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

[Chaos Warp]

Day 10: Most Immersive Game

 

 

L.A. Noire

 

Now, I'm picking this game for this category for 2 reasons.

 

1. The whole game is just dripping with the noire atmosphere. The soundtrack, how authentic the city looks (and how authentic things are in general), the actual radio broadcasts they took from that time period and put in the game as in-game radio broadcasts you hear while driving, it just screams "noire". If this title music doesn't hammer it home I don't know what will. 

 

 

2. The game really makes you feel like a detective. You actually get to search places for evidence, go to different locations in the city relevant to the case, follow clues, do interrogations (which are amazing due to the extremely complex facial animations which actually make you bring real lie detection skills into play by looking at the person's mannerisms to tell if they're lying or not), and have occasional shootouts, fistfights, car chases, and on-foot chases. They really nail the detective aspect in this game.

 

Combine these 2 things and you have a game I can get utterly lost in. Sometimes I just cruise around the city because I get lost in the atmosphere. 

[ElectricAngel]

Day 10: Most Immersive Game

 

 

Batman: Arkham Asylum

 

When I first played this game, it was a different experience from what I was used to. Coming off of the platformers, RPGs and puzzle games. As one of the first adventure games I had played in a while, I was blown away. Mind you, I haven't played any other superhero games as of today. I was sucked into this game. This game perfectly captures the feeling of being the Batman. The universe in itself is also very convincing. The setting, characters, and especially voice acting all added up to make a truly immersive Batman experience. The Joker did an outstanding job of playing a great villain, and seeing how vulnerable Batman can be made for a nice surprise in the story.

Seriously, the Scarecrow sections are what make this game for me. I was so impressed by the game's presentation and during those sections I almost felt as if I were Batman, going through those nightmares. I may not have played other games members mentioned here as most immersive, but to me, as of now, Batman: Arkham Asylum takes the cake. For not only creating a realistic Batman game universe, but also sucking in the player into experiencing the closest to being Batman himself. 

[Chaos Incarnate]

I'm tempted to go with its predesccesor out of Nostalgia factor and getting me into the series to begin with, but come on, Fallout: New Vegas has it all.

 

 

Once again delivering a authentic and believable post apocalyptic society, Fallout:New Vegas is a helluva lot more than just a carbon copy of Fallout 3. Taking place in the Mojave Wasteland of The Southwest United States, this game has a much more visually pleasing hub world, with much better landmarks and NPCs to offer than Bethesda's previous efforts. With a Wasteland surprisingly teeming with more life than expected despite still being hostile all over. Still, who doesn't spend much of their game time just hanging around the Vegas strip and killing Hookers in their spare time?

 

Not to mention there's a faction system, a slew of new weapons and armor at your disposal, and a much better system of companions this time around to keep you playing longer. 

 

Yep, I'm definitely more partial to Obsidian's recent Fallout effort than Bethesda's. Sure, it really isn't all that visually pleasing, at least when chatting it up with the expressionless NPCs. Still, New Vegas has much more to pull me in, and feels like more of a classic Fallout experience than the 3rd game, working perfect as a sequel to Fallout 2.

[SuperStingray]

Day 10: Naissancee

I don't think I've played a game with such an awe inspiring sense of scale as Naissancee.  From overwhelming Brutalist corridors to seemingly endless cityscapes to vast wastelands, this world's brilliantly constructed architecture is easy to get lost in, literally and figuratively.  It's almost agorophobia-inducing, but the sense of otherworldliness this game creates is really amazing.  I don't know how else to describe it, so here's a video.

 

[Your Vest Friend]

Ooh, this was the kind of question I was hoping for because now I can get to praising Fur Fighters' level design!

 

 

Fur Fighters: Viggo's Revenge (although it probably would apply for the original as well)

 

Man, this game is fun to explore purely on how immersive it is. Cartoony and zany as it is, it feels like a cohesive world interconnected with every other part of the game as opposed to a series of levels that are disjoint and, even worse, potentially out of place. Each individual 'world' sticks strongly with its theme and feels like one continuous unit. So you really feel like you're exploring one large dino house, or going through a long preparation for space travel, or flying a biplane into one of the twin tower's telecommunications post (yes, this really happens) to move onto stopping a diamond heist. Better yet is that the levels have plenty of references to other 'worlds' so you always know that each has a part to play in the running of this stuffed animal society (Cape Canardo and Dinotopils even have a map of the world and a globe respectively. There's actual geography involved, which even takes care to leave off reference to Dinotopolis since it's supposed to be a city only accessed by a secret passage underground).

