Jump to content
Awoo.

30 Days of Video Games - BONUS: Why Do You Play Games Pg. 142


Sami

Recommended Posts

Day 4 : The Stanley Parable

20131114104343!Stanley_parable_cover.jpg

I KNEW I'D MISSED SOMETHING *EDITS POST*

 

(also your post was amazing and you should feel proud of it)

 

EDIT: (seriously your post is one of the best things I've read since I finished the Stanley Parable thank you for making that post)

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't played many indie games tbh. Do fan games count? If so I'd go with AM2R soley for taking the initiative to redo Metroid II.

 

If not, I'll go with Audiosurf. I don't know why but the idea of using my own MP3s to create levels is fun for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

jP4cpug.jpg

 

Bastion is definitely the best indie game that I've played so far (although to be fair, I haven't played a great deal... yet). The game is a beautifully painted, isometric action RPG with an incredible soundtrack. The "acoustic frontier trip hop" (the composer's own description) plays a large part in creating the atmosphere, along with some of the most entertaining world building and narration I've ever come across. This is courtesy of the NPC Rucks, as he frequently describes the world during your journey. He even reacts to some of your actions, whether it be commenting on the item you've just picked up or making some quip about the creature you've just dispatched.

 

There's a good variety enemies in the game, some of which can be extremely dangerous if you don't have the right weapon equipped. You have many at your disposal, from common sights like guns and blades to the more unexpected Galleon Mortar and Battering Ram. I'd like to highlight some of the great little moments in the story, but I'll avoid spoilers (I will just say that the end of the Tazal Terminals is too fucking epic for words). It was a damn fine ride that I was immediately willing relive via the New Game Plus. In fact I loved it so much that I ordered a print of the above and the glorious soundtrack to boot. This is easily my favourite song of the lot:

 

 

Apparently Supergiant Games are working on another game (Transistor) in a similar vein to Bastion... Bring it on. Bring it on now, please.

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5: Favourite Indie Game

 

 

home_slider_big.jpg

10352945964_65abd9d341_o.png

 

SAVE THE LAST HUMANS!

 

This game is IMO, still the best PS4 game and my favourite indie game so far.

 

Some people look at Resogun and go "BAW ITS AN INDIE GAEM IT'S NOT THAT TECHNOLOGICALLY IMPRESSIVE, I BOUGHT A PS4 FOR NEXT-GEN GRAFIX NOT GAEMS I CAN PLAY ON MA IPHONE!" and I say that these people are very stupid. Every single voxel in this game has individual physics and lighting attributed to it, and there are thousands of voxels exploding on the screen every second. Not only is it a sight to behold at times, it is also one of the best ways of showing off the PS4's power considering how hard it is to render physics...not to mention that the game is already pretty. Good luck running this game on an iPhone.

 

Of course though, graphics isn't everything, and luckily the game plays as well as it looks. It is fast, flashy and oh so very hectic. You'll keep on coming back to it as you'll want to challenge yourself to be the best of the best and get a stupidly high score. The game is VERY hard at times though, especially on higher difficulties since there is SO MUCH on the screen at times. The Boost is probably the best addition ever for these 2D space shooters as it allows you to destroy enemies by just dashing towards them, and the longer your chain, the longer you can boost for. It's very rewarding.

 

The soundtrack is excellent and very fitting for this game, but if you're not a fan of techno music then you'll not like it so much.

 

When you get a PS4, download this straight away. It's free when you have PS+ as well so what is there to lose? DLC is on the way as well and the devs promise that it'll make the game even better than it already is. I'm very excited for it.

 

Runner ups for me are Bastion, BIT. TRIP RUNNER and Ms. Splosion Man...Transistor has a high chance of taking Resogun's place as my favourite indie game but, we shall see.

  • Thumbs Up 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day Numbero 5: the Stick of Truth: Ninja's "Your pick has too much Budget, Kami" Favourite Indie game ever!

 

 

next

 

 

 

q2x0hl4.png

 

 

 

 

Papers, Please is...a pretty unlikeley Game

 

 

you take the role of a Border Inspector working for the Goverment of the Fictional Dystopian State Arstotzka, and your Job it is to make sure whoever crossed this Border has all the right Papers at hand

 

 

sounds Boring?

 

 

well....it isnt suprisingly enough,

 

 

its presented fairly interestingly, over the course of the game you get all these little things that help you make sure everthing is in check and for each and everyone of the People coming in you gott ago through the Motions to see if they have the right papers, dont have any weapons at hand, are the right Gender as it says on their Papers, and so on and so on all to make sure your Family stays healthy.

