it. Still, the story is pretty much irrelevant, this isn't a game about tight narrative, or even vaguely comprehensible narrative. No, EDF is a game all about spectacle and unremitting cheese.

No more than anything else I've ever played, EDF feels like a B-movie. Objectives and 'story' details are given by the disembodied voices of 'Ops' and 'Intel' (no character interactions or story cutscenes here), and are without fail delivered with all the passion and believability of an actor in an Asylum film. Yet, instead of being awful, the combination of the cheesy voice acting and the giant bugs (especially as they're called ravagers in game) just works. The cherry on top is the sprinkling of nonsensical or inappropriately used military jargon. The Modern Warfare favourites of "Oscar Mike" and "[callsign] actual" make frequent appearences and just add to the campy B-movie feel. The best part is that it's never entirely clear whether it's being done intentionally or not. To continue the B-movie comparison, some of the magic is always lost when it's obvious that the schlockiness is being done on purpose. EDF: Insect Armageddon never falls into that trap, something that is very much to its credit. 

Thankfully, the great job that was done in setting the campy scene does not bleed into the gameplay too much. It's generally fluid and tight, if verging a little into the repetitive by the end of the game. Missions take place on large square maps, full of destructible objects like buildings. Objectives are simple, usually involving fighting to a specified map marker, planting a bomb on either a destroyed aircraft or ravager tunnel,or killing all of the ravagers in a set area. That's really it, the fun of the game doesn't come from complex objectives or scripted set pieces, it comes from dealing with the threat presented in any way that gets the job done. By the end of the game, you'll be demolishing every building on the map as you kite huge robots around, shooting missiles into their weak points and desperately trying to avoid their attacks. It's very simple, but it works. The lack of guidance on the objectives and the freedom that gives you in return makes for a great gaming experience.

Admittedly, the gameplay does admittedly get a little stale by the end of the game. Mainly due to the lack of standard enemy variety. There are three main bugs, metal versions of each plus a few others like exploding ticks and flying interceptors, but you face so many at a time that a new enemy will become a familiar sight within the level that it's introduced. There are bigger boss-like enemies that require more thought to defeat, either because they have specific weakspots or are just very tough, but even these get a bit stale after a while thanks to the game's very Serious Sam approach to using these enemies: what was a boss that you fought mano-a-mano two levels ago, is now going to appear in pairs backed up with a mob of fodder bugs too. The game does try to prevent monotony by giving access to tanks, walkers and various types of turrets at different points of the game. These do make a change, but you're never going to be relishing the chance to use one. Using them is also, as is the spirit of the game, totally optional.

Combat is also varied up by the use of a class system with each having access to different weapons and abilities. The four classes (or armors) are the Trooper, Tactical, Jet and Battle. Troopers are the basic all rounders, capable of using the largest array of weaponry; Tactical can build turrets and other support structures; Jet uses a jetpack, unsurprisingly and energy weapons; the Battle armour, my personal favorite, carries the heaviest weapons, has an energy shield, the most health, but moves the slowest. At the end of each stage, the class you're using gains experience based upon your kills in the mission. As classes level up, they gain more health as well as access to new abilities and higher tiers of weapons. The maximum level for each class is dictated by the difficulty level played. Higher difficulty: higher level cap.

The class system is a nice idea, giving that little extra depth to a game that could be far too easily written off as shallow and basic. However, the way that classes level up means that unless you want to replay missions many times, you'll want to stick to a couple of armors at most for the majority of the game, lest you spread your xp too thinly and end up at too low a level to deal with the latter stages of the game. Your experience per armour is cumulative though, and you can replay any mission once it's completed, so you can at least resort to level grinding if necessary. 

Game modes are restricted to the Campaign, a 'remix' version of the Campaign, and a wave based survival mode. All can be endlessly replayed on the various difficulties. They're also all available in single or multiplayer. By default in singleplayer, you have two AI squadmates that can revive you when you're downed and provide general combat support throughout the levels. In hosting a multiplayer game, you allow other people to jump in and out of one of those slots. So you play as you would in singleplayer and unless you create a private match, other people can jump in and out of the squadmate slots as they please. If you're joining a game, it works like any other console matchmaking

service. You select a specific mission (or any if you aren't fussed) and the game will automatically search for appropriate matches connect you to that host. The multiplayer is smooth, the drop in, drop out system doesn't impede gameplay, and also means that you can set up an online game and just play as you would offline without having to sit waiting for people to join before you can get started. Online multiplayer really isn't my thing, but this implementation is at least strong.

Earth Defence Force: Insect Armageddon is a very strong game hidden under a well applied layer of b-movie charm. It's not going to be for everyone, nor is it a competitor to the big triple-A blockbusters, but it doesn't need to be. This is not a £40 Activision or EA backed monster, it's a fun £15 game. A B-game if you will. The thing is, this B-Game happens to be to other B-Games what Escape from New York is to B-movies. It's just good. It has it's flaws, and yet when you're demolishing half a city battling a robot whose foot is taller than you, whilst your AI companion is suggesting starting a construction company, they don't seem to matter any more. If you can appreciate a bit of cheese with your third person shooting, I'd heartily recommend EDF: Insect Armageddon, especially for the price it is, it's definitely worth a look. 