 

I think my fave part of it though is the very central hub, Fur Fighter Village. From the start, you have all the homes of the individual members which can be fully explored and interacted with. These homes have little bits of decorum and photos that paint a picture of their histories and normal lives that manuals and exposition alone would not. As the game goes on and you get to more worlds or collect more babies, rescued individuals slowly return to the Village, and it comes alive bit by bit. Not only do you get the satisfaction of seeing the loved one you had to fight safe in their home, but you also have the kids playing about adding some cute ambience (not to mention that you can even play mini-games with some of them when conditions are met). I could spend hours there alone.

 

Oh, and there's some sly character exposition with certain setpieces. For example, there's a Viggo billboard in Lower East Quack with a picture of a raunchy looking Juliette on it. Combined with the nightmare where Juliette is in her LBD in a Parisian Mansion with Viggo's image hung up and being assaulted on by the (fake) rest of the Fur Fighters? Makes it likely that she worked for Viggo before turning coat and becoming a Fur Fighter. Definitely would explain why she's so solitary and mistrusting. And The World Quack Centre has references to both some Firefox mythology and a possible candidate for Tweek's father. This is the kind of thing I like to stop and look for. 

[Jin.]

Day 10

 

This is definetly among my favorites in gaming, it's sequel and previous titles less so. (Except maybe Silent Assassin)

So why immersive? It's simple; You're a cold hard killer and you're raised to think you are through the story and missions from the very start and onward. You're basically a killer with a target in a huge, realistic sandbox. The way you kill is entirely up to you. Can you handle the police and go guns ablaze or will you blend in with the enemy and slowly work your way to your target, only to ambush him or kill him through an accident or even poison.

 

[#AR]

Day 10: trance-inducing stuff!

 

When I think of games that drew me in that world and kept me trapped in, the one game that keeps popping up in my mind over and over again is:

 

 

REN'S MOST IMMERSIVE GAME: FLOWER

 

Like...I can't think of a game that's kept my mind in a constant trance more than Flower did. It was a short game, yeah, but I was so captivated that I just /had/ to play it all in one sitting right after I downloaded it. It was late at night, was out in the living room and played it on the giant-screen TV, and I annoyed the balls out of my parents, but hey, it was worth it. Actually, pretty soon, even they were caught under its spell. The beautiful appearance, the peaceful music, just how everything "flOw"s (okay that was terrible...), it's downright therapeutic. I played it once after a crappy day, and I felt 100% better, no lie. Flower was such an excellent game, and does a masterful job at creating an atmosphere that draws you in.

[TearForFear]

 

This is a game that made me feel invested in the characters like no other before.

 

In a nutshell, you play as a ghost who lost his memory and has only a night to recover it, or else he'll vanish forever. At the end he discovers his identity, but before he has to save the lives and know the stories of many many other guys, such as...

 

Sorry for the spoiler tags but these are HUGE spoilers for who didn't play the game yet,

 

Kamila, a former child prodigy who's life got messed up really BAD when her Ruby Goldberg device, instead of exploding some confetti for her mother's birthday, ended up killing her mother in front of her very eyes.

 

The Minister. Married with a distant wife and father of an innocent ill girl, forced to condamn an innocent man to death (said man is Kamila's father, Jawd, who took the responsability to protect his daughter), and as the icing of the cake, has heart problems (the puzzle which involves us saving him from the heart attack is really intense!)

 

Yomiel. He was an innocent guy and was mistaken by the police as a criminal spy. During a gun duel with the detective who arrested him (guess who: detective Jawd father of Kamila) he got hit by a fragment of a meteorite which gave him immortality

Something he hated to have, since he's socially awkward to the point that he feels like he's invisible to others (his only friend is a black cat). This eternal loneliness turned him MAD, to the point that he associated with a criminal organization and, using his ghostly powers, he framed detective Jawd by sabotaging Kamila's machine and killing his wife.

 

The moment that triggers a game over, when Yomiel looks through the player's very eyes, is really frightening.

 

Missile. Kamila's brave and faithful dog.

So faithful, when he died in the proximity of the meteorite and became a ghost, he decided that it was better to stay dead so he can protect her owner with his powers.

So faithful, when he failed to save Kamila's life, he went 10 years back in the past and waited patiently for Kamila's death to arrive again so he can prevented it.

So faithful, when he failed again, but he finally learnt what he needed, he went 10 years back in the past AGAIN and waited patiently until the right moment arrived so he can finally do things right.