 

 

and...its really gripping actually, every now and then one of them asks you for a favor or something, like to make sure one certain person doesnt cross the border because he is a Serial Killer, or other times a Woman with the wrong papers asks you to let her pass because her Husband just came through. So you gotta decide do you stick to your Job or let her pass and get Punished for it, while also doing the right thing at the end. So that in turn makes you care a fair amount about some of the people who go there too.

 

 

its really cool and really addicting, so hey, give it a shot and remember

 

 

Jorji-release.png

 

Glory to Arstotzka!

 

 

 

*gives Kamis passport the 'Denied' stamp and sends him back outside* Next.

 

 

 

Honorable mention goes to Cave Story, probably the first Indie game I actually bothered with and still a big favourite of mine, its like palying a Ghibli Movie, I like that, go play that.

  • Thumbs Up 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5: Favourite Indie Game

 

I've honestly haven't played that many indie games but one I did pour many hours into was The Binding of Isaac. I really liked the simplicity of the game, and how challenging it could really get. The room variety was also nice and every time you played the game, it'd be a bit different, as the room layouts would change, and the items you would get were random. This could potentially end up with you having a really crappy playthough, but then again, you have the chances of having a really awesome one as well. I thoroughly played through the game when I first got it and saw 3 of the game's endings. After that I kinda stopped, but I do have fun memories playing it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5 - Favorite Indie Game

 

E5UOx4P.png

 

SuperLink made a far better writeup for this game than I ever could, so I'm going to keep this one brief. This game and it's developers have been to hell and back, and back to hell and back in the process of getting out there, being swamped with legal issues and lacking funding to finish certain aspects of the game time and time again, but thanks to the love and dedication of the fanbase they were able to pull through every time, and the game still ended up great despite the troubles. It's a wonderful love letter to the fighting games of old, sporting amazingly animated 2D characters, system mechanics from various fighting games all meshed together in a way that makes them all click together perfectly, more references than you can count and more make it a fighting game worthy of being amongst the bests. Too bad that it's never going to be on the main stage at EVO.

 

And just so I have something different to write about, I might has well write about my other choice:

 

bqUlFoH.png

 

What started out as a simple joke game made in the hay day of wimpy cry babies screaming for nerfs because they were too stupid to block Dive Kick set-ups in the various big fighting games ended up being so much more. Despite it being an extremely simple game as far as far as control schemes go, literally only using 2 buttons, a lot of what makes a match in a normal fighting game tense and exciting is still there. You still have to worry about positioning, set-ups, matchup knowledge and more despite it being a game where you die in one hit to anything. A lot of the characters play pretty differently to each other too, some having weird dives or kicks that move at particular angles or particular speeds that other characters don't have. It's such a stupid concept for a game but there's still a fair bit of strategy to it and it can still create some truly hype moments.

  • Thumbs Up 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 5: Favorite Indie Game

 

Hmmmm..Well...Ugh..

 

Ehmm..

 

I guess I'll say it's a tie between Audiosurf and EDGE for me.

 

Audiosurf, ohhh Audiosurf. Every time I get the opportunity to play it, I do it without a second thought regardless of what I was going to do after. The fact that you can play any song with it was amazing.

 

The gameplay would basically have you in control of these space-ship-things driven by a character that would corespond to a specific mode in the game, and you'd change lanes on this linear course generated by the tempo and feel of the song while collecting points by colliding with these box-like things that would be positioned to the beat and rhythm of the song you're playing.

 

There would be 3 difficulties for the first three ships you could choose, and 2 for some others.

The ships (or modes) in question are Mono,Various puzzle related ones, and Double Vision.

Mono would be all about dodging gray boxes and collecting the colored ones into this three lane columns behind the ship , and to gain points you would have to have at least three colored boxes in your columns being placed close to each other (kinda of like a Puyo Puyo thing) , and if you were to just blink and get hit by the gray boxes, then they would basically take there time clogging up your columns, and have I mentioned that your columns have limited space? So if you hit too many of the gray ones then your ship will  overload and empty your columns while also attempting to recover, which for that time you won't be able to collect anything.

 

The other modes are basically Mono except without dodging grays and has boxes of various colours, so you have to match them (but you can overload just like with the grays if you collect them blindly and just have them stacking up), and each colour earns you different points. There's also Double Vision which is more of the same except for two players.

 

But it's fun doing combos trying to win the scoreboards on your favorite track, but does require some thought.

 

Then there's EDGE, which I got on Humble Bundle, so I reeeeeaaaally didn't care about it at first (some blocky indie game, big whoop), but after having played it for a considerable amount of time, I was surprised such a simple game had gotten me into its clutches.