Good Campy Fun 8/10

Steam Sale Haul Review: Singularity

So we're in the midst of Steam's Christmas bargain bonanza once again, and once again I've been cleaning up. I've long maintained that Games are the best value form of entertainment and with the deep cuts that our friends over at Valve are making to the prices, it's never been more true. With all the games I'm buying, (if it's under a fiver and remotely interesting then I'm having it) it felt like the perfect opportunity to have a go at a few reviews that attempt to come down on the side of brevity. I won't be doing everything, maybe only three or four, since I already know that some things aren't going to work as reviews and others will take me forever to finish.

Singularity (PC)
Sale Price: £3.74
Standard Steam Price: £14.99
Developed By: Raven Software
Published By: Activision

Welcome to Russia. Sorry, Яussia.

**The following refers to the single player only because I couldn't get a game in multiplayer**

It's not all that uncommon to find a game whose vision outstrips the capability of the developer to deliver that experience. There are plenty of games out there that get by on goodwill for the concept and respect for the endeavor that they represent, in spite of technical problems and  sometimes sub-par implementations of  what were clearly good ideas. Until Skyrim, Bethesda games would often hold this crown, their sheer scale and vision allowing forgiveness of their quirks, bugs and in some cases downright broken-ness. What makes Singularity is amazing in that it manages to be almost the complete opposite.

Singularity is not a bad game. As a campaign driven FPS, it's technically proficient, a well executed example of the genre. Yet, in spite of getting everything right in terms of the actual implementation of gameplay concepts: it just isn't at all remarkable.

Being unremarkable doesn't mean that it's boring by any stretch of the imagination. The shooting is good and solid with an array of different weapons. From the standard FPS family meal of the Pistol, Shotgun and Assault Rifle, to more exotic weapons like the Dethex grenade launcher replete with rolling remote control grenades or the Seeker with its manually controllable bullets; the arsenal is varied and generally satisfying to use. This is surprising in a game that comes from the guys that brought the world Solider of Fortune. By the same token, nobody should be surprised to learn that full dismemberment of enemies is in effect here: nothing gives in-game shooting a sense of weight quite like blowing a guy's legs off with a shotgun. There's even a weapon upgrade system powered by finding, often hidden, collectable weapon tech boxes around the world. These can then be spent on improving damage, clip size and reload speed for each weapon. Not all that exciting, but it's at least another thing that the game can claim to do competently. 

Aiming down sights: the next generation gaming experience is here!

Guns are only a portion of your arsenal though. Singularity, like most non modern military shooters, has its gimmick weapon: the Time Manipulation Device (TMD). As its name suggests, the TMD has time based effects upon enemies and objects in the environment. Initially, it can only age or rejuvenate specific items, age enemies (to dust), and let out a shockwave as a melee attack, but through the magic of a few story specific upgrades, you're soon able to grab objects and projectiles, and sling around pockets of stopped time. The fun of messing with time is short lived though, as many of your combat abilities will rapidly wear down the TMD's energy. This is understandable, as the game loses all challenge if you can dust most of the enemies on sight. 

Given the limited charge, most of what you end up using the TMD for is puzzle solving. An example that crops up a couple of times in game is the rolling garage door that is stuck slightly open but still too low to get through. Simple enough: age a metal crate so it crumbles small, place it under the door, then rejuvenate it so it grows back to its original size, opening the door as it does so. The game is full of minor puzzles like this that use the fact that objects change size under the effects of the TMD. It's an interesting system in concept, and it doesn't really get boring by virtue of the game's short 5-6 hour campaign length, but once again, it's just a little unfulfilling. Being so qualitative it's a hard thing to really pin down, but the best comparison is with the physics puzzles way back in Half Life 2. Solving some of those could feel genuinely rewarding: they made you feel smart. Singularity's puzzles just don't. They're just another place where one of the game's systems, though well made, fails to make an impact.

Still Яussia.

The whole time manipulation deal is very central to the plot of Singularity, a plot that once again shows that when in doubt, blame the Russians. Essentially, the story comes down to those pesky 1950s Ruskies, with their perverted science, messing with a new element (E99) that has a warping effect on time. As a plucky, silent, American soldier sent to investigate strange radiation readings on said island 50 years later, you find yourself being flung backwards and forwards in time, changing the past to impact the future. The odd thing is the fact that other characters seem to be perfectly aware of you changing the timeline. You'll travel to '55 a couple of times in the game in order to create events that will change the present. In spite of you being the only one that travels through time, other characters (who are part of the history you have changed) will comment on what you've done. 

