Up late talking games & writing? You're...

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Games: Here's a link to the latest podcast, if you didn't catch it on Twitter or at GameCritics proper. Give it a listen if you're so inclined, and feedback is always welcome.
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Also, I just finished inFamous a few minutes ago... Disappointed. The review is done, and should be posted soon. I'll have a link to it here when it goes live.
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Just a quick obervation: Twitter is already lighting up with tons of E3 news. If you're not already tweeting, it's the best and fastest way to get the scoop on everything that's happening.
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Just sayin'.
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Just a quick one tonight.
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Food: Now that summer is here, it's time again for the wife to get out the grill and start cooking outdoors. She's got a real talent for it, and besides the usual meat-oriented kinds of things, she also does desserts. Tonight she cooked up grilled bananas drizzled with honey, and if you’ve never had grilled bananas, the consistency of the fruit changes quite a bit after it's been sizzling for a few minutes. After cooking, we topped the banana slices with a little bit of Nutella (a chocolate/hazelnut spread) some whipped cream, and some graham cracker crumbles. Pretty damned tasty stuff, if I do say so myself.
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Games: After getting about 2/3rds of the way through inFAMOUS, if not more, I basically wrote my entire review in about forty minutes.
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I'm going to keep pushing forward and finish it off, but I'd be very surprised if anything in this last section really changes my opinion.
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Besides inFAMOUS, I'm putting the finishing touches on my upcoming Crimson Gem Saga review, I've got a few more entries to do for my ‘Best of Community’ feature, and as if all that wasn't enough, I've been toying with the idea of doing the main review for Fallout 3.
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(…And yes, I do know that any potential review would be quite late to the party, but it is a pretty sad state of affairs that we’ve got full reviews for all of the DLC add-ons, but not one for the game proper.)
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Writing: Things are progressing slowly but surely on the new book. Although I've fallen way behind on my daily quota, I think it's still entirely possible to have the whole thing wrapped up and edited well before the end of the year. I hope.
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Other than that, not much to report.
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Games: So, I told myself I wasn't going to plunk the money down after playing the inFAMOUS demo on PSN, but I did. It's just that I've been playing so many RPGs lately that I was starting to burn out of gaming altogether, and I definitely needed something action-oriented to get the juices flowing again. I was weak, I admit it.
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Don't get me wrong, it's not that I thought the demo was terrible, it's just that I expect a great deal from Sly Cooper developer Sucker Punch, and the little bits I saw of their new electricity-themed open-worlder didn't quite click in all the places I thought it should. Still, I've often said that Sucker Punch has never made a bad game and I was definitely willing to give them the benefit of the doubt in this case.
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I wasn't able to put in as many hours tonight as I would have wanted to, but after about 2 1/2 in Empire City, I'm feeling as though my instincts from the demo were correct.
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I'm sure everybody and their brother is already hip to this, but the gist of inFAMOUS is that a bike messenger-type dude is caught in a weird explosion, and ends up with various types of electricity powers as the city itself starts a long, slow slide into hell.
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The game starts off well enough, but at this point I'm feeling like Sucker Punch could have really started the game off a little slower, specifically with respect to character development and story pacing. Things happen pretty quickly, and I'm not quite on board with everything that's going on. For example, in one fast-paced cutscene, a quick line or two details the romantic schism between the main character and his love interest, but it goes by so rapidly and with such little fanfare that I nearly missed it. Beyond that, the main character gets recruited by a government agency pretty much immediately, and from that point on it’s all about doing missions.
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I get that the developer wants to get the player into the game without a lot of downtime, but what I've gotten so far in terms of motivation and development has been pretty thin.
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As for the actual gameplay, I've done a few core missions and four or five side missions. So far it's about what I expected. Everywhere you go, there are a lot of goons that snipe at you from a distance (which is quite irritating) and the game has been emphasizing the main character’s parkour/urban exploration skillz by having him scale every surface like Spider-Man out of costume. No really exceptional missions so far, but then again, I'm just getting started. It's all been fairly combat-oriented, with the character’s electricity basically functioning like any other projectile weapon.
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More thoughts to come as I get further into it, but part of me is already wondering about the different directions that Prototype (the other open-world superhero-ish game coming next month) will take.
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Games: So recently, the discussion of innovation versus presentation has been popping up in regard to various titles. Specifically, how should a critic view a game that makes no attempt at breaking new ground, but instead focuses on delivering a very polished and playable experience?
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Of course, I think the answer certainly depends on who the critic is and what their personal philosophy is composed of. It really couldn't be any other way, could it? That said, I do think it has to be taken into account that the games industry is a large one, and there are players of all stripes within it.
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Keeping this in mind, I think it can be safely assumed that there is room enough for games that push the envelope, as well as those who are content to stay sealed within it.
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The most recent title where this issue popped up was the PSP’s Crimson Gem Saga, released today by RPG uber-publisher Atlus.
