Widening the Rift: Facebook, Oculus, and gamers

There’s no reason to be upset.

I don’t think anyone could have seen this coming.

The Oculus Rift, the virtual reality headset that enjoyed a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign and received the endorsement of several high-profile game developers, managed to successfully rekindle the dream of truly immersive gaming. It was a refreshing step forward that didn’t involve fiddly motion controls or the aimless pursuit of resolution and frames-per-second. The company the virtual reality dream, made it work, and—most importantly—got people excited about it. Every impression had the same message, “I am a believer”. It could be done. The hope and emotional investment was tangible.

And then Facebook bought it.

Late to the party: Diablo 3

I’m gonna hit you wif my bwoadsword.

Diablo 3 has been in my “don’t touch” bucket for the longest time. The amount of negative press, justified or not, soured my anticipation for the game. Always online connection required? A real money auction house? Colourful environments? “How dare they, those wretched motherfuckers,” the comments echoed.

Well, I finally got it. For better or worse.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist [5 Minute Review]

“I feel younger already.”

Splinter Cell: Blacklist reboots the series in more ways than one. Sam Fisher looks younger and more spry, and gone are gravelly tones of Michael Ironside complaining about how he’s too old for this shit. The rest of the game follows close behind, with a steady shift towards action kicked off by the divisive release of Conviction. Purists may have forsaken the fast pace of Blacklist, but the increased offensive options and gadgets help to keep the action going, if nothing else. Blacklist is a reflection of the times, for better or worse.

FUSE [5 Minute Review]

“Tonight, on ‘Chicks With Guns’…”

When FUSE (formerly Overstrike) caught my attention, I was surprised that the project was seen through to completion. The ideas didn’t seem terribly unique: four player co-operative shooting with futuristic weapons and “deeply flawed” characters have been promised before, but I rarely turn down the opportunity for a shooter when I see one. Unfortunately, FUSE reminds me why shooters are getting a bit long in the tooth, and why “good enough” just can’t cut it any more.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance [5 Minute Review]

I can make up words, too.

Ready for some Metal Gear Solid “tactical espionage action”? Well, that’s too bad, because Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance has as much sneaking in it as monster truck rally. The frenetic combat and over-stylised presentation in Revengeance is fun, but it lacks the depth of other established action RPGs. Yes, this was made by Platinum Games, but be sure to leave your Bayonetta mindset at the door before setting foot in this short action slasher.

Dead Space 3 [5 Minute Review]

Today on “How To Make Friends And Influence People”…

Dead Space has changed over the years. Sure, you get the impression that it’s still about “survival” in the sense that you’re scrounging around for supplies and dealing with reanimated corpses bursting through air vents. However, Dead Space 3 is a game that is heavily focused on action (which is admittedly pretty damned fun), and so the thrill of trying to stay alive simply boils down to how well you can handle a firearm and how diligent you are with scavenging for supplies. If you want survival horror, Dead Space 3 is likely not what you’re looking for. 

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon [5 Minute Review]

YOU GOT THE TOUCH, YOU GOT THE POWEEERRRR

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon knows its target audience: they were the ones who woke up early on Saturday mornings to get their dose of cartoons and messed with the tracking on their VCRs to play back taped TV shows. They’re the ones who grew up with low-budget action flicks set to campy power rock. They wouldn’t think twice about an action hero using shurikens against badly dressed foot soldiers while fending off cyber-dinosaurs (because why the fuck not). Blood Dragon is an unabashed homage to the action films of our childhood, and even though it’s a short-lived experience, Ubisoft gets it right.

Gunpoint [5 Minute Review]

I won’t shoot if you won’t.

What would you do with pants that gave you the ability to scale buildings with a single bound and land without injury? In Gunpoint, you’d put them through their paces as you attempt to unravel the reasons behind the murder of a high profile weapons manufacturer, and clear your own name in the process. While the story has had plenty of thought put into it, Gunpoint’s strengths lie in its diverse mechanics and solid stealth-based gameplay. Be forewarned: this game won’t give you that bang-for-your-buck, but it’s definitely worth a look to see just how far $30 worth of game development can go.

Grand Theft Auto V [5 Minute Review]

Living the American Dream.

For every success that Rockstar achieves with Grand Theft Auto, the next title must feel like a hard act to follow; critical acclaim, while surely welcome, is a heavy burden to bear. GTA V builds upon the strengths of the previous titles, and while the leap in fidelity from GTA IV may not be so dramatic, the game is no less ambitious for it. The scope of the game’s world is bigger, more colourful and more detailed. Mechanics and controls are tight and refined, with plenty of inspiration taken from Rockstar’s other titles, all backed up with seamless presentation. And, as always, the tongue in cheek humour and insight into modern-day America is there, told from three different perspectives. Grand Theft Auto as as series is an exercise in evolution and progression, and the latest title is a solid step forward.

The Last of Us [5 Minute Review]

Endure, and Survive.

The Last of Us: the swansong of the seventh gen. Heavy praise and high reviews are aplenty for the not-quite-a-zombie-game-but-it-feels-like-a-zombie-game, and despite my scepticism of the hype and the generally positive mainstream reviews, The Last of Us truly did manage to tick off a lot of boxes for me. This is Naughty Dog’s labour of love, a tale of drama and human development mixed with raw violence. I believe that no game is perfect, but this one comes damned close.