The plot of the game isn't truly bad. Despite being set in Soviet era Russia, and you know it's Russia because the game font is full of backwards 'R's and 'N's, it doesn't come off like the product of a right wing lunatic with a stiffy for the Cold War as so many games and films... and books, do. Like so much of this game, it's just a bit throwaway. The game attempts at mystery by leaving 'cryptic' messages on walls for you to uncover with the TMD. The game doesn't go anywhere interesting with them though. It's also fairly obvious where they've come from anyway, so the reveal at the end of the game has no impact. It's the same with the tacked on moral choice at the end of the game. It's essentially a 'choose your ending' moment. Since it's the only story choice in the entire game and none of your previous actions have any impact upon it, it just feels like a tacked on afterthought. 

As a technical exercise, Singularity is once again competent but uninspiring. Sights, sounds and implementation of physics are such as you'd expect from a shooter from 2010. There are some nice effects when large structures are built or decay in real time, like watching the paint flake off of the walls of a room all at once, or a door go from pristine to rusty before your eyes. Nevertheless, these are uncommon occurrences, and can't make up for the fact that the rest of the game looks a little muddy. The game definitely looks of its time in most respects, yet many of the textures have a definite first-generation Source engine game vibe to them. If anything, the impressive aging effects make the rest of the game look a lot worse by highlighting what could be achieved as contrasted with how the game looks most of the time.

I don't think I've ever played a game like Singularity before, a game that gets things right to such an extent, and yet manages to be an ultimately forgettable experience. I can't mark it down from any technical angle, well apart from maybe looking a little ropey for the time, and yet I can't recommend it at anything other than sale price because was such a resounding 'meh' for me. I maintain that it is not a bad game, it just isn't a great one either.

Good but passionless: 7/10

Mass Effect 2 (PC) Short Review

Mass Effect 2 
Developed by Bioware
Published by EA
Available on Steam for £19.99

The Mass Effect series may just have one of the best "lived in" sci-fi universes going. Even ignoring the amazing design, the rich tapestry of inter- and intra-racial interactions and the feeling of this being a real, living galaxy. I find the biggest strength of the world to come from the fact that Bioware have managed not to fall into the trap that most sci-fi and fantasy worlds do, wherein every non human character is just an example of a set of racial traits. Well, apart from the obligatory 'black sheep' whose soul defining characteristic is not fitting the mold. Drizzt anyone? In a Mass Effect game, a character's race will generally give you no prior indication of their disposition or opinions, something which really makes the universe compelling and elevates well above the mire of generic ten-a-penny sci-fi and fantasy settings. 

It's a good thing that Mass Effect 2 has this grounding in such a well realised world too, because it really helps to make up for foibles that would be serious deal breakers in other games. The most pressing of which is the combat. It's definitely much more developed than in the original Mass Effect. There's now an ammunition system rather than the previous game's overheating mechanic and cover, whilst still clunky, is more intuitive to snap into and out of. None of this deals with the the main issue with the combat, which is that it doesn't feel satisfying. It may be closer to a cover based third-person shooter like Gears of War than the first game was, but it's still  lacking a feeling of engagement that betrays its rpg-centric Bioware roots. In essence, even though this game has had many of it's predecessor's overt RPG trappings stripped away, it still feels like there are modifying dice rolls going on in the background every time you fire a shot. Because of this, it's hard to really feel potent in combat. Yes, enemies will fall and some of the encounters can be impressive, but it can be difficult to shake the feeling that victory was more down to chance than personal skill.

Thankfully, despite the shifts toward being more action oriented, Mass Effect 2 really shines as a sci-fi RPG. The universe is compelling with great attention to detail meaning that it feels populated with people rather than a bunch of drab racial archetypes. Running through a hub area you will overhear snippets of conversations that, whilst scripted rather than dynamically generated, give the universe some life. The believability of the setting is a testament to Bioware's strengths as creators of worlds, as even though there are only a handful of hub worlds each with a very limited scope of exploration, the world as a whole feels as expansive as a fully open Bethesda epic.

Onto the immersive backdrop is placed some great character interaction and development. At the start of the game players can elect to create a new Cmdr. Shepherd or import one from a Mass Effect saved game. Importing providing both, minor but welcome, bonuses to the player and consequences in how characters in the game world receive Shepherd. In true RPG fashion though, the commander's real role is to be the player's vessel, he/she lacks any real personality beyond what the player gives them. The real stars are the members of the team. Every one of them is deep, interesting and have conversation options designed in such a way that interacting with them feels fluid.  By the end of the game I had become attached to my team in a way that rarely happens in games. Between the amazing writing and the great voice acting, they came across as actual people with developed personalities and not just two dimensional heroic archetypes.

The only downside of the interactions with the other members of the team is something that pervades almost every speech encounter in the game. Almost all conversation options have an impact on the game's binary paragon/renegade morality system. The main product of the system is that a high enough score in either direction can unlock new speech options in future encounters that can open up new approaches to problems. As a consequence of this, I at least often found myself responding to a character in a way that I didn't really want to, just because I knew that a less interesting response would give me points in the appropriate morality direction, and that since there's a finite number of points in the game, it wasn't worth risking throwing them away.