 

It's a puzzle game where you play a cube, navigating simple levels, the goal is to...Get to the goal- BUT - Since you're a cube, you have to semi-roll-over through the level in a somewhat tile based movement, going through narrow ways while evading a moving wall behind, hopping on to fast moving platforms while praying you timed everything perfectly so you won't fall into oblivion or just being the head of a walking robot (literally). The game also has a pretty nice soundtrack to it, which usually sets a nice atmosphere , can be calm and relaxing or upbeat to the levels busyness.

 

Honorable Mentions:  Wizorb, Cave Story, Meatboy, Bastion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5 - Favourite Indie Game

 

mJ5LuPx.jpg

 

MM8sbby.jpg

 

Glory to Arstotzka!

 

Papers, Please is one of the more addictive games I've played in recent years.

 

Arstotzka has just opened up its borders for the first time in 6 years after a conflict with a neighbouring country, and you’ve been given a position with the border control office as part of the work draft and have to adhere to the ever expanding set of rules before granting entry to anyone. You find yourself dealing with citizens returning to their homes, people who want to immigrate to the nation, and a number of criminals and terrorists. You also have to juggle your income between rent and relatives, and at the end of each day you have to provide the necessities for them or else they'll get cold or sick and die.

 

The rules change as the days pass and you'll be penalised if you don't obey them, and things start to get more complicated when you have to check work passes, immigration certificates and diplomatic seals. Your booth will also get equipped with a fingerprint scanner to check people who claim to have changed their names, and an X-ray machine to search for contraband or verify someone's sex.

 

You'll get paid for letting through anyone who checks out, and fined for anyone who doesn't. So you would think it would just be a case of checking over things carefully and then letting people through who pass the inspection, but there ends up being a little more to it than that...

 

One of the first situations I encountered along those lines was where a man came to the booth and all his documents checked out, and he then told me his wife was behind him and asked me to be kind to her and let her come through. Her papers didn't check out and I turned her away to avoid being fined, and she begged to come in and told me that I'd doomed her. The next day there was an article in the paper that mentioned she had been killed, and it could have been avoided if I had let her pass through. Another woman begged me not to let a particular man pass through the checkpoint or else she would be forced into prostitution or murdered, and while this was the truth I was still fined for not letting him pass as all his papers were in order.

 

So it really makes you thinks about things and tests your morals as you play.

 

The game has multiple outcomes depending on the choices you make, and it does start to get quite intense as you get further into it. You could just follow the rules and ignore what happens to anyone else, but otherwise you need to think about what sort of impact your choice will have and also keep balancing your own budget to keep a roof over your family's head and take care of them.

 

 

It's one of those games that sounds boring on paper and I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it before I played it, but I'm so glad I decided to pick it up. A lot of the characters have their own interesting back stories, and the dull graphics and music really do help to set the scene and get you more invested in it.

 

Honourable Mentions

 

t2PINGs.jpg

 

I'm not going to talk about Gone Home in great detail as it's hard to describe what I love about it without spoiling anything, but all I'll say is it's not quite what you think it is.

 

It has quite a detailed plot and you can interact with almost everything placed around the house, and there's a lot of interesting little tidbids hidden in certain objects or rooms that you could otherwise miss if you don't explore enough. It also has quite an eerie atmosphere and you feel on edge every time you turn a corner or enter another room, or hear a noise coming from outside or somewhere else in the house even if there could just be a mundane explanation for it. The level of detail that's gone into it is quite cool and is where it shines most, and I do love games where you can interact with stuff on such a level.

 

That's as much as I can say without spoiling anything, but it is worth checking out and I would recommend going into it without knowing anything more about it as it will just ruin it if you do. The twist is certainly an unusual one.

 

aN33u8Y.jpg

 

My boyfriend and I just decided to get each other Steam games for Easter this year, and this was the one he got me.

 

I've not had a chance to play through the whole game yet as I've been swamped with college work, but I've adored everything I've seen so far and can't wait to sit down and spend some more time with it.

 

You're a knight, or more technically a number of knights. Every time you lose a life in the game, the corpse will remain where it was when you died and another knight will then take his place and you can use the dead body to reach an area that might have been inaccessible before. For example, one of the earlier stages has you throw your knight into a pit of spikes, and you can then use him as a platform for the next knight to make their way across and finish the level. That's quite a simple example and it gets a lot more complicated as you go on, and you have to stop and think about where you're going to leave the body(ies) to continue on.

 

Some levels might require you to launch knights from a cannon and have them land at specific areas. Others have you attach them to a crane and drop the bodies in a particular place, or perhaps deposit them on buttons that might need to be activated to continue. Others need to be launch at walls covered in spikes an you can then use the bodies to make a safe path that can be climbed up.

