Game of the Day: Flower

On lazy bad weather days like today when you just can't handle the intensity of most games there is a fine exception. It's titled Flower and can be described as the classic Snake game with the exception that you're drifting through air directing the flower pedals that you accumulated by setting the field in bloom. There are no real threats and the objectives of blooming the field can be done at your leisurely pace so for me personally this game is more like therapy than anything else. As you can see above the game looks absolutely stunning from an art point of view with the bright colors and the beautiful scenery. It's enough to just start the game and see it to feel a bit more positive, especially here in Sweden where the gray days - like today - can really bring you down. This game is the essence of what a downloadable game for $10 should be - a bite sized experience that you can come back to and one you'll never forget.

The Last Guardian - Interview

New very short interview with Team ICO's Director and Game Designer Fumito Ueda, as well as a new even shorter video of the game. Impressions so far are that I really admire how humble Japanese game developers like Ueda are despite being in the absolute top echelon of game development. Peter Molyneux could really learn a thing from this guy and not keep japing his mouth so much about how everything he does will cause a gaming revolution, but that is for another blog entry. The Last Guardian, yes, despite having about a year left in development the game already looks amazing, the physics and animations look to be the best on any console yet not to mention that the lightning looks absolutely stunning. This doesn't come as a surprise really because I've seen what kind of magic these guys can do with the old hardware of the PS2, I mean Shadow of the Colossus was an incredible technical achievement on the outdated hardware of the PS2. I can only imagine what they'll achieve on the PS3 hardware next year and I wouldn't be surprised if this game might be a future console graphics king.

However the great graphics are still pretty low on my list for why I'm so hyped for this game. I'm mostly interested in the gameplay and how the interaction between the boy and the creature will be like, but it's really hard for me to imagine the gameplay at all. I mean, sure, it looks like an adventure platformer and puzzle solving kind of game but the presence of a huge monster-like creature really sets all conventional expectations ablaze. This newness of experiencing something different is also the reason I've turned into such a Team Ico fanboy. The other thing I noticed in this video is a pattern with all Team Ico games and that pattern is that none of the companions to the protagonists in the games are able to communicate conventionally. In ICO Yorda speaks in an unknown language, in Shadow of the Colossus Wander's only companion is the horse Agro and in the Last Guardian your companion is the imaginary beast. I can only speculate on why but I think it's a way to bring attention to the unspoken bond of trust between these imaginary living beings. This is why I adore these games, they really have the smallest details that you only notice after some examination. The Last Guardian can't come soon enough to my PS3.

Dreaming of Ico

Finished Shadow of the Colossus today and despite only clocking in a total of 8 hours and 59 seconds I feel exhausted, like I've been on long trip. I also feel very happy and I'm glad that the ending was much more upbeat than I expected. I should also give a nod to the soundtrack which really stood out, especially towards the end and it really complemented the mood of the game. But this game is much more than the total playtime you receive or the sum of its parts, it's like an unforgettable experience and I already feel bittersweet about finishing it, like with any great game. It almost feels unfair to call it a game, it's more like minimalistic art contained within a game, I know it sounds pretentious but this is one of those rare times where a game has more in common with a wonderful piece of art. I love how the game leaves alot of things unexplained and forces you to draw your own conclusions on many things. I can only speaking for myself but I found it obvious that the game is a prequel to Ico, though one can only guess how many years separate the events in the two games.

Wander receives his horns for releasing Dormin by defeating the colossi, all for his own selfish desire to return Mono to life, and as one of the characters - Lord Emon - expresses towards the end of the game, his hope is that if Wander survived he might someday be able to atone for his crimes. I can't help but feel that it all ties in with Ico, especially since Ico seems to be a descendant of Wander and a vessel of redemption for Wander and the bloodline. Ico acts selflessly by helping Yorda, protecting her from the shadow-like creatures and putting himself in danger to save her. Wander gains horns for his crimes while I read that Ico loses his horns during the game which is pretty telling of the difference between the two protagonists. Now I'm really excited about getting my hands on Ico, I really want to find out more ties between the two games and the gameplay of holding hands with Yorda to guide her seems like something really special. It's a real shame that these games have turned into rarities these days because they both clearly should be considered modern gaming classics. I consider them as such and that is why my gaming collection will not be complete without them.

House - Season 6

The new House season is finally underway after a long and excruciating wait. Finally is an understatement because last season's finale was something of a killer with House being put into a mental institution and leaving us viewers with alot of questions on what's going to happened to him. I was really hyped for today's episode simply to find out how House would fit in an insane setting and I could really imagine all kinds of crazy scenarios that he'd put the personal as well as the other patients thought. First impression after watching the new episode "Broken" made me realize how much I had missed the show and the character of House with all his silly quirks and insanity. The episode was really good drama with solid acting like always and it clearly paid some homage to my favorite film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with House being up to all kinds of mischief and fighting any form of authority as always. The episode also scores points for playing No Surprises by Radiohead during the intro.

