PC Game Review - DragonShard

DragonShard is a combination of RPG / RTS (Role Playing Game / Real Time Strategy), an official AD&D (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) game released by Atari.  It follows the traditional fantasy storyline - objects of great power will cause disaster if they fall into the wrong hands, etc etc.  The plot here is pure hokum and rather cliche; the cut scenes are okay but the characters look ridiculous running; the voice acting is reasonable but quite laughable at the same time; the music is good but the characters in the game are far too talkative.  However, those are the main weak points of the game - it's in terms of the basic gameplay that DragonShard scores most strongly.

The game is split into overground (RTS) and underground (RPG).  The interface for both is very similar, but as you get into the game you find that there are many subtle differences to how things work under and overground (with not a womble in sight).  It's all quite intuitive, though if you're struggling there is a tutorial to help you get the hang of things.  Hints pop up in the game from time to time as well.  The key thing to this game being so enjoyable is that you can, once you open up the right parts of the map, have underground and overground areas accessible at the same time.  It's easy to have two or more groups doing separate things, and your troops are fairly intelligent - if you leave them to their own devices they will tend to do what you'd have wanted them to do anyway.

In the RTS section you can build structures, create captains, and level up your buildings (using XP gained both under and over ground).  Overground your captains can rally soldiers to them, provided you've levelled up the respective buildings enough, though when these same troops go underground they can't take the soldiers with them.  Little features like this add immmensely to the game, making for some truly strategic decisions if you want to win.  You have two main sets of enemies, which differ depending on the maps.

There are three difficulty levels which you can change throughout the 7 chapters of the Story campaign, and there are also Skirmish and Online playing modes.  Though you'll probably complete the campaign relatively quickly there is a bit of replay value; you get a score at the end of each successful chapter completion, with things like your playing style, speed, losses and side quests accomplished contributing to your score - you can get a bronze, silver or gold medal depending on your success.  I'd have liked a longer campaign mode personally, but it's not bad.

Graphically the game is quite nice, better in the normal game than the cut scenes in fact - at least, in terms of the character animation.  There are some whizzy effects and it looks quite impressive when you have a lot happening onscreen at the same time.  The story and characters are so cheesy that you can't possibly take them seriously, but that actually works to the game's advantage.  There are a nice but not overwhelming number of friendly unit types, monsters, potions, items etc.  There are also some powerful "Champion Artifacts" that are pretty tough to get hold of, which adds a bit to the replayability.

Overall DragonShard is challending and a joy to play because of its well balanced interface and subtle differences in playing style that you need above and under ground; aesthetically it's pleasing enough and while the campaign is too short, there's still quite a bit of longevity to this title.  Recommended.  Rating:  8/10.

If the idea of a blend RPG and RTS appeals to you, you should also check out Spellforce: The Order of the Dawn.

CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog

Dark Disciples 2

A long time ago I played an RPG called Dark Disciples, which I really enjoyed and even included in my Top Ten Freeware RPGs list. I knew a sequel was in the making but forgot about it for a long time due toseeming inactivity on the project; however on a whim I had a look today and found that the game (or at least an advanced Beta version) was now available.

Check out DodgySoft's website for the download. Will let you know what it looks like over the next few days, depending on how much time I get to playtest it.

CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog

Press Release - Free Realms Friends Eight Million Players

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – February 8, 2010 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced that more than eight million unique users have registered to play Free Realms™ (www.FreeRealms.com), the free-to-play, family-friendly hit online video game. Free Realms has steadily increased its player base by continuing to support development of compelling content and shared user experience. New features, such as Player Housing, have encouraged players to customize and create their own unique definitions of gameplay, while instigated Live World Events and player parties engage the community at large, allowing players to interact, discover and explore.

“Free Realms is more than just a virtual world for our players; it is a portal for imagination. A place where players transform their house into a jumping maze for friends to compete or a petting zoo that boasts all their pets,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “Our job as developers is to listen to and predict what they want and give them the tools that inspire and compel them to share their experiences with eight million others.”