 

You're also rewarded for using as few knights as possible and completing the stages within a set time limit which adds another challenge.

 

As I said, I've not had a chance to finish the game, but I'm really looking forward to playing through the rest of it and it was hard to put it down in the first place. Puzzle-platformers were always some of my favourite games and there just aren't enough of them around now, and it's nice to see one that's as charming and enjoyable as this.

 

I'll just leave the trailer here for anyone who's curious.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEK6NzIBJVY

 

Other games I almost mentioned were Journey and Offspring Fling, but a lot of other people have gone into detail about why Journey is so amazing and my post is getting long enough as it is. I know I've forgotten quite a few others and also have a number on my Steam backlog that I think I would really enjoy, but just haven't had a chance to play them yet. So chances are I'd have some different answers if you were to ask me this question again in a few months.

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5: Favorite Indie Game

F4vnmCS.png


This is one of the ugliest, most vile games I've ever played. A spectacle of blood and pulsating 80s disco music set on a neon backdrop of some crudely drawn sprite art that comes together to form some of the most high octane action a game can provide. It's a glorification of every notorious stereotype applied to video games as a whole, and the unabashed celebration of these things turns it into one of the most intoxicating experiences I've ever had the pleasure to play.

The amount of "activity" in Hotline Miami feels applied for one purpose only - to mask the simple fact that this game is completely fucked up. All the objects available for pickup to be used in your killing spree, all the disposable enemies, the intricate level layouts and the flashing art style serves as one engrossing distraction to keep you motivated, to smash the opposition and to not do any second guessing or hesitation. Because if you do, you're mince meat. The moment you stop, that's when the enemies will shred you to pieces in a seconds notice, without any further thought. You need to unleash the inner animal with this game, and you will be pressing that Retry button. A lot.

The best part about this game, the moment I realized this was something truly unlike anything, is that by the time you're done with your massacre and you've fulfilled your purpose, you just stop. The music comes to a screeching halt, the colors mute and all that remains is a prolonged, droning noise. You have to make your way out of the entire level with all the bodies laying in your wake. You're left to ruminate over every single fucked up thing you've performed. You have to wonder whether that is truly the essence of what being a serial killer is like, especially when the interim between levels start becoming less and less coherent, as you lose your grip on reality and the visions of the masks that grant you your abilities become more pronounced.

There is nothing to be gained from the story. There are elements that speak of a larger narrative at play, objects and people that are suggested to be of eventual importance, but they don't matter. You are informed of this much yourself, and at the very point you've reached the peak of what you were capable of, you'll be informed that what you do from that point on will not amount to anything. The answers don't matter and the game will not give them to you, but even so the game continues, and you still go on because you desire the closure. You need to finish what you started.

And really, the fact that all of this is conditioned not through some elaborate plot, but through it's game play, it's visuals and it's audio is the most telling part of all. Hotline Miami is easily the most gruesome game that uses style-over-substance, but that is masterfully used in order to build a completely different kind of substance and infuse it with a lot more meaning than you might expect, because nothing is spelled out for you. It's just an instinct.
  • Thumbs Up 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5 : Favorite Indie Games

 

Hmm. I don't play many of them but I do have a favorite or two.

 

journey-game-screenshot-6.jpgflower-game-screenshot-2.jpg

 

Journey and Flower I never got to play the full games of, but their demos were effing fantastic. I'd love to play the full versions of them someday, especially Journey. They seem to be massive experiences that I'd love to play.

 

But... they're not gonna get my "best indie game award" from me. No way, man. Thatgamecompany makes lowly trash for casual scum. That award goes to something far more important and well efforted..

 

 

Goat Simulator is the pinnacle of human achievement and everyone should play this game. I don't know what to say without laughing that the trailer can't show you. If you're not playing this game, you don't understand what it is to be human.. or goat. Or anything. You're just floating molecules. Stop being just molecules and start being goat molecules.

 

(I would've loved to put Nitronic Rush on this list but I haven't played it yet.. and I really wish The 90s Arcade RacerHover: Revolt of Gamers or Freedom Planet was out by now so they'd make it here, because I can pretty much tell I'm gonna love those.)

  • Thumbs Up 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 05: Favorite Indie Game

 

670px-37,636,0,360-CastleCrashersScreen1

 

Oh yeah, now we're talking! One of the best beat-em-up's I've played, and one of the main games my friends played earlier in college, Castle Crashers was that one game where it had just as much style as it had substance. Sure, it looks like your basic 2D beat-em-up game , but its got style, humor and some surprisingly deep mechanics that set it apart from, say, River City Ransom or Scott Pilgrim (both of which are also good).

