The Lone Gamer

Once past the Gates of Hell (aka Logging In), Diablo III is… actually fun!

Yeah, I’ve already ranted my head off here and on Twitter about my Diablo III woes at the start. Buying the game was no problem, and actually constituted a cool lunch-out foodtrip. But thereafter, I was unable to play the game later that night since I couldn’t log in (since D3′s servers were full). Can’t log in, can’t play. Waaa. Feh.
Anyways, the second day was better though- logging in then was quick and I was in Sanctuary finally, ready to kick demon butt as a buff, white-haired babe (Female Monk). Now, I actually didn’t play the Beta, though I did see a few vids of that on Youtube. Still, as I clicked my female fury through Old Tristram Road to New Tristram, killed off the zombies besieging the town and explored the Old Ruins… it all just felt… by the numbers. Well, again, I have been seeing this part over and over and over for months, so no wonder it didn’t exactly excite me. Still, being the one clicking and walking around was cool. In actuality, despite the 3D makeover and the spiffy art, Diablo III feels and plays a LOT like Diablo II. ZOUNDS! Still pretty simple and clickety-clicky. Enemies seemed to cave fast from my Monk’s electrifying punches. Kinda weird though that I could arm myself with swords and such, but still just basically punch in my attack animations. Eh.

Also a bit weird to hear my Heroine talk- been playing silent protagonists for far too long. There’s quite a bit of spoken dialogue in D3, which is good- along with the speech of townspeople and other NPCs, you even find books and journals which relate some side story or lore of the land, kinda like the audio diaries of games like Bioshock (and its clones). Overall pretty well and good… though I am finding the Monk a bit too Girl Scout Goody-Goody. Well, she IS a Holy Warrior after all.

Day 3 found me penetrating the old Cathedral in the hopes of finding the missing Deckard Cain. My ultimate goal of course was The Fallen Star, that weird comet thing that we are shown crashing into Tristram’s church in the gorgeous opening cinematic. Once I found Cain, I also found Act 1′s probable Boss, albeit I wouldn’t face him in battle just yet. Back to town with the old Codger and some side questing. On that, looks like there will be a lot of other little missions to do aside from the main quest- I don’t expect this to be as extensive as in other recent RPGs, but that’s a nice bit. Oh, and stages seem to respawn quite quickly, so there’s always stuff to kill. Nice!

Well, what can I say? Once past the Always-Online BS, Diablo III looks and plays familiar and that should please or put off gamers depending on what they’re expecting/looking for. I don’t mind the nostalgia and the similarities- I just want a diabolically good hack-and-slash action adventure with lots of satisfying monster killing, leveling up, awesome gear and loot, and amazing cinemas at the end for my troubles. Not really looking for much aside from that, so if there’s more it will be a pleasant surprise.
This really isn’t a review- it’s pretty certain that people are going to get Diablo III, and that’s that. Enjoy it for what it is, try out every character and wring out all the fun you can. Diablo IV won’t be here anytime soon.
Between this and the fact that I am STILL playing Skyrim, I guess I’m all set to pass the time easily until my much-awaited VF5 Final Showdown arrives in early June. Whoopie!

Remember what your character was back then?

The first time I saw Diablo 2 was over the counter at a local comic shop, being played by the owner/manager (and my eventual friend). I started off just ridiculing the way he’d sit there, looking blankly at the little objects moving on the monitor, the only movement in his body being on his fingers, clicking away like mad on the mouse, slaaughtering hordes of frisky Fallen, underdressed Corrupted Rogues and what other monstrosity the game saw fit to throw at him. This eventually evolved to growing interest on my part, to rabid questioning, to eventually me making up some excuse to purchase my own desktop computer. Before I knew it, I was clicking away myself on the quest to destroy the Prime Evil.

My first character was a Paladin- the dusky-skinned armored champion with the buffing auras and the fancy sword swings. I guess that reflected my white knight personality of the time. I was fascinated as well by the Necromancer and having a small army of underlings to follow you around, but I never did get used to managing the pets well enough. When the Expansion arrived, I naturally gravitated to the Assassin- yeah, even then I had a thing for hot babes in skimpy outfits. Kinda overpowered, I guess- Baal was a cakewalk with the Teleport Kick. Was my Assassin chick named Kitana? I don’t remember.

I remember the hours and hours I played, clicking and clicking, organizing the puzzle-like interface of the inventory, figuring our the Horadric Cube, breaking into the infamous Cow Level… good times. It’s kinda odd to realize that Diablo 2 was a pretty linear game, with relatively small, closed stages that now seem quite small compared to the huge open worlds given to use today by games like Skyrim. You interacted with very few NPCs- mostly merchants and mercenary captains, the pivotal NPC and the occasional stranger. The story as well was pretty minimal, told only in some lines of in-game dialogue, and mostly via the game’s awesome (quite awesome at the time) cinematic cutscenes. Again, not that much narrative compared to the relatively huge volumes of text and narrative in more contemporary RPGs.