Still I am left with mixed feelings, mostly due to the fact that this episode barely had any medicine in it and because it was basically a feel-good episode about House coming to terms with himself and trying to reform so he can be "happy". This may not sound as something terrible and sure you'll laugh and feel good while watching the episode but one rule about House since season one has always been "House NEVER changes!" and it is what has made the show so great. Now I'm getting worried that House is going to learn to conform and become more normal which would for me effectively kill the show, I hope the writers know what they're doing. The other big let down of this episode was in that House gets out of the mental institution at the end of the episode and his hallucinations are never properly explained, the way everything is resolved feels very rushed and screams deus ex machina.

They could have done so much more with the House-gone-insane plot with additional episodes but instead we don't even get to see anyone visit House before he's out, no Cuddy, no Cameron, no Team actually visit House during the episode, which I found very strange. House not only gets out in one episode but also gets his medical license back and it seems the next episode will be back to business as usual. I want to believe that House will continue to excel as a show despite losing some of it's edge for the past three seasons but I am left very worried when plots are just brushed past and restored to status quo with not further development. It's especially strange since some of the new characters in this episode were really interesting and it would have been great to see them get fleshed out more with a few more episodes. House used to be my favorite show for so many years but these past few seasons with the new team have made me realize that the top spot belongs to Mad Men for now, unless the writers of House kick it up a notch again or the writers of Mad Men knock it down a notch.

Monkey Island + CryEngine = True!

I must say that when I heard about this I could never imagine Monkey Island 2 running on Crysis engine in 3D with any good results, in fact I expected it to be a total failure and completely suck out the soul of the Monkey Island games. The modder loneclone has not only proven why PC >>> all when it comes to games, he has also managed to own me and anybody who ever doubted that advanced technology and art could co-exist. When I see what one modder can achieve and how much better it is compared to the official remake of Monkey Island which was done by a professional team of developers, let's just say that I am very impressed with mankind right now; he nailed it. This kind of creativity and will to push the boundaries is surely the best mankind has to offer and I am truly impressed. Not to mention that I am impressed with CryEngine and the diversity I've seen come from that beast of technology, those chaps at Crytek are talented folks.

District 9

The first thing that comes to mind is that I'm surprised, when I started watching District 9 I didn't quite know what to expect. I knew it was a sci-fi movie with aliens on earth but I was expecting the Hollywood cliché routine with humans owning some evil aliens. Instead I got an exciting ride with superb effects and production values, solid acting and a very fresh take on a sci-fi genre that seems to be losing more and more of it's soul as the production costs have gone up.

The movie starts off with the new and trendy documentary-style of telling the story through interviews and I wasn't really impressed and became worried that the whole movie was going to be done in this now overused style of film-making, but thankfully the interviews end and the movie focuses on Wikus. During the film we get to follow Wikus' transformation from a selfish yuppie to an anti-hero that you can really relate to, largely due to him being such an unlikely action hero.

With Wikus in focus the movie makes one quality leap after another, minute for minute. It's exciting and uncomfortable with obvious references to apartheid. The brilliant decision to set it in Johannesburg South Africa only reinforces these references to racism. It also does wonders to set the movie apart from your usual New York, Washington and L.A. being under alien attack storyline found in many sci-fi movies from Hollywood. The movies is not that subtle with it's themes but they are well thought out and executed.

Manny Calavera Grim Fandango - Icon

New icon for myself this time and my tribute to the greatest game of all time; Grim Fandango. They don't make adventure games such as this anymore, with as much classic quality, heart and soul. I actually cried at the ending when I played it so many years ago and I'm not that sensitive with such things. I can also recommend anyone to check out the soundtrack since it's amazing. Stock courtesy goes to rmda over a deviantArt.

The Journey Continues...

My quest to finish Shadow of the Colossus is fully underway and I brought down three more of these huge and majestic creatures today. I must say that I am starting to feel a bit dirty for killing such epic beings for my own selfish reasons. It's especially unnerving since you can visit the ones that you've already defeated and see their silent remains, which tends to bring out the guilt. Also it's sad to see the effects on Wander's body since it's starting to look like his skin is getting paler and more decayed; his price for bringing down these guardians. I'm enjoying the game immensely but I'm getting the dreadful feeling that Wander has willingly and knowingly doomed himself to death in exchange for Mono's life and it seems that this will not be the classic case of hero saving the days and remaining pure while doing so.