Still, this is not a huge problem and, hamfisted an implementation as it is, it does at least give the player's actions some consequence in the game world, even if those consequences are that by not being a straight Paragon or Renegade, the player finds themself in a story situation that they can't effectively resolve to their liking. On top of this, since at least Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Bioware RPGs have required the player to make at least two playthroughs to see everything. No this isn't a real defense of the system, but it does at least show it to be a product of deliberate design and not sloppiness. Obviously it's a matter of player preference, but I, at least, quite like the idea of my in-game actions having consequences on the story and the world, and if the price of that is making a choice between true role-playing and powergaming, so be it. 

As with anything with any sort of budget these days, Mass Effect 2 looks and sounds good. From a technical standpoint it looks a little tired, essentially having the first game's graphics with a few minor updates. Still, apart from a few niggles like everybody of the same species/gender seeming to share the same body model, the game is easy on the eyes; the models and textures aren't noticeably bad, and the subtle filmgrain effect enabled by default helps to further smooth everything over.  The biggest boon to the game's visuals is the great standard of design throughout, as evidenced on everything from characters to ships and from weapons to environments.

In terms of audio, nothing really overly draws attention to itself, and this is far from a bad thing. It means that the audio is doing everything right as far as delivering an immersive experience: subtly enhancing the experience, rather than jarring the player out of the world by drawing undue attention to itself. The voice acting is generally of a high standard, really contributing to giving characters, particularly the Normandy's crew and Shepherd's teammates, their depth and believability. If a complaint has to be made then it's that the male Shepherd voice is a little on the flat side. Touching or tense moments can sometimes have a little of their shine taken off by the limited emotion expressed in the voice. It isn't really that bad, this isn't old Resident Evil voicework by any stretch. It is noticeable enough to be worth a mention though.

You get used to seeing the world from over Shepherd's shoulder.

In Mass Effect 2 Bioware have produced a amazing action-RPG based in an amazing setting whose greatness is only slightly tarnished by an overly pervasive binary morality system and a, whilst technically proficient, ultimately unengaging combat system. Nevertheless,  these are charges that quite honestly could be levelled at almost any RPG, and it would be no more justified to dismiss Mass Effect 2 over these issues than it would be to write off a large proportion of the genre. While I enjoyed the first, Mass Effect 2 is the game that really cemented the strength franchise and its setting for me. I would highly recommend this game to anyone even mildly intrigued by idea, it really is that good.

9/10

E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy Review

E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy

Developed and Published by Streum On Studio

Available from Steam: £14.99

“It’s true that I killed my Mentor... and yet, I am not his murderer”: That first standout line spoken by the player character perfectly sums up E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy. The entire game is a long procession of “what the hell is that supposed to mean?” moments, punctuated by some really rather satisfying running and gunning... and occasionally slashing. 

E.Y.E. is an FPS very much in the mould of the original Deus Ex. The dystopian cyberpunk setting, the ability to upgrade your character’s abilities through augmentation and the effect of stats as modifiers upon your actions in the world, speed of movement, damage delivered, weapon accuracy, etc, all, for better or worse, if not directly lifted then heavily inspired by Ion Storm’s magnum opus.

The strange assortment of quotes on the loading screens is a nice touch.

However, where Deus Ex was and RPG that played like a shooter, E.Y.E is very much a shooter with RPG elements. Thankfully, despite all the weirdness, E.Y.E. works very well as a shooter. The ranged weaponry has a very retro, chunky feel to them. The guns feel very deliberate, which gives the impression of real weight. The effect of recoil on aim, the sounds of the weaponry and even the animation of player’s hand being wrenched back by recoil, all mean that even the basic pistol never feels like a peashooter.

Okay...

Unfortunately the combat isn’t all great. The game allows access a small selection of melee weapons beyond the default, last resort sword, but there’s never really any reason to use them in anger. The melee combat just doesn’t feel right, something that’s often a problem in first person games. Enemies don’t react to being hit, and the weapon swinging animations really don’t inspire any feeling of being embroiled in a hand to hand battle to the death. This is especially apparent when using the conceptually badass dual katanas. There is the option to carry a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other. This initially seems like a cool idea, until it becomes clear that it’s just the worst of both worlds; you can’t aim with the pistol nor can you block with the sword. Incidentally, blocking bullets whilst you run for cover is the only real use for the melee weapons during the heavy combat segments. 

With the combat covered, so ends the only part of E.Y.E that makes any sense. The game is clearly set in a cyberpunk dystopia, this much is obvious through the huge neon signs and urban decay evident in some of the level design, and the ubiquity of the use of the word ‘cyber’ as a prefix: cyberlegs, cyberarms, cyberbrain, you get the idea. The game’s main ‘minigame’, the hacking mechanic. Playing like a turned based RPG, issuing commands to reduce your enemy’s stats, most importantly HP, you can hack pretty much anything that has electronics in it. ATMs, Turrets, Doors, even some enemy soldiers can be remotely hacked, possessed, or destroyed. This may sound like it makes perfect sense, and it does, until the first time you possess an ATM or a console and just sit there, functionless. Even stranger is the fact that the other side to the ability to hack anything is the fact that they can counter-hack you if you fail. Getting your mind hacked by an ATM is embarrassing, but being killed by a door’s viral counter-attack is just plain horrible.