In a nutshell this brave pomeranian had the strong patient to wait 20 years just because he loves his Kamila so much. *sniff*

[Mr Loopone]

Day 10: Most Immersive Game

 

Now I wouldn't thought of actually writing this one today however managed to squeeze some time to do this entry. This one is both easy and hard to decide to since it is the case of knowing which type but what game. The problem with racing games, even realistic or open world ones to me is that despite the courses, the cars, the multiple view points and that it can take me months to complete and enjoy all the way is that to me they aren't immersive enough. The more simulation console ones like GT and Forza aren't realistic enough due to graphical and frame rate performance (real life feels faster) and the only one that I think that it is going to be as close as immersive is Project Cars or at least that max settings PC screenshot that is lurking about. So it is going to be either a FPS or an open world game since to me they are easier to get into a role whether it is seeing the action from my point of view or get involved with the surroundings.

 

Now it is going to get difficult, I did partly immersed with Medal of Honor: European Assault (maybe also Rising Sun as well?) since I did feel like I was in WW2 however haven't played either games enough and not played CoD: World at War yet that is along the similar lines. Sadly I only just got Red Dead Redemption so that one would have to be talked about next year. So it is a choice between Shenmue, LA Noire or Sleeping Dogs. Shenmue is most realistic of the 3 and felt immersive, perhaps too immersive to the point of not enjoying the game since for me felt too much like real life with some bad parts being associated with it. Which is a shame since there were many aspects I felt that were realistic enough and enjoyed like going to pet an animal, going to the arcade, drinking cans of soda and going to the local supermarket, playing the slot machine and playing an experience like that in 2000. LA Noire was brilliantly described by ChaosWarp/SpaceWarp and has been an interesting experience however have problems with the emotions that the game delivers with the interrogation making it hard for me despite being well done.

 

 

I went with Sleepy Dogs on that it might be more of a gamey feel compared to the other two by mechanics however enjoyed the game and still felt very immersive. One reason why I chose this one is because of the Hong Kong setting. Yes, Shenmue 2 is also set in Hong Kong however I only have a demo of it. Now I have never been and most likely never will go to Hong Kong however each part of the game felt like I was in Hong Kong (even though it isn't 100% exact). One of the first things that I did was go on my motorbike and explored the city taking in each and every detail, while soon enough in the game when you have the faster cars, you can speed through but getting towards A to B was even when walking through the more seedier parts felt enjoyable. Sometimes going through an open world game felt like a chore with each area being similar however in this one, each area felt different from the more run down North Point to the more richer Aberdeen and the busyness of Downtown.

 

Another thing was the story and the characters, I really did feel that I was Wei Shen trying to do both my undercover cop job and to fit in with the family getting attached to Jackie, Winston, Mrs. Chu and the various other characters. Usually a story doesn't pull me through however this one got hold of me from start to finish and it was the only game I played at that time. While I couldn't talk to every single character, each character felt different whether it was the copied DVD seller from the market to the people from the docks. Speaking of Wei, another thing that I like was that I could buy clothes from various places whether it is the back of a market or from an expensive store that I felt immersed since games usually only do the latter if there were customisation and try them on.

 

Another feature that I really like about this game was that you could go to the toilet to relief yourself and I haven't seen anything like it in a game. Same thing for washing your hands in a sink. When I play this game, after going to the toilet out of habit also wash my hands, also wash them if they are covered in blood.

 

Many things I could do in Shenmue; I could also do here from buying food (and kept going towards the Pork bun man), gamble whether it is Mahjong poker or cock fighting, buying drinks from a vending machine and going into stores. The only thing missing was the arcade however 1985 and 2012 are different eras and it is understandable why there wasn't one (another thing being that Square Enix doesn't have arcade games).

 

Sadly this is my final entry of the 30 Days of Video Games until nearly the end of the month and hope that the entry is good enough despite under pressure.

[sploit]

Day 9 - favourite boss - has to be Mr.X from Streets of Rage, because he epitomises the Big Bad Boss, he is the Bad Boss of the game, every other foe you encounter is just a henchman of his army. And it feels awesome to finally face him/defeat him, because by the time you have reached him, you have already battled through so many bad guys. He is such a bad bastard that he gets out a machine gun in a fist fight, haha. His greatness as a boss comes not from his own fighting abilities though, but from the fact the he is the commander of the hordes of enemies you fight, basically because he hides behind so many minions, its the effort it takes to even get the chance to face him one to one.

