An update from my previous post.
The award winning "The Social Network" is the "Citizen Kane" for a new, stupid generation.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Multitasking
There's another benefit to playing a text-heavy adventure game that I didn't mention earlier, but thought I'd put down here. You can play guitar during the dialog.
I wasn't sure if this would be possible or not, but as it turns out the concept is sound. You see, practicing picking patterns on a guitar is just plain fun. Your fingers move in a predetermined rhythm over the strings, and the goal is to have each pluck make a note that rings. It's easy, but most importantly, it's satisfying. Without expending too much thought into what you're doing, suddenly the notes from the guitar sound suspiciously like music.
And you do it over and over again. For hours.
When playing The Longest Journey, I'd recommend putting a guitar in your lap and just idly plucking the strings in your picking pattern while the characters interact. At the end of the scene, you've enjoyed some good dialog and your fingers have learned a new skill. Best of all, if you do it right, you're providing a killer soundtrack to the characters. Win-win!
I wasn't sure if this would be possible or not, but as it turns out the concept is sound. You see, practicing picking patterns on a guitar is just plain fun. Your fingers move in a predetermined rhythm over the strings, and the goal is to have each pluck make a note that rings. It's easy, but most importantly, it's satisfying. Without expending too much thought into what you're doing, suddenly the notes from the guitar sound suspiciously like music.
And you do it over and over again. For hours.
When playing The Longest Journey, I'd recommend putting a guitar in your lap and just idly plucking the strings in your picking pattern while the characters interact. At the end of the scene, you've enjoyed some good dialog and your fingers have learned a new skill. Best of all, if you do it right, you're providing a killer soundtrack to the characters. Win-win!
The Longest Journey
Although it probably doesn't mean anything in the cosmic sense, there was little doubt that I'd be playing the 2000 adventure game "The Longest Journey". That title has been coming up in my life over the past few months. First off, I'd finished the game 'Grey Matter', and if you are so inclined for that sort of thing, feel free to read my feelings on the subject below. Long story short, it rocks. Secondly, I'd been contracted to translate/edit a story with was later to be titled "The Longest Journey" as well. This was just a happy coincidence, but still interesting. And I'm all about patterns and pattern recognition, so I thought this might be a good time to pick up the class game and give it a whirl.
Now I've had this game floating around my collection for the better part of a decade, but hadn't played it. Part of the problem was the title, I'm ashamed to say. Yes, it's never a good idea to judge a book by its cover, and yet the title filled me with concern. Longest Journey? For those of you who have played adventure games (particularly the point and click variety) you'll know that there are brick walls that the player encounters that can make the game VERY long indeed. Using a walkthru to breeze through the game defeats the purpose, and I like to give myself every chance to solve the game 'straight' before utilizing a third-party resource to solve any hurdles (cheating).
But when the game out and tells you that it's The Longest Journey, well I take notice. And so the game has sat on my shelf for years. Until now.
The game is awesome. But what really strikes me is how much the actual language of more recent gaming titles has become dumbed down and politically correct. Right off the bat, The Longest Journey tells you that many of the characters speak "blue", and aren't ashamed to use extremely crude and graphic language to give their opinions on various matters. GTA has become the national benchmark for violence and for lack of a better word "adult themed material" in a game. But my jaw dropped as I was playing TLJ. This game mingles vulgarity with high-concept metaphysics and philosophy. And I don't mean any of that garbage armchair "Can't we all just get along" philosophy. Or "We're all connected by universal energy" stuff. I mean real, nuts and bolts pondering of the deeper meanings of what it means to be alive. Very good stuff.
And there's some of that "universal energy" talk thrown in for good measure. I'm glad. I'd have missed it had it not been there.
But Ted Puffer, I hear you say. What about the game itself? Does it live up to it's title?
Ummmm. Yeah. I'd say it does. It does start out at a gentle pace, and the game is broken up into a series of days, of which the story arc crossed about two weeks. The first few days are long, but the other ones only contain a handful of puzzles each and can be whipped through very easily. If anything, the only 'padding' in the game is in the form of dialog. For everyone's sake, the dialog is excellent and the voice work above par. So this is one journey that's a joy to take.