 

 

There's also a number of references to some Newgrounds oldies. This is because Tom Fulp, co-head of Behemoth games, is also the creator of Newgrounds! Alien Hominid is also his brainchild. It's addictive, it's fun, and it's funny (if a bit crude).

 

Gotta love it.

 

  • Thumbs Up 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5

E5UOx4P.png

 

Skullgirls just oozes with style and flash. I really like the artstyle and I love the music. I wish characters were a little more varied and balanced though. I don't know if it's because I main Single Parasoul but Big Band is the biggest fucking asshole ever. Voice acting is okay, though I swear Maria sounds like she's about to burst out laughing sometimes. I love the little references and I like how the animators become background characters (Zone-sama <3).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

0234e210.png

 

I haven't played many indie games, but one that left a reasonable impression on me is Limbo. With a uniquely dark take on the platforming genre, Limbo won me over with its creepy atmosphere, inventive puzzle solving and an ambience which lasts through to the very end. From start to finish, Limbo was a dark story which engrossed me into its beautiful looking world and a subtle plot which came across as oddly touching. Another favourite of mine was The Stanley Parable, one of the funniest the video games I've played with such a cool concept that it was almost mind boggling at points. Both I'd recommend to anyone.

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hm...don't play a lot of indie stuff, but I DID play the crap out of this one last year:

fog85l.jpg

Retro City Rampage takes a genre that I'm normally not very interested in and gives it a fresh, NES-style coat of paint filled with references, jokes, and just utter ridiculousness. The city-wide vandalism of GTA meets the addictiveness of a classic Nintendo title and with lots of silly weapons to use (Including a raccoon tail that allows you to float-stomp fools), loony takes on famous modes of transportation to drive (Including KITT, the Turtle Van, and even a Yoshi bike), and tons of absolutely baffling missions to take (Including doing a TMNT NES-style underwater level for a Shredder expy and taking on a task that somehow bridges the gap between Metal Gear and Robocop), this game is just a TON of fun to blow through and you can't help getting in as much trouble as possible. Plus, with unlockable characters (Including Meatboy and Commander Video!), tons of gold medals to get, and even a "turbo" mode that makes the game as fast as humanly possible, you'll be busy playing this for quite a while.

And before I end this, I'd also like to give a shout-out to another similar game:

bk6de.jpg

Abobo's Big Adventure is an insane, referential mish-mash of different Nintendo titles that works in sprites from just about EVERY NES game to create a game that's both utterly hilarious and a lot of fun. You can play it for free at the link in the image, but be sure to stay for the ending. It's a keeper. XD

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

IVNsEjI.jpg

 

I don't play many indie titles, mostly due to the fact that I don't really pay attention to that area (something I should really correct.), but one game stood out for me two years ago, and it was this bloody neon drug trip. Something about it just appeals to me, I mean, it has a story, and a very bizarre one at that, inspired by Drive, a rather fantastic movie, but the game doesn't really bring heavy focus on it. The main focus is on the gameplay, something quite a lot of indie games fall flat on in trying to make it unique and artsy. It's quick and satisfying, requiring both planning and quick reactions, and if you fail at those, you'll fail here. Every loss is your fault, every mistake you make caused by your hand. The game isn't easy, but it's only as hard as you make it for yourself. Rush in and, while you might manage by the first few times, later you're gonna have a hard time. The speed between you dying and coming back is also great, I mean, most games would have a lengthy loading screen, or a counter, or something before bringing you back in. Not this game though, there's less than a second between death and coming back in, and that just makes it appeal. Too many times have I turned off a game because of how long it takes during that time. (That was rather long winded.)

 

Superb art style, the basic graphics don't make it any less brutal when you smash a goon's skull in. The colors clash superbly, with the bright carpets and walls being splashed with gore, a visceral experience.

 

This game is fantastic, actually came close to game of the year for me in 2012, certainly indie game of the year anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pfff...I don't even know what games I've played that are classed as "Indie Games." Just looking at a list of Indie games and I'm noticing that the ones I've played, I've never bothered completing, due to becoming bored with them.

 

There is only one exception to that, that I've spotted. So I guess I'll make that my "Favourite."

 

Day 5: Fav. Indie Game - Castle Crashers

1316875-castle_crashers.jpg

It's been a while, but I do remember many key features that kept bringing me back for more. One of which was the sheer amount of playable characters you can unlock on the road. I did enjoy the visual style too, it was different. I didn't reckon much the the humour, it wasn't to my taste, but that's hardly a big deal.

 

There was also much to do, many levels to fight through. Or you could choose to fight in a stadium against wave after wave of enemies. But you wouldn't get far without the best equipment, as you had a wide range of weapons to locate and add to your arsenal, each performing in a different way.