In other news I stumbled upon this really cool ad for the game that really nails the whole soul of this epic journey. The winding text along the colossus reads: "Begin here: a weary traveler on the most perilous of journeys. Mile upon mile you've ridden in search of the power to save your one true love. Yet now you find yourself here, standing in the shadow of a beast who will devastate the tiny, insignificant being who dared to disturb his slumber. Unless you arm yourself with the one weapon large enough to slay him. One he cannot see. Nor can you. Yet you must employ it with every move you have the courage to make. The weapon? Your mind. And should you use it wisely, you shall topple a creature whose size is comparable only to your valor. And end here: atop a mountain that cannot be scaled, but must be slain."

Staying in the Shadow of the Colossus

Today I started playing Shadow of the Colossus once again after a long break and this time I really feel motivated to actually finish it. I don't know why I keep playing this game in short spurs, because whenever I do play it I think to myself that this is probably one of the best games ever made. Yet, for some reason I've only managed to come half way into the game despite owning it for almost a year now. I guess I really have to be in just the right mood and not let any other distractions come in the way to feel like playing it, but that's no excuse and now I feel like it's time to focus and finish it. It feels like I owe this game a proper play-through because like I mentioned this is pretty much a masterpiece of a game. In general it seems like Team Ico and Fumito Ueda go the extra mile with their creativity in making their games because I've been dying to get my hands on their first game ICO as well which has proven to be more difficult than anticipated - but that is a topic for a future blog entry.

When I think of Team Ico and the mastermind behind them Fumito Ueda and the games they make I get the same feeling I do when I watch an animated film by Miyazaki. Don't get me wrong, they have completely different styles and work on different mediums, but both produce works which focus on depicting the bond between living beings and the mystery in that. When I think about it Shadow of the Colossus is very basic idea for a game but what makes it really stand out is that it feels like it is based on a single idea and that idea has been part of every decision in the making of the game. I think the reason that the game feels so fresh and new to me is because I don't often get to see pure talent let lose in game development without some idiotic "suits" pressuring the developers to add a bunch of half-assed features just so that they can put them on the game box. It's a rare thing to see a game crafted around a single idea dictating every aspect of it and I've only seen it in Grim Fandango, Planescape: Torment and Outcast like ten years ago.

Simply it's refreshing to see a game that is not built around genres which are expected to sell and features found in these genres. Ueda clearly designed the game with his vision in mind and used the features necessary to bring it to life and that is probably why the game crosses so many different genres. Sure, it's an adventure game at heart but it has everything from exploration to platforming, from heart-pounding battles against some of the biggest creatures ever put in a video game to the simple puzzle-solving act of figuring out how to bring these giants down, but mainly it is a sad love story about isolation and connection. Wander's connection to his only companion throughout the game; his horse Agro, the physical connection of Wander climbing on the colossi and finally his connection to the deceased girl Mono - a girl for which he is willing to sacrifice even himself trying to resurrect her by bringing down the colossi and making a pact with the Devil. The best part about all of this is the subtlety of the delivery in the minimal amount of dialogue, the very wide and empty landscape of the Forbidden Land that really brings out feelings of isolation/alienation/oppression and in the simple act of not telling you who the deceased girl Mono is to Wander. All these little details come together and form a game that is truly refreshing, unique and ultimately lovable despite it's sad setting.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea

I should probably start this of by mentioning that I worship pretty much anything I've seen from Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli so the amount of bias you're about to read cannot be classified as a proper review. On the other hand I will also not deny that I am a very casual Miyazaki fan in that I don't really know anything about the man except that he is the mind behind some of my favorite animated films. Hell, make that favorite films period. Classic works of animation such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke are the ones that come to mind in an instance, and are only the tip of the iceberg because there are many more such classics. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that there was a new Miyazaki film coming but I was still taken quite a bit by surprise when I saw the ads downtown for the new film Ponyo. They were actually going to play it in Swedish cinemas (!) and it didn't take me long to decide that I was going to finally see a Miyazaki film on the big screen.

Best Game Developer Diary Ever Made

Stumbled upon this hilarious but pretty pointless developer diary for the upcoming game Borderlands by Gearbox. It's clear that the chaps at Gearbox have spent more time browsing YouTube for funny videos this summer rather than actually using this dev diary to tell us anything about the making of the game. The whole video is clearly a reference to the clips of Christian Bale going apeshit on the Terminator Salvation set that surfaced a while back. Hopefully Christian Bale will take this video in good humor but it's more likely that he'll be really really crazy pissed off. Hopefully he won't resort to the chainsaw as in American Psycho because it would be a shame to see another developer close their doors. =)

Microsoft Marketing Über Alles!

