More Thoughts on Torchlight II

I have a bad habit of getting excited when I first begin a game.  I praise it’s every step, and trust it’s every choice in my initial rush of excitement at the prospect of a new experience.  I go in with bright eyes ready to love everything I see and do.  And for the first few hours, I really have a good time.  I try to experience what the creators had in mind when they were building their game.  I really try to like the game.  But slowly, I begin to get bored.  One design choice bugs me.  And then another.  And another.  Soon my passionate recommendation from the first few hours of the game has been ground down to apathy.

My Light (But Awesome) Steam Summer Sale Haul: Rogue Legacy and Torchlight II

For the first 11 days of the Steam Summer Sale, I didn’t buy anything.  Having to pay off a $1,000 computer on a minimum wage job meant that I was bound to using only the $15 I already had in my wallet from the start of the sale.  Upon droning to myself, “Got it.  Got it.  Got it.  Got it,” day after day while scrolling through the deals, I quickly discovered that I owned a lot more games than I thought I did.  After a week of nothing really piquing my interest I decided that by the last day I would buy two games: Rogue Legacy for $12 and Sid Meier’s Pirates! for $5.  A last minute decision to read up on a few of the final day’s Encore Sale titles, convinced me to try something new and I decided to forgo Pirates! for  Torchlight II.  After having a day off from work to play both of them, I can confidently say that it was $15 well-spent.

I Don’t Have A Favorite Game

I love this game.

There are a lot of games I’ve called my favorite over the years.  Super Mario Bros. 3, Halo, BioShock, Red Dead Redemption, and Shadow of the Colossus have all held the title of my favorite game at one time or another but none of them have ever really held onto the title.  I really loved each one, and still do, but calling each one my favorite was always a decision I had come to long after having played them.  It was only recently that I figured out why no game has ever stood out to me as my favorite game.

David Cage Should Probably Just Shut Up and Make Games

First things first, sorry about not posting on Tuesday like usual.  I just recently started a new job so the couple of days I usually reserve  for writing suddenly got busy and I didn’t have the time or energy to form coherent thoughts.  Time for the main event.

I love/hate this man.

After being so optimistic and congratulatory to CD Projekt Red and The Witcher 2 the last couple of weeks, I think it’s time for a little negativity.

Let’s talk about David Cage, founder of Quantic Dream and the director of Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain, and the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls.

Now I’m not going to bash Cage for his games.  I’ve only played Heavy Rain and (despite some rather sizable flaws) I really enjoyed it.  I appreciated his attempt to tell a story that’s not a power fantasy confined within a typical game genre, and the decision to progress the game even when a central character died is downright fantastic.  Cage certainly has his difficulties as a storyteller, but I respect him for trying something outside the status quo.