Here's a new weekly feature I plan to start, well, this week. I have entitled it:
"Games You Should Play"
It doesn't necessarily mean these are the greatest games of all time. I realize that everyone has different tastes, what I am trying to do is pick a game that does something so well (even one small part) and give it a place to shine. Even if overall the game is crappy, it might be a game worth playing. This is something Gamerankings and Metacritic won't tell you. I'm also going to try and find you games that everyone else already hasn't called "underrated" or "overlooked."
Games You Should Play - Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge is one of the first games where I actually felt a sense of motion in a First-Person view. Unfortunately, it's an amazing technical achievement stuck in a game with a crappy fighting system and an even worse story. But you should play it because it not only controls so smoothly, but because it's a first-person game in which you are SUPPOSED to run and jump and move like you never have before. The sense of motion you get is amazing when you are jumping from ledge to ledge doing parkour stunts. You don't even really have to play the game. Just play the demo and you will see how incredible it is.
The story does absolutely nothing to suck you in as it has one of the dumbest plots in video game history and fails to keep the game interesting. There have been many games I have played through because the story was interesting but the gameplay was not. But then again, this is a game done by a bunch of good developers, in DICE (or now EA Digital Illusions CE) who also do the Battlefield games. Battlefield:Bad Company being their only game previously that really had a storyline. Therefore, these guys don't have much experience in the story department.
Mirror's Edge can be picked up for about $19.99 these days, which isn't a bad price. Even still, I recommend the demo that can be downloaded on either the Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3, as it's a fantastic representation of the game.
Coming next week: XIII
Was just playing through Mirror's Edge again last night--couldn't agree more with you. So often, you have a first person shooter where if you look down, you do not even have legs, or feet. WTF? A first person perspective should not simply be a stationary gun always held out at an eye level position. At least, not if you're going for any sense of immersion. Also it's pretty sweet how when you walk outdoors after being inside for a bit, the contrast goes down as your eyes adjust to the lighting. Very well done. Also how you slowly speed up the more you gain momentum while running, not just "hold shift to run" kind of bullshit.
ReplyDeleteCrysis does this very very well. There is nothing quite like turning on the mega-speed option, zooming through the trees, quickly putting on the super jump, soaring in the air only to land on a baddies hut at which point you put on super strength and knock that shit down to the ground with your bare hands. Weapons are a thing of the past with a nanosuit!
Curiously, another game that gets this is Far Cry 2. You never leave the first person perspective, whether it be entering vehicles, popping a pill, or whatever. You feel like a person with actual limbs, not a bunny rabbit with an AK47. Even more so than Crysis, you can feel the jungle environment through the various tricks of lighting and sound-work, its almost like you feel the muggy heat. Having said that, FC2 blows.
:-)
Hahaha. Does Far Cry 2 really suck? I have it, but I've yet to play it. I'm playing through Assasin's Creed at the moment before the new one comes out.
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