Later this week, Free Realms is scheduled to kick off the Festival of Hearts, a special month long event that celebrates love, friendship and kindness. All players will be able to participate in themed events, daily social activities and storyline quests that incorporate traditional items and rewards which embody the holiday: hearts, candies, forget-me-not cards, flowers, love potions and more. Heart Breakers are invited too, as even the Stone Hearted can participate in the world events that ensue. New Hippo, Tiger, Beetle, Groundhog and Owl pets will also be available in the Marketplace.

Recently nominated in the category of Best New Social/Online Game by the organizers of the tenth annual Game Developers Choice Awards, Free Realms continues to redefine the scope and pace of online games.

In Free Realms, players are free to do or be anything: Fight like a ninja, cook a tasty meal, raise a pet, battle goblins, set out on epic quests or connect with friends through a safe, social networking site. Also available is the Free Realms Trading Card Game: a full-featured trading card game, playable both digitally within the Free Realms online game and offline via physical card decks sold wherever you buy trading cards. Free Realms players can also pop into select retailers to purchase Station Cash cards, which can be redeemed for Station Cash, and used to buy virtual goodies or upgrade to a Membership status in the game.

Free Realms is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and up with content descriptors of Crude Humor and Fantasy Violence. To play Free Realms, visit: http://www.FreeRealms.com.

About Sony Online Entertainment

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX; Seattle, WA; Denver, CO; Tucson, AZ and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development.

CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog

Press Release - Digital Game Publishing and Development Studio, IllFonic Launched to Bring Underground Culture to Gaming

LOS ANGELES, CA – February 4, 2010, Independent developer and publisher IllFonic today opens its publishing arm to help small talented teams showcase and sell their games. IllFonic is independently funded and will focus on developing and publishing original intellectual properties on digital platforms.

With a mission to focus on multiple digital AAA games with high re-playability and entertainment for consoles and PC, llFonic has set out to establish ground-breaking and genre-defying games that bring underground culture to gaming.

“IllFonic is made up of a crew of people who want to make the gamers feel the product was made just for them and not modeled off statics,” said Co-Founder / Executive Producer Raphael Saadiq.

“Lately this industry has seen a loss of amazing games and talent due to publisher retrenchment and fear of risk. IllFonic wants to remind gamers that art and entertainment are what make games great, not milking franchises to death. We stand as the alternative,” commented Co-Founder / President / Programmer Charles Brungardt.

“To me, game development is a form of art. But, only if the entire team and I are getting their hands dirty in the creative process. Our games are the working proof that small teams can still do big things. One man armies, cool people, and a passion for creating dope stuff. The work techniques we developed create an experience that feels like art - not software,” said Co-Founder / Lead Designer Kedhrin Gonzalez.

IllFonic currently has two games in development. Ghetto Golf, announced at GDC in 2009, is a multiplatform release. Ghetto Golf is a rapid mixture of third person combat, sports gameplay and comedy, dedicated to those players that have always wanted to wield an Uzi with their 9 iron. In addition to a deep single player campaign, Ghetto Golf offers a robust multiplayer mode including Golf Gangs and Team Deathmatch. In keeping with IllFonic’s philosophy of bringing the AAA experience to downloadable titles, Ghetto Golf will include an original soundtrack from top artists and producers plus feature voice talent from some of the best names in urban comedy.

Taking the underground to the masses, IllFonic is also publishing and co-developing an unannounced console title based on a hardcore classic with millions of followers. The game will be showcased at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco.

For more information on Ghetto Golf, go to www.ghettogolf.com.

About IllFonic:

IllFonic, LLC, was founded in 2007 and has offices in Los Angeles and Denver. Founded by musician Raphael Saadiq, engineer Chuck Brungardt, and game designer Kedhrin Gonzalez, IllFonic is committed to delivering AAA games digitally to consoles and PC at an affordable price. IllFonic utilizes many avenues in pop culture to cross brand its products in film, television, sports, music, and clothing. IllFonic has built a team of artists, developers, producers, and musicians that believe providing fun game-play means conveying the highest level of visual awe, an immersive environment and a sick soundtrack. For more information on the company, go to www.illfonic.com.

CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog

Imbacore's Ground Control Review (Free PC Strategy Game)

My fellow blogger from Imbacore: Freeware Strategy Games and Multiplayer Shooters has kindly agreed to do a guest post on my blog. He's chosen to talk about Ground Control, a high-quality freeware real-time strategy game.

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While the years following 1992 saw a whole slew of PC real-time strategy games follow the formula laid out by Dune 2, Massive Entertainment opted to go a different path with their then-revolutionary release, Ground Control. Utilizing full 3D graphics that allowed players to zoom out for a panoramic view of a level or zoom in to see the finer details of the game, Ground Control had no problems setting itself apart from the usual slew of real-time strategy games.

Massive also introduced a twist with their project: their PC strategy game had no base building aspects. Instead it gave players units to deploy for every mission in its singleplayer campaign. These squads can be outfitted with special weapons and equipment. Different kinds of squads get different sets of choices. Squads also earn experience and they grow more adept with each mission tackled.

While the deliberate, realistic pacing may put off some players, Ground Control is a triumph in gameplay over dated technology, delivering a tactical experience rarely seen in real-time strategy games both old and recent. If this was a game bearing his name, Tom Clancy would have been proud.

Want more? Read the Full Review of Ground Control on Imbacore.

Game Trailer

CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog

CaptainD Interviews Peter Cox from Red27 Studios

I badgered Peter Cox at Red27 Studios until he finally agreed to answer some questions for me (oh all right, he was a very willing interviewee really, just not all the speedy at responding!).  Red27 Studios produced Awesome Soccer, a very enjoyable 16-bit style footie game.

1/ How did Awesome Soccer come about?  Did you just wake up one day and think "I want to code an old-school footie game", or was there more to it than that?

Well, it boils down to me having two passions in life - Football and Computers!  But ok, perhaps there's a little more to it than that... :-)

Back in the 90's I used to write games for the Amiga, and whilst I was still at University I produced a very small and very limited Sensible Soccer prototype (basically just a scrolling pitch!) as I adored the game that much.  University eventually ended and I got a "proper job" within IT (not the games industry alas) so the games writing took a back seat and I forgot all about it.

A few years ago, I was using the excellent WinUAE Amiga Emulator to reminisce about those great 16 bit days, and I came across the Sensi prototype, and I had what you might call a lightbulb moment and the idea for Awesome Soccer was borne...

As an aside, for me, I still don't think anything has evoked as much emotion in gaming terms as the Amiga did, and that was what I really wanted to try and capture.

2/ What made you choose Java as the development language - familiarity with that language, ease of porting to various systems / operarating systems, or something else?

Primarily because I am just genuinely very fond of Java.  The arrival of Java 1.6 update 10 was just a revellation in terms of graphics performance and made Java a wholly viable language for game development in my opinion.  Added to that, Java has, as you mention, stunning portability (for instance I've recently added a Linux version of the game alongside the Windows and Mac versions).

3/ If you had to choose, which would you say was the best ever 16-bit soccer game - Kick Off 2 or Sensible Soccer?  (Or something else, even.)

It's a tough question.  KO2 on the Amiga when it first came out was just astonishing - my friends and I played it so much it was just untrue!  At Uni we had this massive league system with so many players and such interest that we had to hook up a video splitter to show the games on another TV in a different room as one room couldn't hold enough people!  Yes, I realise that this could be deemed a little sad....

Then Sensible Soccer came out and that pretty much took over the crown straight away - and our Sensi league if anything was even more popular in terms of numbers than the KO2 one.  Add to that I was pretty much unbeatable on Sensi at the time that may help sway my decision... ;-)

But seriously, in my humble opinion, Sensible Soccer just about edges it.

Some other games with honourable mentions would be Emlyn Hughes International Soccer and Match Day II (with some serious hours spent on both!)

4/ Do  you think that modern footie games - the latest FIFAs, PES, etc - have just become too complicated to be much fun anymore?