Cyberdemon,  is that you?

The bizarreness of the hacking mechanic can’t hold a candle to the story and the specifics of the story however. It’s impossible to understand what is actually going on. The relation between you and the factions seems to change from level to level. The people you were fighting in one stage will become allies in the next. Characters will also die then reappear in later levels. The dialogue just makes things even more complicated. You can often make responses that have no relation to what you were just told. By the same token, NPCs will often respond to questions with nonsense. The weirdness of the dialogue system was crystallised for me when I got an achievement for apparently talking someone into killing himself, I had no idea that that was what I was doing!

All of this comes back to the “what the hell?!” at the core of the game. I normally feel fairly comfortable dealing with the unconventional and obtuse, and can usually tell when something is doing it on purpose, or when it’s just badly put together. E.Y.E is an exception. I really can’t tell if it’s doing all of this deliberately or not. The environments are really well put together and atmospheric, the gun combat is fun, and the elements like the hacking mechanic are well realised. There are other nice touches, like being able to return to the main hub area to buy unlocks at any time, or being able to research new skill bonuses and items after picking up certain items from downed enemies. All of these things point to competent design. Yet other elements seem like someone on the team went on a weeklong bender, slowing only to watch Blade Runner, play Deus Ex and Quake, and then at some point, their body and brain worked in concert to vomit the whole mess out and then somehow that became the rest of the game. Having said all this, with the recurring mentions of madness and insanity, there’s just enough strength, between these and the good parts of the game to force me to give pause and wonder if the nonsensical stuff is meant to be some sort of commentary on insanity and though it’s badly implemented, it is nevertheless deliberate. That’s the problem; E.Y.E works a little too well at its best to totally write the weirdness off as being the accidental product of shoddy design.

All of this aside, E.Y.E does have its weaknesses beyond just being odd. The game uses the Source engine in order to pull off some really big environments. Something that it does very well, the environments are usually well realised, and have some great atmosphere. The problem with this is that the environments feel needlessly big. The levels can be quite sparse, with long periods of nothing happening, as there are no NPCs to be found. This combines with a low movement speed, further compounded if you take a heavy loadout, to mean that long periods can be spent walking from place to place doing nothing. Another problem can come from getting lost, levels can often look very bland, atmospheric yes, but bland nevertheless, so it can be hard to work out where to go, especially as levels can involve a lot of backtracking, and there is no map. Even more annoyingly, it can be hard to work out what is interactive and what isn’t. One level had me lost for twenty minutes because the door I was meant to open looked like all the inoperable doors throughout the rest of the level. In the end, I only worked out what to do after resorting to running along the walls hitting the enter key over and over. You shouldn’t have to be channelling the spirit of looking for hidden doors Doom to make required progress in a game from 2011.

This is all especially damning when you compare the level design of E.Y.E to the poster child for Source: Half Life 2. HL2 had its fair share of large environments, but it at least had the strength of design to make the path forward clear without looking like it was spoon feeding you. Admittedly, E.Y.E is a less linear proposition, but it’s far from an open world sandbox, and it wouldn’t have killed them to make the paths to the goals a little clearer.

With HL2 in mind, much of E.Y.E feels like it would have been better off being a good mod, rather than a fully fledged game. The graphics, for instance, are far from bad, but they definitely show off the indie resources. Moreover, the game’s foibles would be less of a problem in the context of a mod rather than a standalone game. Of course, being an indie title does impose certain limitations, but given the quality of indie titles in recent years, and the ingenuity that has been shown in relation to making the best of limited resources, I feel that the days of simply overlooking problems because a game is independently made are over.

Faux product placement?

I really enjoy some parts of E.Y.E, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the gun handling was some of the best I’ve seen in a modern FPS in quite a while. Whilst other aspects, like the hacking mechanic and the ability to choose your own loadout of armour (heavy, medium, light) and weapons (as much as you can fit in the inventory slots with a generous weight limit) give different options of how to approach a situation. However, it’s just a little too nonsensical and a little too frustrating to be called anything other than alright. If the game was a straight FPS, then the weirdness would be more tolerable, but with the involvement of the RPG elements comes a much greater emphasis on story and setting. If it’s going to have these things, then the story has to at least be framed in a way that means it can be followed, even if it is odd, and it’s in this requirement that E.Y.E really falls down. It’s far from a failure, and if it’s on sale I’d say check it out, just to see how strange a game can get, as the shooting is fun and it isn’t fundamentally broken in any way. But that’s the only possible recommendation I can give it.

6/10.

