Puzzle Quest Galactrix

posted by Jaitu at 08:48

You know it's things like this that remind me why restricted internet access during work hours can be a *good* thing. Puzzle Quest Galactrix is the soon to be released follow up to Puzzle Quest. Shifting it's focus from swords and sorcery RPG themes to those of deep space sci-fi. It also departs from the rigid grid based match three game play to a hexagonal matrix. I remember reading an interview months ago where (I think) the guy behind Tetris said "if you want to make a successful puzzle game stay away from hex grids", but then he was also the man behind Hexic.
Although this is only an online demo (the game will eventually be released on all major formats) it's clear that they've managed to infuse the game with the digital equivalent of crack cocaine.

KODU

posted by Jaitu at 08:11

Many years ago now I studied programming at college. The course was focused on business application and although the languages were becoming obsolete even as we learnt it was still useful. During that time I also spent a lot of time playing with AMOS on the Commodore Amiga putting together little bits of code. I then went on to take jobs that didn't have anything to do with writing code and pretty much stopped altogether. My current job has me writing SQL to test a very large database and it's supporting applications but still nothing major.
I have often had ideas for simple games that I would like to prototype but have never had the time (or more accurately the discipline) to devote to learning a new platform. That hasn't stopped me acquiring and installing all sorts of things to try and ultimately give up on.
Microsoft recently announced KODU a game development tool originally designed with the intention of introducing school kids to concepts of programming. Although necessary limited it still seems like a potentially powerful platform for rapid prototyping and the fact that it will be on the XBOX360 means there's a reasonable chance I might actually create something with it.

Gears Of War 2: Half Horde

posted by Jaitu at 17:34

When TechMaster and I finished playing the Halo3 Campaign we agreed that Gears Of War 2 would be our next co-op endeavour. He has been taking his own sweet time finishing up his first lonesome play through though. So in the meantime we have been enjoying the Horde variant of the GOW2 multiplayer options. Horde supports up to five players working together to hold of wave after wave of Locusts. We've been battling it out with just the two of us and it has proven extremely good fun. Simply choose a map (any of the available multiplayer arenas) set your starting wave (anything up to your highest achievement to date) and off you go. Spawning into the map you have a few seconds to choose your battleground and get dug in before the opposition start to appear. There is no time limit per wave and so long as one of you can survive to the finish anyone who fell and wasn't revived will spawn back in before the next wave starts. We played the majority of the first 18 or so waves on the 'Day One' map which is essentially a single city crossroads with each of the four streets blocked with an enormous and un-navigable crater in the middle. This forces you to take the long way around whenever it is necessary to cross the map. Fortunately two opposing corner buildings have balconies accessible via street level staircases and make useful nests that are relatively easy to defend. As we tackled waves in the high-teens these corners became more difficult to defend so we began to explore some other map options. We ended up in 'Jacinto' hiding at the end of a short stone outcropping with a helipad at the end. The entrance to the pier makes for a serviceable killing floor and the mortar that respawns a short dash from cover provides welcome heavy support options. We called an end to the last session having just defeated wave twenty-five of fifty.
Since then TechMaster has finished his first run through the story so our next meeting will be centred around the commencement of an Insane level co-op campaign run.

Gears Of War 2

posted by Jaitu at 08:12

Looking for a new co-op title to follow Halo3 I bought Gears Of War 2 last week. It's very much more of the same only bigger. Aside from a couple of vehicle based distractions the game does an excellent job of taking you from one shooting gallery firefight to the next with copious cut scenes and 'plot progression'. Compared to Gears One there is certainly more story in evidence although it is still possible to completely ignore and not lose anything from the experience.
I completed the game on Casual last night having managed to garner 28 of the 50 achievements along the way. A second play through is guaranteed as, just like Dead Space, the hardest difficulty of 'Insane' does not become available until the game has been completed for the first time. Further achievements are available for completion at the remaining three difficulty levels but these 'stack' so beating Insane means picking up any below it. The easiest way to beat Insane will be to team up and co-op with someone else so this will become the next gaming mission for myself and TechMaster to tackle.

Doritos Dash Of Destruction, Puzzle Arcade, Vigilante 8

posted by Jaitu at 07:50

After completing Halo3 I turned my attention to some smaller titles.

Doritos Dash Of Destruction.
A shameless Doritos advert was free to download from the XBOX Marketplace so, naturally, I took it. It's a reasonably fun though short-lived affair. The game has two basic modes where you choose to play as either a Doritos delivery driver or a cybernetically enhanced T-Rex. When playing as the delivery van you have to race around a top-down-viewed town hitting checkpoints while avoiding a rampaging T-Rex. When playing as the T-Rex you have to rampage through a top-down-viewed town trying to catch delivery vans. There are online (and maybe(?) local) mulitplayer options which should certainly add some party style fun. Despite playing for probably less than an hour I've already picked up 9 of the 12 achievements which total 155 of the 200 available points. Truthfully, it's a free advert targeted at achievement whores and I'm fine with that.

Puzzle Arcade.
On the surface a straightforward jigsaw game but with some sophisticated details. Puzzle Arcade is a good suppliment to all the twitch based shooters that I've been playing. At it's easiest it's like putting together large-piece wooden puzzles for four-year-olds. This is surprisingly addictive though. There are a number of pictures available (more can be downloaded or captured using the camera) and the number of pieces can be controlled as well as options such as rotation of pieces on screen to reamp up the complexity. One nice little surprise was that the default puzzle set includes two photos from Sam Javanrouh from one of my favourite photo blogs, TopLeftPixel.

Vigilante 8.
Although I've not really played this yet I did buy the full version already. Vigilante 8 (V8) is a car combat game that was born from the Interstate '76 series of games. It's an arena deathmatch style using vehicles with weapons attached. Not a lot more to say than that. There is a story mode which I'll comment on after I've given it a go.

HALO 3: Leg-END-ary

posted by Jaitu at 21:37

Finally the fight is finished. Earlier this week TechMaster and I put in around five hours to finish up the Legendary Halo3 Campaign. From an achievement point of view there are only five points between us (I have one extra achievement). Aside from the remaining 'Skulls' there are very few left to get that do not involve the online multiplayer modes. I intend to go back in on a casual setting to try and pick up the skulls but for now my attention has wandered elsewhere.