What I’m saying is, as much as I am excited for Diablo III, I’m a bit worried. Will the incessant, frantic clicking, kill-and-explore action gameplay of this classic series still hold the same appeal as it did before? Surely… not. We’ve moved on since then, seen bigger things. Seen greater things. But nostalgia should be enough to get us to play- it’s up to Blizzard to have refreshed their game since then to stand up to today’s gamer demand.

I’ve no doubt that D3 will be a best-seller, as much as Starcraft 2 was. I wonder why it needs to be constantly online. I wonder what character class I’ll use first and what I’ll love or hate. I wonder at what story this will tell and how improved the narrative will be. I wonder if Old Deckard Cain will still be around at the end of this game. So many questions.

Just four more days then.

Fast Tube by Casper
This should whet your appetite a bit for May 15.

Diabolical hack-and-slash RPG sequel, Diablo III, is almost upon us. But as we count the days till we are clicking like crazy again, here’s a short animated film based on events prior to the game’s timeline, portraying a pivotal battle (and aftermath of said battle) between the forces of Light and Darkness. Brought to us by the animators of Metalocalypse and Aeon Flux, it’s quite full of eye candy, although I prefer seeing action with more human characters, but this is pretty much in the flavor of the franchise. So check it out for more than six minutes of demon-killing action that should get you psyched up for launch day.

Fast Tube by Casper
Centurion? Or perhaps… Imperial?

Even though Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V Skryim has certainly proven to be a worldwide, multi-media sensation, we haven’t really heard any rumblings of a possible game-to-film translation of adventures in the Nord homeland… well, aside from that live-action trailer made for the game posted during release. Perhaps it’s best that the fantasy realm of Tamriel remain in gamers’ minds rather than be watered-down and rationalized by some small-minded director and equally small budget. But then, apart from the many fan flicks and shorts released online and such, perhaps there’s already some existing films, which given some tweaking, may actually pass for a ‘Skyrim’ movie.

One such film, I realized tonight while watching cable, is Centurion (2010), starring Michael Fassbender (Magneto from X-Men: First Class). The action-thriller, set during the Roman occupation of the lands of the barbarian Picts (Scotland), relates the harrowing tale of several Roman legionnaires trying to reach safety as they are pursued by a vengeful force of bloodthirty barbarian hunters. Of course, we can easily consider the protagonists as Imperial Legionnaires, while their adversaries may be either extra-savage Nords or perhaps Forsworn (the more savage tribal faction of NPCs in Skyrim’s Reach region); head baddie Etain (Olga Kurylenko) certainly looks and fights like a Forsworn Ravager, complete with Dual Wielding.

Perhaps some enterprising film editor can splice together some clips and edit a bit of dialogue to include more Skyrim-ish terms and dialogue, and set the whole thing to music from the mega-hit RPG. Just a thought. Well, of course the flick could use a bit more magic, and really- with Quick Travel, would such travails be really necessary? Ah well, the pleasures of Skyrim. On the gaming side, I recently just actually finished playing through the Civil War and Main Quests for the first time EVER (yeah I know, funny), which means I actually have finally finished a game after a good long while. I still plan on playing Skyrim still indefinitely, and with more mods and Dawnguard on the way, I don’t think I’ll be taking the game off my laptop anytime soon (if ever). Heheh. Yeah, even with Diablo III’s impending release. What can I say? Best RPG ever. Really. So if you haven’t tried it yet (where were you, man?), give Skyrim a try. And to start yourself off, watch Centurion. Or not.

More adventures are set to rise in Skyrim!

Bethesda’s blog just got updated with the intriguing visual above, and some cryptic words. Dawnguard, whatever it is- is set for release on Xbox360 this summer. Other than that… nothing else save that more info will be coming at this year’s E3. I assume that this expansion or whatever it is will eventually come to other platforms. Till then, I’ll be playing the PC version and loving it. So what could Dawnguard be all about? Will it involve the Mythic Dawn and Mehrunes Dagon (again?)? The town of Dawnstar? The Daedric artifact, Dawnbreaker? Or is it something altogether totally new?
I’m sure a lot of Dovahkiin have shaped Skyrim to some degree by now… it will be very interesting to see how this new adventure or questline fits into the greater scheme of things. Will it have bearing on the existing quests? Will it affect the status of the land as you made it? We’ll see. Man, this is exciting. I’ve never been invested into an RPG and world like Skyrim… I relish the ability to continue playing and living in it even more with Dawnguard (as if I needed any more content, really). To E3 then!

Fast Tube by Casper
Mature RPG story and gameplay ahead!

Even though I’m still very much into Skyrim (and look to be that way indefinitely), I am pretty much decided I’ll be taking on the adventures of Geralt the Witcher in the impending Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings on Xbox360. I think it’s pretty much supposed that if you’re into action-packed, awesome RPGs (Skyrim among them), the Witcher will be your next game to tackle. The comparison between it and Bethesda’s opus are inescapable, but while they’re both RPGs of exceedingly high quality, their differences are pretty significant. While Skyrim was an open world/do anything sandbox with a blank slate of a hero, Witcher 2 has a more character-driven focus: You play a specific character with a specific voice and story, although the paths ensure great variations on how the story develops.
Also, the look and feel is very different; both games are mature but Witcher 2 takes that extra step forward with actual nudity and sexual situations and more colorful language. The look is more like Medieval Europe with it’s heavily armored knights and men-at-arms, gaudily-dressed nobles and kings, more garish and grimy than the more earthy tones of Nordic-flavored Skyrim.