Out of Season Game Review: Costume Quest + Grubbins on Ice DLC (PC)

Unsurprisingly, holiday themed titles aren't the first things that spring to mind when looking for a quality game. Ignoring the fact that they simply aren't all that common, holiday games suffer from the problem of holiday films: they're only really relevant for part of the year. Not to mention the inherent tackiness of pretty much anything that's a holiday tie-in. Still, it wouldn't be much of a world if expectations always held true. So hooray for Costume Quest, a short, sweet, Halloween themed RPG that's so good, it didn't feel at all weird to be playing it in November.

In the broadest possible terms, Costume Quest is a JRPG style of game with turn based combat, a limited amount of environmental exploration and item collection. However, trying to talk about it in these genre based or purely mechanical terms really misses the point. The main draw of this game has to be its charm. Everything is bright and colourful, the music appropriately upbeat and, when appropriate, somewhat spooky. A bit like Scooby Doo in that respect. 

Beyond the bright colours, the visuals really convey the spirit of the game. On the maps themselves, things are heavily stylised and cute, the kids themselves having massive heads, big smiles and huge eyes poking out of their cute, appropriately bad looking, costumes. Things change when you get into battle though. The dopey looking cardboard and rag costumes suddenly become huge, living, badass versions of whatever they were meant to represent. It never gets old watching the cardboard robot costume turn into a cross between Megas and a Tau Crisis battle suit from Warhammer. The best part is that there is no disconnect. Despite the change in graphical styles, from ultra-cutesy to Toho style mega monster brawl when you enter a battle, it really fits together well. It's reminiscent of 'Good Times with Weapons', the South Park episode which shifts into an anime style to show how the kids see themselves, then back to the normal animation for how the rest of the world sees what they're doing. Though Costume Quest does the whole transition a million times better... and has a lot less violence... and fewer profanities.

The awesome visual style aside, the battles are simple turn based affairs: each costume has a single normal attack which can be boosted through a quick time event. Every three turns you can unleash that costume's special ability, which may be a a super attack, shield, heal or whatever. Another interesting element of the battle system is that there is no game over for losing a battle in this game, and you may run from any battle at any time, even the final boss battle. This not only fits win well with the whimsical style of the game, it also means that if you go into a battle with the wrong costumes equipped (some boss battles require you to have certain abilities), it's not a big deal just to leave, re-equip and come back. This also means that battles don't turn into hour-long slugfests as can happen in some other turn-based combat systems, because if things aren't going right, you can just try something else instead of settling into a long, repetitive, slog.

The costume mechanic really makes battles fun to watch, a mech fighting beside the Statue of Liberty and a Ninja is really a sight to behold, especially when the Statue heals everyone and a disembodied Lincoln head flies in on a red, white and blue-burst background. On the overworld, the costumes aid exploration with certain costumes having abilities, such as the Robot's skates and the Space Warrior's light, which can open up new areas. It can get a little annoying to have to keep opening up the costume menu to change every time a specific obstacle appears, but the change system is so quick that it's never more than a minor irritation. Though on a personal note, I did use the robot's skates as much as possible to move more quickly around the map, so I found that the robot got a bit more screen time in battles than I would have liked just because I forgot to switch costumes before I started a battle.

Even though the style, themes and gameplay could not be any further apart, Costume Quest really reminds me of Nation Red insofar as they're both games that have a strong focus on doing a few things really well, rather than trying to cram in as many badly implemented features as possible. There's a real elegance of design here, a restraint, that shines through from almost every element of the game. It's shown most by the length of the game itself, which clocks in at around six hours and that's to do nigh-on everything in the main game and the DLC. That's very short for a game of this type, but the game doesn't feel like it needs to be longer. The lack of length also makes for good pacing, the game never drags on or feels padded. It also means that the simple battle system feels elegant rather than restrictive, something that would likely happen if the game were longer. Really, it's reminiscent of watching a series of Blackadder: as much as you'd like more, its good to know that it never got the chance to go a little too far, to jump the shark. Costume Quest, like Blackadder, and unlike this analogy, only lasts as long as is necessary for maximum enjoyment, and not a moment longer.

However, they did continue Costume Quest with a DLC pack (just going to avoid the Blackadder holiday special comparison). The Steam version of Costume Quest includes the Grubbins on Ice DLC as part of the package, which is just as well really, because it is very much more of the same. It offers three new costumes, a little more story and a new area that is about on-par with one of the three main areas from the main game. Taken as part of the whole, Grubbins on Ice is a good addition to Costume Quest, playing both back to back really does stop the game from feeling short. However, it's difficult to recommend buying Grubbins on Ice separately. Yes, it provides about as much content as a third of the main game, but the main game itself is very short. Still, as part of the package on the PC, it's a good little addition to the game. 

Costume Quest has something for all but those with the coldest, deadest, of hearts... and those that really hate turn based combat. As a charming, fun little game full of great ideas that's still cheaper than a trip to the cinema, it's definitely worth a look.