Day 10 - most immersive game - Condemned 1 - this game defined immersion for me when I played it. You feel like you are the character in the game, you become really connected with the whole experience. When the you land a punch on an enemy, you feel like you actually punched them in a way, same for getting punched (doesn't actually hurt, but you might find yourself saying ouch or flinching). You find yourself being genuinely concerned with what could be around the corner. I probably got as much of a shock as what I would have if I was the character when a particular enemy burst out of this locker thing, and the stupid thing was, I pretty much knew it was going to happen. Absolutely brilliant game. Highly recommend it to anyone who has not played it.

[Nuel]

Day 10: Most Immersive Game

 

Gonna be talking about The Cat Lady again.

 

 

It's not one of those games where you get immersed in the open world gameplay or the beautiful graphics, but man this game is intense. It has a very dark atmosphere and the monotonous colours fit well with the theme. The screenshot I posted is from a part of the game where the main character Susan is panicking over where she should answer the phone or not (sounds like a dumb thing to fret over but there's a reason for it and I don't want to spoil), and all those text suddenly appear in the background, reflecting her inner thoughts. The layout of the words and the scattered thoughts really reflects her inner turmoil and you experience the same panic and indecisiveness she's going through.

 

All the characters in the games have voice actors too, so that also helps absorb you into the game unlike many indie games where you just sit and read the text. Because the game deals with things like depression, it can make you feel rather depressed because of its atmosphere. But who says immersive games have to be happy and serene?

[T-Min]

Day Dan - Most Immersive Game

 

...

 

*cough*

 

PERSONA PERSONA PERSONA PERSONA

 

Yep. Mmhmm.

 

These games are like...the epitome of immersion. I kind of touched on what makes them so in my day 3 post, but I think I can add some more to that. The Persona games are structured like...well...an actual life. You have lots that you can do on any given day - hang out with your friends (SOCIAL LINK SOCIAL LINK SOCIAL LINK), take on a part-time job, progress through a given dungeon, and probably tons of other things. Time management is a key factor in all of this - you only have so much time during each day and you have to really think about how you're going to spend your time, especially since pretty much everything you can do is beneficial or possibly even necessary in some way. There are also a lot of things you can only do at certain times of day or even certain days of the week, and some of them even have a deadline - especially the main quests, which are, well, important to say the least. And by important I mean you lose the game if you don't do them in time. But at the same time, you usually can't finish a whole dungeon in a single sitting because you can get tired or run low on resources, and all the other daily activities you do are really important for a lot of your stat progression. And, of course, you need money, too. Combine this with the sense that you're in a living world full of real people, and yeah, it's pretty much the most immersive thing ever.

 

All this Persona talk is making me want to play Persona 4 again.

 

Man, I love Persona.

[Sean]

 

I don't think any game's environment had me as invested in it as BioShock's did. Even while I'm not playing the game and am simply thinking back to it, I can remember specific locations and memorable moments to the point where it feels like an actual location I visited at some point in my life. The ambiance is pitch perfect at all times and there's a gazillion little details that make you forget as much as possible that you're playing a fictional game in a fictional setting. This almost would be a location I would kill to visit in person if it weren't for all of the crazy murderous drug-addicts haunting the place.

[Conando]

Well, this one is going to be a bit weird.

 

Day 10-Most Immersive game

 

Final Fantasy XIV-A Realm Reborn

 

I even used a screenshot of my own character for this. I haven't been one to play MMOs that often, but this one pulled me in with the world of Eorzea itself. Even with just the 3 city states to explore, the world just fits so well together and actually feels kind of real. Whenever I play this game, I find myself lost in it rather than going through the motions of the grind, and I've certainly sunk a lot of time into by this point. The Shroud is my favorite area, the first time I stepped into that forest after arriving in Gridania is something I'm unlikely to forget.

[Tracker_TD]

 

Day 10: Most Immersive Game

 

Minecraft, without a doubt. The world is your own, your canvas - and playing it with my brother means that we can shape this huge world, to roam through, bringing unexpected journeys and beautiful landscapes, much like reality. The sheer amount of things to do helps with the immersion, and overall, there's not much to say except that the living, breathing world of Minecraft feels so real once you've gotten into it - impressive for a game constructed of blocks.

[Gabz Girl]

Day 10! Most immersive game!

 

Well, three of them have already been mentioned; Bioshock, Flower and Red Dead Redemption. But this one hasn't...

 

 

 

 

Yeah yeah I have to mention Journey again. But my goodness, the atmosphere in this game is mesmerising and really suckers you in. There's a calmness and beauty in its visual landscape and storytelling, much like Flower. No text, no voices, it's all visual with the music playing a great part in immersing you into its desert world.