The new "We Are ODST" ad above for Halo: ODST is another confirmation on what I have been saying since the start of this gen; the people at Microsoft's marketing department know their shit. I remember the initial Xbox 360 TV-ads and how unique and hip they were with the amazing slogan of "Jump in!" but the real works of advertising genius were in my opinion the "Starry Night" and "Believe" ads that were made for Halo 3. These ad were not game ads per say since no gameplay was actually shown and many people complained about this but what those people didn't understand is that these guys at Microsoft were not interested in the game per say - they were instead interested in myth-making. This approach worked too since Halo 3 is among the highest selling console exclusives this generation with 10 million units sold and going, these numbers can only be achieved if you managed to penetrate the mainstream.

The slogan "Finish the Fight" is among the strongest and most subtle ways to confront the consumers. I personally have missed the whole Halo spectacle and not finished any of the games - since I think the games are pretty sucky except the first - but even I feel a sensation that I should go and finish the fight when I see these ads. It doesn't end there, the "Believe" ads compliment this idea that you need to do what is needed as Master Chief by telling different stories from old veterans about Master Chief and how they were waiting for him and how he was their only hope. Once again the ads urge you to go and become Master Chief or all these old soldiers will not be alive unless you finish the fight. Like I mentioned all of this is simple myth-making; taking a few strong and emotional cues and repeating them over and over until they become almost myths within society. Brilliant marketing in other words or you could even call it Joseph Goebbels' inspired propaganda.

Now we have the "We Are ODST" ad which once again shows off the supremacy of Microsoft marketing compared to say Sony or Nintendo. Here they're building a war movie mentality of the squad and how sacred it is, the fall of brothers in arms and how the end of a battle is a start of yet another. All with extremely high production values that really get your blood pumping and have more in common with a Hollywood production rather than a game. All of this makes me suspect that Don Draper from Mad Men is working at Microsoft's marketing department. I mean the level of money, talent and heart put into these ads is not something you see every day in game commercials so it really stand out. It is also an important indication that gaming as an industry is going forward and being taken more seriously, these quality ads don't come cheap. Below I linked to my favorite Halo ads to showcase my point in that these marketing guys and girls at Microsoft get it.

"Starry Night" Trailer
"The Hunted" TV Commerical
"Gravesite" TV Commerical
"Believe" - TV Commercial

The Mysterious Pop of Andrew Bird

I don't really know much about Andrew Bird except that he's a Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and whistler. That's pretty much all I know about him and all of that I've read on his website a while back. On the other hand what I do know well is that he's probably my favorite active singer/songwriter today with great masterpiece pop albums such as The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Armchair Apocrypha and the most recent Noble Beast and I've spun all of them today in a rally to find pure pop bliss. I succeeded.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, simply calling Andrew Bird's music as "pop" is kind of an understatement and it's really hard for me to describe Andrew Bird's music but I usually go with; pure pop bliss mixed with tons of weird quirky lyrics as the main pillars of it, all packaged with pure charm and talent. Let's be frank, great pop is hard to come by these days, especially pop as ambitious as what Andrew Bird is accomplishing with pretty much every album. It's catchy and full of melodies but it's so quirky and weird at the same time, ultimately it's just beautiful music.

The Mysterious Production of Eggs is definitely his best album that I have in my collection and that is where I suggest anyone starts if they have any interest in checking out Andrew Bird, that's where I started and was completely blown away. Still I wouldn't disqualify any of the other albums since all of them are pretty great in their own way and should be heard by anyone who appreciated great catchy pop music with a coat of quirkiness. I'm personally off to once again sink myself into the strange world of Andrew Bird and his beautiful music.

The Amazing Art of Beatles Rock Band

This game holds absolutely no interest to me and I can never see myself buying a Rock Band game and playing with those silly plastic instrument. I tried it once in a store and felt like I went full retard. There was absolutely no connection between me and gameplay. I'm not saying that these games are absolutely horrible, I can somewhat understand the appeal of music games for the average Joe. My main problem with the current music games is the huge amount of rehash that is happening in the genre and I can see it very well ending up in the horrid state that milkage left the Tony Hawk games for example.

So when I heard about a Beatles Rock Band I felt like a part of me had died - for future reference here is me dying inside - considering I've been a fan of The Beatles for a long time and didn't want to see their brand and great music soiled by a game series and genre on the decline when it comes to creativity and quality. Not many things are sacred to me but Beatles happens to be one of those few things, I simply did not want to see lifeless doll-like Beatles made "hip" for the average Joe of gaming and in the process losing all the soul that the band possessed.