9/10

Irrelavent Game Review: Nation Red

Zombies are dull. They are. I realised a while back that zombies as a concept hold no interest for me. By extension, since I'm an angry man that fears what he doesn't understand, the obsession that nerd/geek/whatever culture has with zombies really irritates me. I'm sick of hearing about zombie apocalypse scenarios, the associated survival plans and all of that general bullshit. The end of civilization and a never ending hoard of mindless, shambling husks of flesh? The way some people bang on about zombies, I feel like we're already there.

Its on that sunny note that we come to Nation Red. A zombie themed top-down arena shooter. A zombie themed top-down shooter that happens to really rather good. The core premise is simple: survive as long as possible, to kill as many zombies as possible, to get the highest score possible. There are other modes that put a spin on this basic concept, but nothing that messes with the formula. It may sound basic and that's because it is. It's also amazing fun. In an age of games aping film, it's great to be able to jump into a game, play for a few minutes and feel some gratification. All without sitting through any cutscenes, ham-fisted symbolism or horrific, pretentious, stilted dialogue.

That's a good thing too, because Nation Red is not a game that you want to play for long periods of time. I found myself playing it like an Android game, jumping in for some quick fun in between doing other things. This isn't because it's in any way bad, far from it. It's just that the action is so frantic and so immediate, that it can actually get a little mentally tiring. There's as much action in 10 minutes of Nation Red as there is in hours of more... deliberately, paced games.

This is what it looks like. All the time.

As a game with so much emphasis on its action i.e. it's the entire game, NR lives or dies on how that action feels to the player. The glut of games on Steam alone with this basic premise shows just how easy they can be to pump out, so NR really needs to ply its craft well to stand out in the sea of similar titles. Thankfully, it does. Basic control consists of shooting, obviously, running and a diving roll to get out of trouble when things get too hairy. Simple controls, but well applied, and that's the key. No death ever feels as though it's the fault of the controls. They're precise and consistent, so any ill advised attempts to chest bump with a zombie will always be player error and not control quirk.

Running and rolling are all well and good, but the real draw to a game like this is the weapons. Just how many ways are there for one to convert Zombies into stains!? Thankfully, there are loads. The player always starts with a  Glock 19 and a Machete. There are only ever these two weapon slots, though they can be locked so that the equipped weapon isn't replaced. Re-equipping is just a matter of walking over a new weapon, which are in turn randomly dropped by dead zombies. The range of weapons is good and broad, ranging from basic pistols shotguns and submachine guns to a machine grenade launcher and a minigun. The weapon selection is largely played straight, the only real 'gag' weapons being the nail gun and steam hammer, and these aren't so much zany as unconventional. Don't expect any Dead Rising style weirdness here. 

Nation Red does also have a range of melee weapons, the usual stuff: machete, crowbar, fire axe, but these never seem to be the right tool for the job. They're insanely powerful, and can make short work of "boss" zombies if you're crafty, but they're also slow and wide the swings just open things up for one of the innumerable other zombies not being hit to come in and attack. So unlike Modern Warfare, it's usually a better idea to use your gun rather than a knife... who'd a thunk it!?

Into this mix of zombies and lead comes a surprisingly nuanced mechanic in the form of perks. Perks are granted every level (its the usual system: killing grants XP which grants a level up when enough is accrued) and they work in a few core ways, they either modify the effect of power ups dropped by Zombies, increase the frequency of certain powerups appearing, or give the player an auto attack that supplements, but doesn't greatly increase, the carnage they can create. However, you can pick one of a randomly generated list of seven at each level. Added to this, comes the fact that certain "trees" exist wherein multiple perks act on the same powerup. For instance, the Fire Team perk improves the Ghost powerup by equipping your 'Ghost' with a shotgun. Once you have that perk, it can be further upgraded by the Strike Team perk. This raises an interesting question in play: with powerups being random, is it worth using up multiple perk choices to upgrade a powerup you may not even get in this match? Or would it be better spec in a more all-round fashion? Though there is the option to switch to 'Random Perk Mode' or 'Auto Perk Mode' if selecting perks is too 'not killing zombies' for some tastes.

See, exactly the same. Great ain't it!

The perks add an extra element of depth to the gameplay without overly complicating the simple formula and all the random chance helps to keep each round from getting monotonous. 

A special mention has to be made for the music. None of the early Resident Evil style atmospheric crap here. Its all heavy, sludgy, guitars and exaggerated metal. Perfect for getting into the mood for killing a few hundered shambling corpses. 

Where Nation Red really shines is in its attention to detail. All the little things are executed so well that when they slot together, they make a game that just works. Since no individual part lets the side down, it's strong across the board. The huge number of similar games may show how easy it can be to make a game like this. But Nation Red shows how it should be done. It may not be the deepest game in the world, but it is incredibly fun, perfect for a 10 minute blast to blow the cobwebs out. Since you can never play long enough to burn out, you'll keep coming back for those quick blasts of carnage again and again.  For its amazing execution and the sheer amount of fun it offers, I hugely recommend it to anyone that even vaguely enjoys action games. Even if they don't like zombies!