 

I always liken Journey to a segment from Disney's Fantasia; there's no sound (or hardly any in this case), but it's the music and visuals that grab you and pull you in. And the ending! Goosebumpssss. If only this wasn't so short, because if I could stay in this world for a couple more hours I would like that very much.

[Danj86]

I wasn't sure what made a game immersive. But after being tutored by Dr. Homem, I'll try to give it a go. But first, if anyone else is as daft as me, here is what he said.

 

I refers, in my vision, to when players form a representation in their minds of the world a game is presenting them and begin to favour the media-based space (ie. the game world) as their point of reference for where they “are” (or to put it in psychological terms, their “primary ego reference frame”).

From there we can see what characteristics of the game lead to that, which are mainly creating a rich model of the game environment, and creating consistency between the elements of that environment.

Additionally, completeness of sensory information is necessary, meaning that the fewer blanks about the mental model of the game world the player has to fill in, the better. Cognitively demanding environments, where players have to focus on what’s going on, can also be good for immersion. Then highlights the importance of a gripping story and plot, and the technical aspects of the game.

 

Day 10: Most Immersive Game

 

So...if I've got this correctly, I'm looking for a game that pulls me in with deep characters, rich environments, a strong story and a realistic world?

Persona Series

 

I don't need majorly realistic graphics to be immersed in a game. All I need is to be put in the shoes of the protagonist and be pulled into a world with a complex story and deep, compelling characters.

 

I mentioned Persona once before in this 30 days, what else have I not yet said?

It has to be said that if writers can make the viewers like and care for the characters involved, then you have something special. Being able to from bonds with others and watch them progress naturally into something deeper and impossible to be broken. When I, as the player, try and do anything I can to make everyone happy because I don't want to see them sad. They are so realistic, I treat them as if they are real. Acting as I would do, naturally.

 

Then there's the story. A friend had been killed, people are disappearing. You step foot in a small town and have discovered you have a unique power. Why? When?

You discover you can track the lost and save them before it's too late, I wont hesitate. I don't want anyone else to suffer. Work together and find out who is responsible for this. But the plot twists are many and the true culprit will be the last person you expected. It was for me.

 

But was he really the true perpetrator?

[FourCartridge]

Day 10: Most Immersive Game:

 

 

Yes, Outrun 2. Probably the most arcadey of the Arcade racers out there, Outrun is glorious in it's immersion. Sunny beaches, vast deserts, just about every environment known to man is in this game and beautifully rendered. You get to drive Ferraris, possibly the coolest cars ever, at 180 MPH while drifting along wide bends to the best soundtrack I know, all with a lovely lady at your side (or being driven by the most handsome man, depending on who you are). All of this adds up to a seriously immersive experience I wish I could do in real life.

 

Sometimes, that's all you need for immersion.

[Tornado]

Far Cry 3, pretty easily.


Consider the facts: Everything about the story is terrible. It may very well be the most transparently Mighty Whitey prose ever written for a videogame, and no little side glance and wink at the end makes it all a clever examination of it. Almost every piece of non-essential dialogue is tired Bush Administration "satire." The pacing is terrible, randomly alternating between "everything is right fucking now important" to "go skin some sheep, or whatever". The story basically collapses under the weight of the interesting antagonist (to the extent that the game practically kills him offscreen, it's so meaningless following that point). There's so much gameplay and story segregation that it's almost painful to follow it (just kill that Australian fuckwit for crying out loud). The protaganist's character development is essentially random. The equipment and skill unlocking as tied to the plot is bizarre, terribly unbalanced/unrealistic and quite frankly stupid. The main plot is so self-aggrandizing that it practically stops to congratulate itself when it comes up with subtlety or symbolism. And there are games that literally have broken bridges which are less transparent about how forced the player is along the plot (I especially love how you can't go to the second island in a deep sea fishing boat because... um... the warning message says you can't). And that ass you can tap turns out to be batshit. Some of this is fixed in a particularly fantastic mod the game has that I have on my copy (especially the weapon and skill unlocking/balancing), but console owners?

 

Poor bastards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you go, flying a glider just because.

 

But if you ignore the story? Holy shit. This is a fucking tropical island littered with shitty Soviet military equipment and most-definitely-very-bad bad guys. It does such a stupid good job capturing that "desolate jungle island" feel that if they scaled the komodo dragons up in size you would have the best Jurassic Park game ever made. There are still nifty little secrets tucked away that you find months after starting it; like the odd truck crash. Or the secret massive Dr. Evil-esque lair, hidden just behind a pirate encampment. The huge, largely irrelevant but still world building backstory that explains all of the Japanese military installations dotted around the island. Yes, it does suffer from the same problems as all of the 3D GTA games that some of the really cool areas (like the submarine base) are only accessible in specific missions; and it would be nice if some of the other areas were populated outside of missions. But even with that caveat the game's atmosphere is incredible.