 

I also recall some levels didn't stick to the whole fight-move-stop-fight style that these types of games tend to stick to. There was parts were you're running for your life from...whatever the hell that was...and I think you even play a level riding a river while being attacked by fish.

There was plenty of variety.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't play a whole lot of indie games, but there are two I can mention. The first is Limbo, which I won't expand upon as others already have.

 

modloader-minecraft-02-700x406.jpg

 

The second is Minecraft. But not current Minecraft. No, the classic Minecraft, the one that died near the end of beta, the prime construction and creativity game. You know what I think as someone who followed Minecraft's development very closely for a long time, and saw how its untalented creator (who hit an initial goldmine unproportional to his actual development skill) continuously ruined its potential? See, I respect and like Notch as a person, but he's a terrible developer. The truth is, he was creative in the very first stages of Minecraft's development. After that, he didn't know jack about what to do. He thought building was a sideshow to a very mediocre adventure game. He focused in the combat and the half-assed "adventure" instead of improving the creative aspects of the game.

 

Minecraft during Beta 1.7.3 was an incredible creativity/exploration game. The exploring was a nice break from building and vice versa. With a bit more polishing and investing more time into making the building aspect better, it could have been the perfect sandbox game. Sadly, the devs didn't recognize the strengths of the game that they made. The combat is extremely basic, so why did they go through all the trouble of giving you XP and enchantments for stronger swords and swords of looting? The challenge of gathering materials is running into monsters and dangers, so why add the artificial difficulty of hunger just to put a sort of "timer" on actions? I would much rather see that effort be spent on making a world generator that makes epic and wonderful worlds (did I mention they actually made worldgen worse in 1.8?). Because that is one of Minecrafts strengths, very few games do this and the devs are simply foolish to not try to reach the full potential of this system.

 

Notch didn't recognize that Minecraft could have been a GREAT game if he hadn't tried to make it a complete mess of RPG, dungeon crawler mix with no cohesion at all. You can't just start making a medieval RTS, for example, and turn it into a futuristic FPS in the middle of development. It just doesn't work. Terraria works because it went with the route it should have - an adventure game. Minecraft doesn't work because it turned 180 degrees and did the opposite of what it was meant to do.

 

During development I was totally convinced that all the updates were building up to something and would be a solid awesome game by the time of its release. Instead it went in a million different directions and was released with a ton of half-baked features that were either designed horribly (the endgame) or just plain didn't work (NPC villages). Minecraft, as it was in 1.0.0, was a terrible game compared to what it had potential to be. Things have improved since release, but the damage from wasting years of development time is hard to undo.

 

 

With all of that said, it's time to actually talk about what makes Minecraft Beta 1.7.3 my favourite indie game. First and foremost, I love the idea of Minecraft. I really like the early-game experience - setting up a camp together, building a little home, collecting resources. I've enjoyed spending a little time on some multiplayer servers, just looking around. I've enjoyed making a giant obstacle course with a lava floor, moving platforms etc. I love the exploration aspect of aimless hiking to find new interesting worlds (this was back when worldgen was good, mind you). I love exploring caves and the thrill of finding new resources for my fortresses and houses.

 

I always viewed the Minecraft world as a place that you inhabit but are not necessarily a major part of, but can shape in the way you want. You live with the other creatures of this world and learn to deal with each of their issues, and at the same time you have to carve out your own place in the wilderness. And that's part of what makes the experience so interesting.

 

Despite my long explanation about why the current direction (or lack thereof) is terrible, I still love the classic game to bits. It's like a virtual LEGO but with more pieces and an interesting world and exploration and survival... it's endlessly fun. The only shame is that it had potential to be even better, if it wasn't for the immense incompetence of the developers.

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5: favourite Indie Game.

 

Sigh. I don't really play Indie games. I guess I'll just say MineCraft. I got the game a couple of years ago and when my PC feel snice I can play it. I like to build in it, I've made things in creative which i never thought I could. I also enjoy the mobs, Endermen are my personal fave. I don't have much else to say except I just find it nice and peaceful. Hisssss......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5: Favourite Indie Game

 

Unlike the previous entries, I only have played a very few indie games since it isn't really in with most of them being PC only and not really into the PC scene so it is an easier choice. I do have Guacamelee and Hotline Miami ready to play however I haven't had time to play on them (do have a vacation coming up so they will be played on the Vita) so if this topic gets done in the future might choose one of them. So it is between Retro City Rampage and tXk.HHwgCeo.jpg

 

Didn't realise the screenshot was so big...