9/10

Tamiya VFR750R RC30 Model Kit Review

At over £15,000 for the real thing, the Tamiya 1:12 scale VFR750R RC30 model kit may be the closest most people can get to owning Honda’s legendary homologation special. The question is how much of the bike’s amazing pedigree has been translated into the kit?

First impressions upon opening the box are good. Each sprue is contained its own protective bag, with the clear plastic sprue even coming in a box. A wise decision, given the relative weakness of clear plastic. The rest of the plastic sprues are appropriately coloured: body panels in white, ‘unpainted metal’ parts in grey, etc. They need to be painted anyway, but it’s still attention to detail that really points to quality. Another detail that jumps out is the colour printing on the inside of the box. Admittedly it’s only box art for other model kits, but it is confidence inspiring nevertheless to see that some care has even been taken with the design of the inside of the box.

Inside the box!

Inner box design is not the only quality touch on the kit either. The kit comes with machine screws and bolts for affixing certain parts: the wheels; the fairing; the engine; etc. The screws are not be a big deal in themselves,  but the fact that the included screwdriver is magnetic along its entire length is. When the biggest bolt in the model is an M2 (2mm diameter shaft) and some are only 4mm long, it’s a godsend to have a fully magnetic screwdriver to rely upon. In the grand scheme of things, a tiny magnetic screwdriver may not seem like much, but it does show that kit has been designed by people with an understanding of the realities of assembling it. 

This fact really comes across through the instructions. Scale model instructions can, at their worst, be downright confusing. Everyone has come across the problem of following the instructions to the letter only to find that in, say, Stage 12, you’re now expected to paint a part that became inaccessible in stage 10. Not so with the instructions in this kit. The pictures are large and detailed, and the paint/decal applications needed are listed when a component first becomes appears, ensuring that the aforementioned nightmare scenario can’t happen. On top of this, it’s always made clear where parts attach. Even the potential minefield of the rubber hoses used to simulate the various cables, hoses, and wiring on the bike is made simple. The various attachment points are made clear, and there are helpful measuring marks for cutting lengths on the appropriate steps of the instructions themselves. Each cut hose is also given a letter designation so when it reappears in later steps you know exactly which hose is being referred to. The kit also comes with a good amount of spare hose, ensuring that slightly generous cuts won’t mean running out later.

Note the measurements for the hoses.

The attention to detail even extends to explaining exactly how components fit together, not simply relying on a single vague arrow from component to component. In the case of the exhaust downpipes for the rear cylinders, which need to be manoeuvred and twisted into position, the instructions give a step-by-step walkthrough on how to get the pipes to fit properly. Assistance that is much appreciated on such a fiddly task, and a simple touch that further shows that the people writing the instructions have actually assembled the kit themselves... or are psychic. 

The plastic of the kit itself, the clear notwithstanding, feels to be high quality; it’s easy enough to strip the excess material left after cutting parts from the sprue and to slice the mould lines off. The plastic also feels reasonably resilient and not at all brittle. It’s in a good middle ground between being soft and being strong. The moulding of the plastic parts is also top-notch. There was no excess mould flash on the pieces, and even the unavoidable mould lines were very minor, to the point that on some pieces it could be hard to tell if it was a mould line or a sculpted seam. Speaking of detail, this kit has it in spades, right down to the idiot lights on the clocks and the valves on the wheels. The best part is that all of the details are also crisply defined, really helping to ease the painting process. 

No, they aren't totally straight.

It is worth mentioning though that there was one defect on this particular kit. A screw hole for holding the engine had not been drilled all the way through. Without buying another it’s impossible to know if this is a problem with all RC30 kits or just with this one, still it was easily fixed with a Dremel (a pin vice would work too). For a kit this detailed though, a single minor issue in the sculpting isn’t really all that much of a concern, and in no way undermines the integrity of the kit as a whole. 

The only potential problem to be aware of with the kit is that if you decide to go with the HRC paintjob, the red portions are provided by large printed decals with both the red ‘paint’ and the markings on them. This does mean that nobody has to perfectly paint three matching coloured lines on the tail panels, but it does mean that perfect decal placement is a must. Especially as such large decals can be difficult to place properly on panels with compound curves. The curvature also seems to become more of a problem as the decal dries, so even one that was perfectly laid can end up looking less than stellar when fully dry. How big a problem this is all comes down to personal preference. Whether you want HRC colours or not, how skilled you are at decal application, or if you would just want to paint the scheme rather than using decals at all, are all considerations to make. This approach of using decals rather than painted surfaces is an interesting idea and whilst it can be tricky, it’s far from a deal breaker, especially on such an otherwise high quality kit.

The Tamiya VFR750R RC30 kit is a kit of unmistakably good quality, from the cleanly sculpted, detailed components, to the clearly written/drawn instructions. Even the niggles with the kit are so completely down to personal preference that it almost feels like nit-picking. It’s so very good that all that remains to be said is that for anyone looking to build a motorcycle kit in 1:12 scale, this one comes highly recommended.

Completed with clear fairing.