As it is, if you ignore the story, the game is literally a title change away from an interactive version the film Predator. Except, since you have a camera that paints infrared signatures on enemies, you can play as either Arnold or the Predator! Steal a Jurassic Park Jeep, drove full tilt into an enemy base and shoot the shit out of people with a heavy machine gun. Sneak around quietly shoot people with a bow and arrow. Sneak around and loudly shoot people with a bow and explosive arrows. Just set the entire base on fire with molotovs, and watch as most of the surrounding jungle follows. Let a tiger out of it's conveniently placed cage and trim the numbers a bit. Lure a komodo dragon into a base and watch it basically slaughter the entire thing by itself. Relive your Red Dead Redemption nightmares and be chased by cougars and bears. There are even a bunch of weapons settings that are disabled (but some mods reenable) that makes the game much more about "survival" rather than "kill everything."

 

 

 

 

 

It also really helps that the game is absolutely, insanely beautiful. Finicky to get it looking best on PCs, and obviously downgraded on the PS360 ports, but still seriously beautiful.

 

 

I mean, these are all obvious Killzone 2-esque bullshots, but the actual game doesn't look that much worse; and when actually in motion it looks near as makes no difference. Even just screwing around near water looks amazing.

[Debug Ring]

Day 10:

I'm going to say Kingdom Hearts, though I don't know which...

Thing with this is, it not only immersed me into the game itself, but the worlds of the individual movies represented into the game, and gave me a feel for each world on their own, rather than one collective universe. The very first time I played Kingdom Hearts, I played to for hours, wondering where it would take me, which places I'd see. I really felt connected in the game, to the characters and places. The game really took me out of this world and into it's own, and that's what a game should do, it should make you feel as if the places the story takes you are really the environment you are in, and Kingdom hearts did that for me.

[Senator NinjaShark]

Day Numbero 10 San Andreas: Ninja's "Your title is about as Immersive as Pong, Kami" Most Immersive Game ever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Dead Redemption is a game that truly makes you feel like you are 100% a Cowboy doing all the cool Cowboy stuff you were reenacting on your Childrends playgrounds just Last week. Bank Robbery, Bounty Hunting, Cattleing, Horse Breaking, Poker, all you could Imagine, set ina wonderful looking world that feels alive with all the little random events happening plus all those characters you encounter on your quest for Redemption, its Great.

 

its a game simliar to Fallout and the likes where you can just walk around the beautiful Landscapes and have lots of little Adventures still and easily one of my favourite Sandbox games there is.

 

 

Now please a Red Dead Redemption Styled Pirate game? Maybe please?

 

 

Honorable Mention goes to Pokemon X/Y, Batman Arkham City and as always Okami.

[Jolt_TH]

Day 10: Most immersive Game

 

hmm fro this one i am going to have to choose an absoulte STAR of a game!

 

Mario Galaxy

 

This game just...wow. When you are playing it you really feel like you are on this interstellar adventure, hopping from planet to planet, crawling over giant bees, becoming a boo, even skating over ice. The attention to detail really pulls you into the game and the simple yet effective and easy to master controls become second nature so that you can forget you are even pressing buttons and shaking the Wii Remote. The lore of the story, although not huge, pulls you in and gets you invested into the story and into finding out more about Roaslina.

 

Special mention goes to Skyward Sword which i was really immersed in, again the story really drags you into the game and the controls really do make you feel like you yourself are slaying all the enemies and bosses

[Sir Tynen]

A little late on this one, but

Day 9: Favorite Boss

 

 

X & Zero in Megaman Maverick Hunter X

 

In this PSP remake of Megaman X, you can unlock "Vile Mode", which is basically a 'what-if' scenario, that let's you play as, well, Vile. You basically proceed through the game normally as if it were the main mode, barring a fight with X in the intro stage, different dialogue and music. However, this changes when you enter Sigma Palace 3, where at the end of the stage, you are faced with both Zero and a fully armored X. What follows is a pretty intense, not to mention hard, boss battle, where you'll need to utilize all that you've learned from your time playing as Vile, as well as quick reflexes to dodge shots coming from both sides of the stage, since you are fighting to guys at once. The fight is quite hectic, with X and Zero using all of their attacks against you, whether it be combining their shots or rushing towards you for hit. It's real test of skill, but a very satisfying one when you beat it.

 

Now with that out of the way...