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Putting it through its paces, I was immediately struck by the superb production values, as well as the time and attention paid towards the finer details like the menu system, on-screen indicators, and so on. Without a doubt, this is an extremely attractive game, and the developers obviously took their time in crafting it. It's clean, smooth, and quite appealing.
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However, within just a few minutes it's clear to see that Crimson Gem Saga has placed itself firmly within the direct heart of the turn-based RPG genre, and is quite comfortable to be there. Like so many others, the game starts with the hero waking up in bed. Exploring the town, chests in the homes of townsfolk can be plundered, the combat system plays out exactly as one would expect, and thus far, there have been no surprises or unexpected twists.
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Is this necessarily a bad thing? If Crimson Gem Saga had faltered anywhere, I have a feeling that I wouldn't be quite as warm towards it as I am. Fortunately, the game nails every aspect down tight; it's almost a master-class meditation on the true essence of the turn-based RPG.
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From that perspective, I think its simplicity is actually quite appealing, especially in light of the numerous tricks, hooks, gimmicks, and ever-increasingly-elaborate systems that players expect to have to learn before getting into any modern-day Role-Player. (The Japanese sort, anyway…) although there is certainly something to be said for innovation and pushing genres forward, there is such a thing as going too far. Although the JRPG is well overdue for a big shakeup, I have to be perfect honest in saying that the refined and elegant experience in Crimson Gem certainly has appeal.
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I'm not quite far enough along in the game to deliver a review-level judgment, but so far my experience has been quite positive. If you're at all inclined towards indulging in a traditional RPG that's been buffed to a mouth-watering sheen, track down a copy ASAP… you know how quickly Atlus stuff gets scarce.
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Misc: It’s been sort of a busy last few days, but I'm getting some much-needed down time with the family this weekend. We're not doing anything exciting, and we have no plans... just the three of us spending time together and taking it easy.
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Family: Although I realize that probably no one reading this blog actually cares at this point, I do want to give a shout-out to the Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe blanket.
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For those of you without kids, the current thinking is that when babies are born, they are born in a premature state. I'm not talking about babies being “preemies”, but that even when they go full-term and are delivered on time, they still aren't really ready to be out in the world. The theory is that infants really should be in the womb for at least another three months, but if they were, their heads would be so large that they would not be able to fit through the mother's pelvis; hence the reason why they are ejected too soon.
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Anyway, the reason I bring this up is that for the first three months after birth, it's recommended that parents swaddle their children for sleep, meaning that they are wrapped very tightly with a blanket to restrict their movement. At first I thought this sounded kind of harsh, but after seeing how my son flailed and thrashed around in bed (even to the point of waking himself up) the wisdom of swaddling soon became clear.
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However, swaddling a baby is much easier said than done. These little guys have a real talent for slipping out of the blankets, much like miniature Houdinis. Besides that, you have to have a special sort of blanket... not too thick, and large enough to wrap the baby properly while not being so huge that you have eight miles of extra material laying around with a baby at the far corner of it.
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Are you still reading? I haven't bored you to tears and driven you to click away to another page?
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If you're still here, the SwaddleMe gets top marks. It comes in several styles and colors, but the thing that makes it so great is that it's specifically designed to swaddle a baby, with flaps overlapping in a specific order and locking down with swatches of Velcro. Done properly, the little tykes are snug, secure, and very comfortable, and it's a lot easier and more efficient to use than trying to tie a knot in the corner of a wadded-up blanket.
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And yes, that's right... this blog covers games AND parenting tips. How's that for one-stop shopping?
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Games: Been sort of scattered with the gameplay lately… at the moment, I'm still working my way through the excellent CaveIn: Miner Rescue Team on Community, in addition to the also-excellent Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2 - Raidou Kuzunoha vs King Abaddon on PS2. How's that for a title?
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As for the rest of the game tidbits I've got under my belt, I'm saving them up for tomorrow night's podcast recording. We've been on hiatus for a few weeks since both Tim (the show’s host) and I each had newborn sons enter our lives, but now that things have settled down a bit, we're getting right back to it. If everything goes according to plan, it should be posted at GameCritics before too long, and I’ll have a link to it here when it's ready.
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Oh, also… for those who may have missed them, here are a few links to some recently published pieces:
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50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (360) Review
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Mithra: the Calling (360 Community) Review
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Tokyo Beat Down (DS) Review
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Fallout 3: Broken Steel (360) Review
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Valkyria Chronicles: Enter the Edy Detachment! (PS3) Review
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Writing: Not a whole hell of a lot to report right now, except for the fact that I was finally able to spend a little more time working on the new book. It's been tough getting back into gear after taking about three weeks off, but the dust is starting to settle and the itch to get this project wrapped up and into the hands of some test readers is setting in.
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Family: Not too to my own horn or anything, but since Whittaker’s been here, changing diapers has been pretty painless. No big accidents, no fuss... he doesn't even really get upset.
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All that changed tonight.
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Little Whit had been snoozing while the wife and I watched the final episode of Idol, and once the winner was revealed we headed upstairs to get ready to turn in. While the woman was puttering around with one thing or another, she passed the baby off to me for one last diaper change before we hit the sack.
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I've been noticing over the last few days that he usually waits a few minutes after he wakes up before his bodily functions kick in, but I thought I had waited long enough tonight to be in the safe zone. I thought wrong.
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I laid him down the bed and prepped the wipes and the diapers. I've pretty much got this whole process down to a science, and an efficient one at that. Unwrapping him from his swaddling blanket, I pulled off the old, soiled diaper and began to wipe him down. He's been home from the hospital for about two weeks or so, and I've changed diapers multiple times every day since then. Like I said, I've got this process down.
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Today, of all days, the little Velcro strap on the side of the soiled diaper snagged the material of the clean diaper as I was tossing it aside. Absolutely the first time it's ever happened. As I began to separate the two diapers, a little warning bell went off in my head, and it occurred to me that this was the perfect time for things to go wrong, so naturally, they did.
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As I was still trying to get the soiled diaper off of the clean diaper, I heard his little tummy rumbling and I knew something was coming. There weren't any towels or small cloths handy, so I left him on top of his swaddling blanket and tried to will myself into moving faster. (For some bizarre reason, these swaddling blankets have a small hole cut into the back of them. I honestly have no idea what function they serve. a heat vent, maybe?) Anyway, it just so happened that his little bottom was positioned directly over this hole.
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When the stuff started flowing, instead of the blanket catching it, it passed directly on through and onto the bed.
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Dropping the diapers, I tried to wrap the blanket around the mess to minimize the damage, and while I was occupied with that (and failing) his little bladder kicked in and he shot upwards, hosing down me, the parts of the bed that his poop didn't hit, and his own head.
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Trying to do damage control, I let go of the blanket and tried to block the urine, but all that happened was that his little bottom fell directly into the poop, smushing it all around. Whit started crying, the bed was a disaster, and I decided to take the kid and run to the bathroom.
The wife helped me get him clean with an impromptu bath and we had to swap sheets afterwards… not exactly the quick diaper change I was expecting before turning in, but I guess parenthood is full of little surprises like this, right?
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Good times.
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Games: Since the super-nifty dee-luxe Devil Summoner 2 package (scroll down for the pic) got me in the mindframe for extra bonus-type stuff, I thought I'd put out word for the soundtrack and art book that comes with a preorder for Atlus’ Knights in the Nightmare for DS.
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If you’re already buying Atlus stuff then I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here, but it never hurts to make sure, right?
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Anyway, I haven't had a chance to hear the soundtrack yet, but I did take a look at the art book and it's pretty sweet. Titled the Tome of Lost Souls, it's pretty close to a hundred pages of character portraits, profiles, sketches, and notes from the designers. Although I'm not absolutely sure, it seems to me as though the artists that worked on KitN are some of the same ones that helped bring Riviera and Yggdra Union to life. (And if you haven’t played either of those, you’re missing out…)
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Besides the fact that it's chock-full of attractive illustrations, completists and super-fans will want to make sure to snag a copy since the book gives comprehensive lists of each knight in the game, which order they belong to, and other facts like age, race, and class. If nothing else, it's a great companion piece to the game and a pretty nifty source of reference material.
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The game comes out June 2, so you've still got time if you haven't put your $5 down yet.
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(Oh, and a top-secret bonus tip from me to you: if you have a copy of Yggdra Union for GBA and insert it into the cart slot at the same time Knights in the Nightmare is inserted, Princess Yggdra will pop up during the tutorial, and Pamela will appear at various portions during the game. You heard it here first!)
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Games: I'm still compiling my list of the best Community games, and even though I've already taken a quick look at just about every one of them, I went back through again to make sure I didn't miss anything and I've got to say, the quality of these Community titles has really improved quite a bit since the service first launched.
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Of course, it goes without saying that quite a few of these are either complete ripoffs of other titles, pieces of crapware that barely hold together, or both. However, if you take the time to sift through all of the coal, there are certainly more than a few diamonds to be found. For example: CaveIn: Miner Rescue Team.
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I admit that I expected to play it for a minute or two and then quickly delete it, but the quality and ingenious design were impossible not to notice. I played through the trial period and popped for the full version immediately.
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Basically, you play as a miner rescuing your fellows but the twist is that each area in the subterranean tunnels is laid out like a puzzle, quite similar to something like The Adventure of Lolo (for you old-schoolers out there.) Boulders come in various colors and can be eliminated by matching three, but each room is a little different. Some have you simply eliminating boulders. Others have you pathfinding through dark areas, using dynamite (pretty big blast radius there... watch out) or doing other things that keep the formula feeling really fresh. Although I haven't seen very much of the game so far, I was instantly hooked. Expect to see this one on the best-of list, for sure.
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In the meantime, I'm still taking suggestions and nominations for the best of Community, so keep ‘em coming!
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