 

Yep. This is my choice. Some background story, there was a vector based arcade game shoot em up called Tempest that was fairly popular. Not as popular as Asteroids but it was there. Then Jeff Minter made a sequel on the Jaguar called Tempest 2000 with polygon graphics and is considered one of the best games on the console due to the gameplay and the soundtrack. Jeff was one of the earlier indie developers back when it wasn't called the indie scene in the early 80s due to that he comes from the UK where home computers such as the Spectrum, C64, CPC were popular so people could code their own games. Some games from one person coders such as Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy were well known, well before the arcade ports and licensed games started coming. After the success of Tempest 2000, Jeff made a sequel on a DVD player (don't ask) and later made various phone games until the Vita came along so he thought of making a sequel but since Atari had the rights to the Tempest name, he couldn't use it. Despite that he made it anyway.

 

TxK is a shoot em up where you shoot various enemies by going across the lines, some enemies leave behind powerups from jumping to having an option to help you shoot them. It is hard to explain due to that this game is completely gameplay focused. What made it my choice are the graphics, by using 1 texture Jeff made the graphics look vectory which is hard to do on a raster display (most consoles and arcade machines) helped by the lovely OLED screen of the console giving it a glow. Now not every Vita is OLED, some are just LCD however he managed to emulate the vector look as well as adding colours. COLOURS, lovely viberate colours. The soundtrack is also having a trippy like atmosphere, not he didn't do the music however volunteers came by and happily helped him provide music. Most of the 100MB file is for the music and voice samples.

 

Another thing is by its arcade design making that whether you want to play 10 minutes or all 100 stages while having the one last go effect. Oh and the credits are funny.

 

So while I struggled to write this entry, hope it is decent enough...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5! Favourite Indie game!

 

Well, there's two...first one is pretty obvious.

 

journey-game-screenshot-7.jpg

 

When I first saw Journey and heard about how great it was I was very curious to play it, though to me the game didn't look too special. So what if it's got co op with people you don't know? 10 dollars for a game that's only an hour and a half long? Blah. So after playing the wonderful yet super short Flower I was expecting much of the same with this one. Okay, so it was super short, like Flower. But wowwww it blew Flower into oblivion! THIS is better than Flower.

 

Journey is incredible. Not only is it probably the most beautiful game I've ever played (the ending makes me all teary eyed) but there's something wonderful about meeting people who you don't know on your way to the mountain's beacon, and how you can only communicate through the character's vocals. Great stuff. The music is fantastic too. Definitely my favourite Indie game.

 

Oh wait, there's the other one. Well, this one is completely different.

 

ss_bb0bb104d025d7078000cfdbc1da13d0f9140

 

This is Dust: An Elysian Tail. Now before you start shouting "Omfg furries lawl" the creator of this game, Dean Dodril, was inspired by Don Bluth's movies. Also, he was the character designer of Jazz Jackrabbit. With that out of the way, here's some reasons why I think this is the best Indie game I've played in years.

 

As you can tell from that screenshot, the game itself looks gorgeous. All of it is hand drawn and looks great in motion. It's a very colourful game too with lots of details in the background and character animations. The gameplay is solid. This is a Metroidvania game with sidescroller beat em up and RPG elements and it controls superbly, especially once you've powered up your character.

 

And for an Indie game this will take you a while to complete! I think I beat the whole story (including most of the sidequests!) in about 10 hours. Speaking of the story, it's pretty good. Basically it's about the main character Dust trying to regain his memories, whilst Fidget the Nimbat and Dust's talking sword The Blade of Ahrah tag along. It all sounds very cliche at first, but once you get halfway through the story it gets real good and there's a twist or two in there as well. The voice acting is impressive, the script has some great moments and the music is wonderful!

 

If there's one flaw with An Elysian Tail it's that the villain's motive isn't explained very well, but apparently that's because they didn't have time to add all that backstory into the game so I can forgive them for that. Overall, I'd totally recommend trying this game out especially if you're a fan of Metroidvania gameplay. Or if you like games with furry characters, like me XP I hope they make a sequel soon!

 

PS: One man created this game. Programmed it, animated it, designed it, everything except for music and voice acting. Now if that's not amazing I don't know what is!

  • Thumbs Up 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sheeeeiiiiitt, I don't even know when the last time I played an indie game. This one is hard. I remember one I played and liked it but I can't remember the name of it. 

 

It was some sort of space ship shoot-em up type and we were able to equip different powers. We had to destroy asteroids. 

 

I'll edit more once I find the game that im talking about.