Now I've had this game floating around my collection for the better part of a decade, but hadn't played it. Part of the problem was the title, I'm ashamed to say. Yes, it's never a good idea to judge a book by its cover, and yet the title filled me with concern. Longest Journey? For those of you who have played adventure games (particularly the point and click variety) you'll know that there are brick walls that the player encounters that can make the game VERY long indeed. Using a walkthru to breeze through the game defeats the purpose, and I like to give myself every chance to solve the game 'straight' before utilizing a third-party resource to solve any hurdles (cheating).
But when the game out and tells you that it's The Longest Journey, well I take notice. And so the game has sat on my shelf for years. Until now.
The game is awesome. But what really strikes me is how much the actual language of more recent gaming titles has become dumbed down and politically correct. Right off the bat, The Longest Journey tells you that many of the characters speak "blue", and aren't ashamed to use extremely crude and graphic language to give their opinions on various matters. GTA has become the national benchmark for violence and for lack of a better word "adult themed material" in a game. But my jaw dropped as I was playing TLJ. This game mingles vulgarity with high-concept metaphysics and philosophy. And I don't mean any of that garbage armchair "Can't we all just get along" philosophy. Or "We're all connected by universal energy" stuff. I mean real, nuts and bolts pondering of the deeper meanings of what it means to be alive. Very good stuff.
And there's some of that "universal energy" talk thrown in for good measure. I'm glad. I'd have missed it had it not been there.
But Ted Puffer, I hear you say. What about the game itself? Does it live up to it's title?
Ummmm. Yeah. I'd say it does. It does start out at a gentle pace, and the game is broken up into a series of days, of which the story arc crossed about two weeks. The first few days are long, but the other ones only contain a handful of puzzles each and can be whipped through very easily. If anything, the only 'padding' in the game is in the form of dialog. For everyone's sake, the dialog is excellent and the voice work above par. So this is one journey that's a joy to take.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Dang, you're greedy....
Don't get me wrong, I do like the attention and knowing that you're taking an active interest in what is going on in my life is flattering and all that, but there are just some times that I don't find it that convenient to write more and give updates with what I'm up to.
There, there. I didn't mean anything by that. Let me try again.
I'm going to be painting again very soon. Mostly because the painting bug has bit me and I'm eager to get some ideas that have been floating around in my head down on canvas so I can move on to other projects. I'd be lying if I didn't also mention that I've spent the better part of the day clearing off some room to spread out my paints, so metaphorically the 'decks have been cleared' and I'm ready to go. Painting. Got it.
Also, I'm going to see what fun I can stir up in Los Angeles this weekend. More about that later.
Hey, there's nothing wrong with leaving on a teazer.
There, there. I didn't mean anything by that. Let me try again.
I'm going to be painting again very soon. Mostly because the painting bug has bit me and I'm eager to get some ideas that have been floating around in my head down on canvas so I can move on to other projects. I'd be lying if I didn't also mention that I've spent the better part of the day clearing off some room to spread out my paints, so metaphorically the 'decks have been cleared' and I'm ready to go. Painting. Got it.
Also, I'm going to see what fun I can stir up in Los Angeles this weekend. More about that later.
Hey, there's nothing wrong with leaving on a teazer.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Grey Matter Review
The Game: Grey Matter
Ted Puffer's Review: Let's just put down 5 stars, eh?
Without a question, this game is a gem and had me barely breathing between gaming sessions. This is a point and click style adventure in the same vein as Gabriel Knight, which isn't too surprising when you consider that both games were designed, written, scored, etc. by the same person. The story is fantastic. Deep, moving and everything that a completely engrossing game should be.
There are cons, but they are strange. Usually when a game has flaws they fall into categories that are shared by many titles throughout the gaming world. I think that Grey Matter managed to invent a few. Character pathing is an issue.... sometimes. Sometimes it's not. Certain tasks need to be performed before the story advances, and there were only a few which really didn't seem to fit. More often than not, the story doesn't handle itself well if the plot elements are completed in a different order than the designers had planned. In this case the game still works, but your character will say nonsensical things, or mention looking forward to events which have already happened. It's odd, but not a game killer.