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Day 10: Most Immersive Game

 

 

Dark Cloud 2

 

The world of Dark Cloud 2 is one I've spent hours upon hours exploring. It's charming, mysterious, a bit strange at time, but most of all, full of life. Not only are it's locales diverse, but the areas hold much more than what just can be seen on the surface. See, in this game, you are given the ability to pass through time, either being able to go to the past or the future, thanks to these stones worn by the protagonists. 

 

 

So what were once just seemingly very nice looking areas now have a much more context given in the narrative and how you can help shape it. That's what I really love about this game, because not only do the dungeons you run about to and the fields in which you are constructing and parts to essentially build a town or a village given a necessity, but the story also manages to have a fairly cohesive plotline, rather than being a prey of convoluted/stupid storytelling. And it's not just exploring you do in this game, but also fishing, taking pictures, playing golf, etc. So to me, Dark Cloud 2 really is a world you could lose yourself into.  

[Pawn]

 

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

 

As I already talked about Black Flag in a previous post, I'm going to go with a couple of others. The first is Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which had me hooked for at least a month last Summer. The game allows for a lot of customisation, even if the initial character creation is rather limited. You can organise and decorate the interior of your house, design patterns for items like clothing and furniture, change your hair and eyes and invite new characters to move in via the Campsite. The fact that your starting neighbours are randomly chosen from a relatively large selection makes your town feel unique from the outset. Being the mayor means you have a lot more control over how it is laid out (provided some pesky resident hasn't planted their house in an annoying spot of course!), giving you the option to add a variety of fruit-bearing trees, flowers and gardens, benches, new buildings like the coffee shop or nightclub and more.

 

 

Earning the money to afford these things is what immersed me the most. Digging for fossils and having them identified, knocking coins and gems out of rocks and watering plants eventually become mundane, but keep you coming back in the early days. Catching bugs and fishing in the town was fun for a long while, thanks to the variety inhabiting the Island. The only thing I spent more time doing than collecting rare stags and sharks was hanging with my residents. It's simply entertaining to see what bizarre shit they're going to come out with that day. There are also events like the Bug-Off and Fireworks Show and visitors like Redd and Gulliver to check in on. There's just always something to come back for, until you get really, really tired of it all and finally move on. For me, that took two months.

 

 

 

Red Dead Redemption

 

When you want to get fully immersed in a game, a vast open world is always a good start. I remember being blown away by the beautiful scenery, particularly out in the desert at sunset or night. The soundtrack is lovely too, filling your ears with the sounds you'd expect from a Western. Wonderfully written characters and great voice acting make the main story a treat, but some of the best moments can also happen when you're just exploring. Once, I was riding out in the desert, not expecting to run into anybody when I heard some guy ask for help. Before I could turn around, he was knocking me off my horse and riding away with it! If that wasn't enough, a woman called me over for help with some attackers, only for her to sneer in my face as they shot me down! The cheek.

 

Never knowing whether someone is going to offer a reward or stab you in the back makes it feel all the more real, but jerks aren't only thing to watch out for. A bloody cougar could have you in the space of two seconds if you're not careful. That said, hunting dangerous animals is one of the more enjoyable challenges. Fighting a gang for new weapons is another. It's also worth getting up somewhere high, like atop a tavern or fort and starting a war with local law enforcers. I'd do this online as well, opting to roam the main map rather than take on challenges. I'd often wander around until some arsehole decided to take a pop at me; then after respawning I would shoot him down and steal his horse, starting a chase. Of course, how you handle yourself around towns does affect your reputation somewhat and I found that life was a lot easier being the good guy. Either way, I was immersed enough that it felt bad being anything else.

[Noir]

I've been really busy so I've missed a lot! I'm putting days 7, 8, and 9 in spoiler tags just to save space; if there are actually spoilers they'll be in a second tag.

 

Day 7 - Least Favorite Level

 

Maybe not the worst level I've ever played - most likely whatever that was has been well suppressed - but it's certainly the one I most actively avoid. For the first playthrough it's decent because a swamp is a nice, interesting environment for the game, but once it's novelty wears off it's just so dull and tedious. Having the player bogged down by the water for such a chunk of the campaign makes it so that the highlight of the entire thing is the one part where you get to walk on raised walkways. If you fall, being slowed by the water feels like punishment and adds tension when trying to get back up, but the effect is lost when you're forced to endure the snail's pace for the rest of the level. I actually enjoy the finale, but there's not as much appeal in playing a single map out of a campaign, so it's effectively ruined by the lengthy garbage that precedes it.