 

Edit: FOUND IT!

slider_big_ssd_hd1.jpg

 

Ok this game was just pure fun. It was a simple game. Shoot asteroids and don't get hit by them. This game was hard and fun. The graphics was amazing, there are so many things going on at once and all the bright colours is flashing, it was just great. The controls was easy to learn. Left thumb-stick to move the ship and the right is to aim to shoot were you want. So yea easy to learn, but this game packs a challenge. When you get far, Asteroids just keeps coming and coming, little bits of asteroids flying in at you and your surrounded and then your dead. Even the tiniest piece of asteroids will you. Upgrades is a must, the rocks gets tougher to destroy and if you don't, you'll die. I don't usually get indie games, actually I never by them. If it's free I'll try it but that's it.

 

There was many demos of indie games I've tried but never bought them because, well.....I was never interested to play more. They looked boring, and most of them are.

 

This one was pretty cool.

icon.png

 

Even the demo levels was a challenge, Took me forever to finish all the demo levels.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5: Favourite Indie Game

 

Seeing that Journey has already had quite a few mentions, I'll talk about a different game:

 

647px-The_Cat_Lady_video_game_poster.png

 

The Cat Lady is a horror adventure game. Those who are easily grossed out by gore, run far and away.

 

the-cat-lady-premiera_174kd.jpg

^One of the less disturbing screenshots I could find.

 

The story is about a chronically-depressed woman who commits suicide at the beginning of the game. In the "afterlife", she meets an old woman called the Queen of Maggots who gives her immortality, the very thing she doesn't want, and sends her back to the living world to kill 5 psychopaths who are referred to as the "parasites", promising her that she'll want to live again after this. (Also no the Queen of Maggots isn't a nice old grandma who's like "Ohoho hello darling. You'll want to live again, hooray! Here I baked some cookies. :D". She is damn creepy and you have no idea what her intentions are.)

 

The game also has a puzzle-like element to it because you need to figure out what to do in each level - how to kill each parasite, how to get yourself out of dire situations, etc.

 

Okay I'm not doing a good job talking about this. Go check out The Cat Lady if you're into intense stories with themes of depression, death and isolation (unless you're easily triggered by those things).

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5 - Favorite Indie Game
 
Mr favourite Indi game is Indianna Jones and the Last Crusade...
 

Oh wait... Indie game. Ah right.

 
Short answer...
 

journey-game-screenshot-10.jpg

Journey


Journey is magnificent, you need to play this game, you need to experience it. When I first played this I was online and had a 'friend' with me, then at some point in the game we got seperated and... I was really sad =(

Then the end of the game came and to my amazement, it wasn't one guy, it was several guys.

Probably others are going to mention Journey and go into detail about it... so I think I should gush more on other games that I love.

P.S. That final level is incredible.

Long Answer.... The following games...
 

670px-0,1600,0,898-FTLSlider5.jpg

FTL

 

FTL or Faster Than Light. FTL is a game which puts you as the captain of a starship who has to deliver a message to your fleet at the other side of the galaxy, you are constantly being pursued by the enemy fleet. On the way you encounter various scenarios, pirate raiders, slave ships, distress calls, missions, deals, diplomacy. 

 

You can deal with various scenarios differently, a diplomatic approach, bargain approach or go in guns blazing.

 

FTL makes you feel like you are fully in control of the starship, from power allocation, weapon management, crew management... you name it.

 

Oh yes. You can put out fires by opening doors into space and removing the oxygen from it!

 

FTL is addictive, clever and a very engaging experience.

 

box-art1-300x166.png

Life Goes On

 

So during Easter I saw this game and thought my girlfriend would really like it. And... I ended up really enjoying it too. 

 

You play as a Knight... who dies... and then another knight... who dies... and another... and another! 

 

But with each death, the body remains and can be used to progress through the stage. For example, there's a pressure switch to open the door... so kill the knight, his body falls on the switch and this allows the next knight to pass.

 

Another stage had a pit of spikes, each knight then becomes a safe platform to jump across to the end.

 

kerbal-space-program-02-700x412.png

Kerbal Space Program

 

In Kerbal Space Program, you are the designer of a spaceship! You can build anything, from planes, to cars, to entire space stations. You design them, and launch them... the goal is to get into space safely and land safely. 

 

I haven't had this game for long, but I love it. There's absolutely tons to do, so many objects and ways to construct a spaceship or plane.

 

The main joy comes from building a spaceship, launching it and discovering you've done it, when it finally makes it into outer space and breaks the Earths gravity. Then you think 'what if I add/do this' and before you know it, your shape ship is a lot more complex and advanced. 

 

 

Next up is this....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5uA4ZU-RI

Velocity

 

You absolutely have to play Velocity Ultra, to understand why I can't wait to get my hands on it's sequel.

 

Oh and finally....

 

 

ApocalypseT51f58fb0b0b3f.jpg

Glory to Arstotzka! Is best nation yes?

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

You must read and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to continue using this website. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.