There was only one puzzle which had me screaming 'unfair'! All other puzzles and twists are believable and a joy to work on. But this one... I dunno. I almost felt like it was created by someone else entirely.
It's a fantastic mark of success that I love this game even when one of the chapters delves deeply into Alice in Wonderland. I hate that book, don't care for the author, and find the whole mythos around AIW to be a sad testimony on humanity. In 80 years, I'm sure that there will be similar devotees of Harry Potter, which does make me want to drink. Heavily.
Speaking of, there are a few Harry Potter references in this game as well. And I STILL love it! Wow. I really didn't see that coming. Including any Harry Potter references in a book or computer game is usually producer/developer/author shorthand for "my abilities are feeble, please enjoy this reference to something I think you'll like better..." But in a bizarre way, the Harry Potter shout-outs in Grey Matter actually fit with the story.
Ted Puffer's Review: Let's just put down 5 stars, eh?
Without a question, this game is a gem and had me barely breathing between gaming sessions. This is a point and click style adventure in the same vein as Gabriel Knight, which isn't too surprising when you consider that both games were designed, written, scored, etc. by the same person. The story is fantastic. Deep, moving and everything that a completely engrossing game should be.
There are cons, but they are strange. Usually when a game has flaws they fall into categories that are shared by many titles throughout the gaming world. I think that Grey Matter managed to invent a few. Character pathing is an issue.... sometimes. Sometimes it's not. Certain tasks need to be performed before the story advances, and there were only a few which really didn't seem to fit. More often than not, the story doesn't handle itself well if the plot elements are completed in a different order than the designers had planned. In this case the game still works, but your character will say nonsensical things, or mention looking forward to events which have already happened. It's odd, but not a game killer.
There was only one puzzle which had me screaming 'unfair'! All other puzzles and twists are believable and a joy to work on. But this one... I dunno. I almost felt like it was created by someone else entirely.
It's a fantastic mark of success that I love this game even when one of the chapters delves deeply into Alice in Wonderland. I hate that book, don't care for the author, and find the whole mythos around AIW to be a sad testimony on humanity. In 80 years, I'm sure that there will be similar devotees of Harry Potter, which does make me want to drink. Heavily.
Speaking of, there are a few Harry Potter references in this game as well. And I STILL love it! Wow. I really didn't see that coming. Including any Harry Potter references in a book or computer game is usually producer/developer/author shorthand for "my abilities are feeble, please enjoy this reference to something I think you'll like better..." But in a bizarre way, the Harry Potter shout-outs in Grey Matter actually fit with the story.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Eraserhead
Part of me wishes that I could see David Lynch films in fast-forward mode. I'd enjoy them more, and I don't think it's a disservice to the director or myself for saying so. He does "bizarre" like a kid in school vying for attention to the point where he's willing to eat worms. In David Lynch's case, at this point of his career he's shovelling them down by the handful.
I do like creepy scenes in movies, and atmospheric works are something I appreciate and enjoy. But Mr. Lynch seems determined to have the audience unnerved or unsettled by showing characters moving in slow, awkward ways that are unpleasant to watch. Well and good. When it works, it works fine. But for goodness sake, the same effect could be created once at the beginning of the film and it would be enough. It doesn't have to be done again and again throughout the running time of the movie.
Eraserhead is slow moving, but there are scenes unlike any I'd seen before. So for that I'm thankful and would recommend that this film be watched for anyone with a taste for the odd or disturbing. But keep your finger near the FF button. And if you have to leave the room for a smoke or to make coffee, don't worry too much about missing anything important.
I do like creepy scenes in movies, and atmospheric works are something I appreciate and enjoy. But Mr. Lynch seems determined to have the audience unnerved or unsettled by showing characters moving in slow, awkward ways that are unpleasant to watch. Well and good. When it works, it works fine. But for goodness sake, the same effect could be created once at the beginning of the film and it would be enough. It doesn't have to be done again and again throughout the running time of the movie.
Eraserhead is slow moving, but there are scenes unlike any I'd seen before. So for that I'm thankful and would recommend that this film be watched for anyone with a taste for the odd or disturbing. But keep your finger near the FF button. And if you have to leave the room for a smoke or to make coffee, don't worry too much about missing anything important.