 

Day 8 - Favorite Ability

I've got a few for this, so I'll go from least to most favorite.

 

 

From a gameplay standpoint, Hypermode is actually... really dull. It's exciting to take down enemies so easily but I can't usually get behind overpowered abilities like this because they strip any challenge away (for example, I don't care much for mega pokemon either). In the context of the story I do really love it though. Prime and Echoes spend every moment they can spare to show that phazon is super dangerous to fuck with, though you get a glimpse at how strong it can make you during the Metroid Prime battle. So when the Galactic Federation comes along and offers you the Phazon Enhancement Device it's appealing but hella sketchy at the same time. It's a classic example of the GF fucking up but I feel it's better handled than the metroid cloning in Fusion. They just had them eradicated from the universe and go make some more - there's no way it's not idiotic. But phazon did have a lot of benefits and with them convinced their suits would handle it properly, it made some sense to go through with using it. Of course, it's doesn't work out, and they show it spectacularly by the gradual changes in Samus's suit as she becomes more and more corrupted. It really gives a sense by the end that you're even more of a walking powerhouse than usual, but something of a ticking time bomb as well.

 

 

Next up:

 

 

Electro Bolt! Being the first plasmid you get in the series, it's easy to get attached to, and it never loses its usefulness, making it my go-to plasmid even as Shock Jockey in Infinite. Not much feels as satisfying as the "one-two punch" with a melee weapon or as luring a pack of splicers into a puddle and frying them. 

 

 

Special mention to Insect Swarm too. Bees!

 

And my favorite: Copying!

 

 

Beating an enemy and taking their powers is so fun, and it keeps the Kirby games being an absolute blast even though the difficulty is nonexistent. With Mega Man, the rock-paper-scissors function is super satisfying and provides a good variety of weapons, especially combined with their charged upgrades. There's not so much to say here really; I just have a great time stealing from enemies.

 

Day 9 - Favorite Boss

These aren't in any order, I'm just throwing some out. A lot of Metroid Prime 2 love here.

 

 

Every colossi can count as an honorable mention, but easily my favorite from the game is Phalanx. Having to ride up alongside it on Agro and jump onto a moving target is absolutely exhilarating and as cinematic as the game can be, this really feels like a stunt straight out of Hollywood. You feel like a real badass in some kind of ancient equivalent of a train chase.

 

 

Quadraxis is great because among Metroid bosses it's absolutely massive. You meet it well before the fight, broken and disabled, and as Prime does so well, it creates a whole mystery, getting you to wonder what it is, why it's there. It's intimidating even then, and only more so when it comes to life to face you. The lack of safe areas means your health is constantly draining and the use of the spider ball makes it nice and unique.

 

(Metroid Prime 2 final boss spoilers)

 

 

Emperor Ing was just an appetizer. Dark Samus is such a challenge and an absolute joy to fight. The walls of the arena are lined with damaging phazon you have to stay mindful of, and the entire showdown is in the middle of a classic Metroid self destruction - you get only 8 minutes to defeat her and escape. The second phase where you have to absorb her shots heightens the tension a lot if you waste time trying to figure out exactly what to do (which I did). It can be a total heart pounder and it's a really exciting play on the standard escape sequence.

 

Another great challenge, Koloktos had me getting really fucking into the game the first time I faced it. Out of my seat, swinging my sword and wielding my shield like a real hero. Its hits do some good damage, and it plays into my affinity for stealing my opponent's weapons - it's just a blast to fight.

 

(Super Mario 3D Land final boss spoilers)

Jez surely said most of what I could say about this already. I adore bosses that are more like levels with a particularly challenging enemy than just some showdown in an arena. In a platformer after all, I'd rather be tested on my platforming skills than jumping on an enemy a lot. It's easily the most exciting boss the Mario series has seen and it does a great job mixing up the traditional Bowser fight. 

 

Day 10 - Most Immersive Game

 

Two choices today. One for characters and one for environment.

 

 

That said, The Walking Dead is of course, the choice for characters. I have such terrible memory that I can't honestly recall too many of the characters unfortunately, but for sure while playing it it's easy to become attached. Ignoring everyone else, even Clementine alone earns the game the distinction. Watching your actions affect her and see how she changes, she feels like a real person growing up in a horrible environment and through her you get a true sense for what the world is like. 

 

 

However, for the most immersive location, Rapture can't be beat. I'm just going to echo Sean: it's so well designed that so many places in it feel like somewhere I've actually been and I can recall with total clarity. It comes totally to life, it's beautifully crafted so that you can really imagine it at its height but the ruins of it speak so much on their own as well.