In short- you can surely be a fan of both games, since they’re both very different and looking very epic and awesome. Miss either one and you’re missing a lot.
Well, right now I know Skyrim’s awesome… but I’m pretty sure Witcher 2 will be as well. I’ll be grabbing my own copy when I can. For now, Gamespot’s Now Playing gives us a pretty good look at the game’s first hour, so check that out. right now.

Fast Tube by Casper
If this isn’t an April Fool’s Joke… Whoa.

I’ve been having tons of fun with Elder Scrolls V Skyrim on PC, with various mods tweaking the game and visuals, making it new and refreshed with every new install. But here, it seems, is a mod that is set to not just tweak gameplay style but transport it to a totally new genre style. Tower Defense, Skyrim-style? The Ultimate Tower Defense Mod by aTittyKitty will put you in command of a castle, which you can then upgrade with various defenses to withstand various deadly assaults. You can do everything from setting up barricades, hiring soldiers to man the walls, getting farmers and workers to gather resources and upgrade your troops’ equipment and weapons. Best of all, you can jump into the fray yourself aside from just standing back and watching your peons do all the work.

According to the mod trailer, you can expect to have every enemy available in the game coming at your abode, so this should be something sweet. I mean, if it’s REAL. It WAS, after all, posted on April 1… but the channel owner has said that it isn’t a joke. So, we’ll see. Man, this could be freakin’ awesome. Once again, I have to say… Skyrim on PC is the only way to play.

Fast Tube by Casper
Is this life ala Mass Effect? Pretty rough…

A cool thing about getting into gameblogging- I often get a lot of emails and heads-up from all over the place. 7SL Productions sent me the above-linked vid showing off their comedic short film, Mass Effected. I love the whole game-to-movie thing online, whether its Machinima or live-action. Have to say I’m not that big of a ME fan (and now, with the hubbub on the 3rd game’s endings, I might not take the plunge) but I like game-based media in general. Check out the vid and give the guys a thumbs up if you like it.

Fast Tube by Casper
Fantasy Battles don’t get any more EPIC than this.

Yeah, Elder Scrolls V Skyrim isn’t perfect- but heck, what is? I think it’s succeeded not only as simply an RPG, but as a world- a setting for adventure and imaginative fiction that has gone beyond the simple boundaries of the existing, pre-set storylines in the default game.
Perfect example- the scores of Skyrim Machinima- short films made using in-game graphics- that grace Youtube with their awesomeness. You have your goofy Gamer Poop and all the humorous nonsense (usually at the expense of some poofy Jarl), but every so often you have something freakin’ awesome. Like BATTLES. Skyrim by itself (on PC at least) is a sandbox with which you can stage some pretty cool skirmishes between various creatures or warriors. But it takes a special something to be able to turn what could have been a simple free-for-all skirmish into something Tolkien-esque.

And that’s certainly what the Machinima film above is. The ‘Siege of Markarth’ isn’t just a simple matter of spawning mobs of CPU drones and throwing them at each other… nope, this is freakin’ ART. You’ve got a shadowy observer enigmatically flitting between the raindrops in a truly EPIC attack on the aforementioned Hold Capital by a huge and formidably equipped army of Forsworn (complete with a damn Mammoth!), his goal unknown till the very end. Throughout you’ve got cinematic closeups, camera angles, magic pyrotechnics and wholesale carnage on a grand scale.
It’s a pretty awesome 8 minutes of action well worth seeing. Man, what other amazing tales will Skyrim spawn in the future? Damn!

Fast Tube by Casper
The REAL Avatar returns next month. FINALLY.

It seems like forever since the end of my absolute favorite animated series- Avatar: The Last Airbender- but now, finally the next saga in this franchise is on the horizon. Avatar: The Legend of Korra is set to arrive on April 14, 2012 from Nickelodeon.

As you can see from the trailer, the series has come a long way (in various aspects) from the previous series; in terms of art style, tone and mood. Yeah, it’s still about young people trying to find their place in a dangerous world with amazing elemental powers and cool martial arts… but there’s a more teen vibe in this one rather than the happy-go-lucky goofiness of the previous Avatar. I am really digging the visuals- they’re almost Production I.G.-esque, and I am loving Korra’s spunky good looks and aggressiveness. This is set to have a LOT of action from the get go.
This new series arrives about 70 years after the events of the previous storyline, with a New Avatar rising to find her destiny. Though most of the previous heroes have since passed on, there should be many links in Korra to tie in with The Legend of Aang, to the delight of fans. I’ve got high hopes for this one- man, I’ve gotta have an ATLA marathon before 4-14th!