Begotten
Now when I think of film, I really do think of individual stories which are only united in the medium in which they're presented. This medium has a myriad of ways to be presented, so as far as a uniting theme it's broad.
Of course this idea doesn't really go that well in practice. It doesn't take a viewer that long to realise that most movies look an awful lot alike, and that stories and plots borrow from each other liberally all the time. So when something comes along that is unique in ways unlike anything before it, it's an adventure. Maybe not a good adventure, but an adventure all the same.
"Begotten" is one of these movies. It's hard to watch, and I'm not going to kid anyone by saying that it's because of the imagery. It's the pace of the thing that makes it a trial. But although it moves as slow as molasses, it makes for a powerful visual treat and one that I'd recommend to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary. Besides, any movie that has a character called "God Killing Himself" isn't your everyday fare.
What is funny about this film is that it reminds me strongly of a short I saw on HBO about 9 years ago. There was a series on cable which had hour long short films by different directors and one of them had to do with a film that was so horrible and ghastly that any audiece that watched it was immediately driven insane. I'm not sure of the name of the series, but the faux film which was so dangerous could easily have been "Begotten". Grainy, black and white, and glorious.
Of course this idea doesn't really go that well in practice. It doesn't take a viewer that long to realise that most movies look an awful lot alike, and that stories and plots borrow from each other liberally all the time. So when something comes along that is unique in ways unlike anything before it, it's an adventure. Maybe not a good adventure, but an adventure all the same.
"Begotten" is one of these movies. It's hard to watch, and I'm not going to kid anyone by saying that it's because of the imagery. It's the pace of the thing that makes it a trial. But although it moves as slow as molasses, it makes for a powerful visual treat and one that I'd recommend to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary. Besides, any movie that has a character called "God Killing Himself" isn't your everyday fare.
What is funny about this film is that it reminds me strongly of a short I saw on HBO about 9 years ago. There was a series on cable which had hour long short films by different directors and one of them had to do with a film that was so horrible and ghastly that any audiece that watched it was immediately driven insane. I'm not sure of the name of the series, but the faux film which was so dangerous could easily have been "Begotten". Grainy, black and white, and glorious.
Catfish "Movie" review
Movie: Catfish
Ted Puffer's Review: -3 stars
Long story short, this movie is faked. Now there are plenty of clues about the fakery involved in it, but that's not the point. The point is that even if the story were legit, it's still not that involving, and barely worth telling in the first place.
I don't think that I'm being too harsh on the movie, because there is a fair amount of speculation about what makes a good movie in the first place. For the most part I really do try to keep an open mind, and believe strongly that there are different levels of what constitutes "good" when it comes to film. A film that fails under every category, yet is effectively edited could be considered "good". It's a stretch, but you see what I'm getting at.
In the case of "Catfish", there isn't anything to really hold onto. For a film like this, it must:
1- be made in such a way that the viewer believes it's real
2- have a twist which the viewer wasn't expecting or hasn't seen before
3- contain the seeds of a larger theme or idea beyond the main storyline
Yeah, I could go on. But "Catfish" isn't really worth it. I sort of liked the interior shots of the New York office. And the sound was well done.
Ted Puffer's Review: -3 stars
Long story short, this movie is faked. Now there are plenty of clues about the fakery involved in it, but that's not the point. The point is that even if the story were legit, it's still not that involving, and barely worth telling in the first place.
I don't think that I'm being too harsh on the movie, because there is a fair amount of speculation about what makes a good movie in the first place. For the most part I really do try to keep an open mind, and believe strongly that there are different levels of what constitutes "good" when it comes to film. A film that fails under every category, yet is effectively edited could be considered "good". It's a stretch, but you see what I'm getting at.
In the case of "Catfish", there isn't anything to really hold onto. For a film like this, it must:
1- be made in such a way that the viewer believes it's real
2- have a twist which the viewer wasn't expecting or hasn't seen before
3- contain the seeds of a larger theme or idea beyond the main storyline
Yeah, I could go on. But "Catfish" isn't really worth it. I sort of liked the interior shots of the New York office. And the sound was well done.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