I remember being really impressed with the pseudo 3D look of Fifa 96, and I truly enjoyed the novelty of the original ISS on the Playstation (the commentary gem of "That's an early bath" for a yellow card still amuses me to this day).  The battle through the last decade between Fifa & Pro Evo has been really interesting; I was firmly in the Pro Evo camp for the vast majority of that time, however, the recent Fifa editions have really pushed the genre forwards massively - so much so that when my young son and I got Fifa 2010 for Christmas, we were both finally won over and we are now Fifa converts!

Regarding the complexity of the controls, I think it all boils down to the amount of time you can afford to invest in playing and learning all the various skill moves and controls.  There has to be a balance between accessibility for the casual gamer and rewarding the hardcore gamer that is willing to spend hour after hour practising and playing online.

This was one of the reasons I wanted Awesome Soccer to be totally accessible right away whilst still providing some serious entertainment via the ability to score some amazing goals without having to go on to YouTube for a 20 minute tutorial...

5/ You've had a positive reaction to Awesome Soccer in terms of game reviews, has this been reflected in terms of sales?  Did you have any real expectations in terms of the game's commercial viability, and have you met them (or do you look like you might do)?

Candidly, sales so far have been ok, but with definitely room for improvement.  The reviews have, I feel, been very fair; they recognise the beauty of a game which is so immediately rewarding in terms of fun and enjoyment, but also recognise that in a market with such stiff competition, there needs to be an increase in the number of features and the depth that the game offers.  I wholly intend to address these areas going forwards.

6/ We've talked privately about a possible future project for Red27 Studios... is there anything you're willing to go public with at this stage? (!)

Well, I really want to continue with the evolution of Awesome Soccer, and as I just aluded to earlier, I want to add a lot more features and depth, as well as refining the game play and graphics.  And let's just say that with a certain International tournament coming up, you might just see another step on the Awesome Soccer journey...  You heard it here first!

7/ I love the way the Indie market is producing football games that would probably never see the light of day in the commercial sector - Awesome Soccer and the New Star Soccer series for instance - do you think the big companies are ever going to think they should be getting back to the roots of gaming and creating games in the fashion of the great 16-bit titles?

Alas, I really can't see it happening.  Today's blockbuster titles are simply too huge and involve hundreds of highly skilled people working on them for upwards of a couple of years and involve such large sums of money that the risks are too great.  However, I do love the Indie scene, and the level of professionalism and quality (especially considering the limited resources available to your average Indie Game developer) continues to amaze me, and long may that continue!

8/ Okay, you probably knew this questions was coming somewhere... what football team do you support?

I'm a lifelong Manchester United fan (ok, insert opinion here...).  [Ahem... as a Liverpool fan I would normally make a comment, but with the season we're having so far...]  I'm lucky enough to be a season ticket holder, but due to having a family, I only tend to go to the more "glamourous" games now against Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal (and the Champions League games), passing on the ticket to friends and family for the others.  Yes, I know - shameful!  But back in the day I was fortunate enough to see them play in some incredible stadiums like the Nou Camp, the San Siro, Stadio delle Alpi and the Bernabau amongst others.  As an aside, for me the San Siro certainly stood out - the atmosphere and acoustics when it's full are quite simply breathtaking.

I've actually started taking my son to the odd game this season and despite a bit of a fright during his first game (Streford End Tier 2 was a shock for him to say the least - definitely not a place for Prawn Sandwiches!) he's now fully got the bug and wants to go all the time!  Not that he really had that much of a choice... ;-)

9/ Red27 Studios?  What's the significance behind that name?

Red27 (or variants thereof) has always been my callsign for online games, especially Unreal Tournament and more recently the amazing Call Of Duty series.

...but the rationale for that?  I think I'll keep you guessing on that one...  :-)

[I'm guessing it's linked to a famous Manchester United player who wore the No.27 shirt?]

10/ If you were to give aspiring game designers one piece advice, what would it be?

Persevere.  Keep going.  Don't give up.  And at those difficult times when you really do just want to give up, remember this very appropriate movie quote:

"If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it..."

CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog

PC Game Review - Cossacks 2: Napoleonic Wars

Have you ever wondered how battles between warring nations were fought in the 1800’s? It truly seemed retarded the way platoons wearing bright colours would line up on opposite ends of a large field to shoot volleys of inaccurate musket balls at each other till the weaker side died or retreated. I found myself asking questions like “How could one possibly employ strategy in a battle like this?”, “how does one fight a war with RULES?" and “What good is man on a horse wielding a sword against an enemy with a gun?”.

Just as well, I came across Cossacks 2 in a bargain bin at one of our local computer stores. The game is dated around 2005, the last of the PC CD-ROM era. The cover and brief description on the back were enough to tweak something of a spark of interest in me so I decided to give it a try. Not expecting much from a ‘bargain bin’ game, I didn’t even bother installing it for a few months. If only I had known the caliber of game resting within those covers back then.

Cossacks 2 is an RTS junkie’s dream! I admit, the interface was not that user friendly at first (nothing playing the tutorials won’t fix); you quickly realise as you play the game that the interface couldn’t have been made any better given the nature of Napoleonic warfare. As with most traditional RTS titles, units are supported by houses and built using resources acquired from the map (quarries, forests, mines and such…). I found that once these resources were found / captured and peasants put to work, economies required very little attention. This is great news for players like me who prefer getting right into the action undisturbed, as opposed to constantly running out of resources because idle villagers are too stupid to find more work after they are done with one mindless task (gosh that really gets to me!).

Onto the battle sequences:

Most units in this game are ordered in platoons (e.g. 120 musketeers, 50 cavalry, 15 sappers…). Only artillery can be maneuvered as standalone units. Your power comes from ordering platoons to occupy the points of strategic importance and using various formations at the appropriate times to defeat enemies. Each formation provides the platoon with different advantages.

What makes Cossacks such a unique RTS in my opinion is that health and numbers play second role to moral and experience. A platoon will only disband and retreat if moral sinks too low. Be warned, platoons are completely loyal to you and will only fire their guns when you tell them to. Timing is of the essence in warfare as each unit only gets one shot in a battle sequence. Reloading takes about a minute which is ample time for enemy cavalry to slaughter your entire platoon or expose them to deadly short range (more accurate) musket fire.

You can employ various tactics by firing your infantry platoons in rows (you get three independent volleys each with 1/3rd firing power) or by camping units in a particular spot for long enough to gain a massive defensive bonus. 

You have a choice of grapeshot ammunition or single explosive shell when using cannons. Used correctly these can be absolutely devastating but as with infantry and cavalry, the units take a very long time to reload, this makes them vulnerable (especially so because these units lack a melee attack option). The first time I was given the option to build cannons I built about 30 or 40 units thinking I could annihilate the enemy platoons safely from afar. After just one volley my army of artillery couldn’t reload!

What was going on!!!???

Turns out, each time a unit fires, that unit needs gunpowder to reload and artillery use up a great deal more of your gunpowder than infantry. That single volley of cannon fire had used up my entire gunpowder store and I ended up failing the mission.

Let me end off by saying that Cossacks 2 was the most fun I’ve had playing an RTS in a long time. The graphics are not bad but unique gameplay is the clear winner here. Nothing quite tops defeating 8 enemy platoons with 1 of your own by effective use of the landscape, platoon formations and BRAIN POWER! (one last word of advice… play on the hardest difficulty level from the start for the most fun).

Rating: 9/10 (even though this review's author disagrees with giving an arbitrary score for games, I made him do it!  Actually he gave it 8.5/10, but I didn't want to change my whole scoring structure for one review. ;-D)

This was a guest review by "EEbEE", author of the blog EEbEEs arbitrary comments (...¿...) - because everyone needs a heathy dose of arb.


CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog.

"Pay What You Want" for a digital subscription to Indie Game Magazine

Well, here's a novel approach - in an effort to get more readers, IGM (Indie Gaming Mag) are offering digital subscriptions - and letting you choose how much to pay for them!

Click here for more details.

The official blurb:

"You can pay as low as $1, the usual $25, or more. You’ll get a year of the magazine, 6 downloadable issues, and exclusive access online to love and support the indie game community! What are you waiting for? Click the Button Below and Support Indie Games and the Geeks who write about them"
 

CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog