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.