This update comes entirely from my cell phone. I am so freakin 133+, its scary.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Oh, the other definition.
So, it turns out I'll be an uncle soon.
Before I go into further detail, let me start by saying that I'm named
after an uncle that I have.
So, I talked to my brother yesterday, and he was like, "Hey, uncle D"
which kind of tipped me off that him and his wife were expecting,
because, while he could have thought he was talking to pur uncle, he
called me, and I'm pretty sure he knew who he was calling.
So, in nine months, I'll get to be the cool uncle that spoils my
niece/nephew/both (could be twins, mind you) then sends them home.
Uncle. What a funny word.
-D out.
Before I go into further detail, let me start by saying that I'm named
after an uncle that I have.
So, I talked to my brother yesterday, and he was like, "Hey, uncle D"
which kind of tipped me off that him and his wife were expecting,
because, while he could have thought he was talking to pur uncle, he
called me, and I'm pretty sure he knew who he was calling.
So, in nine months, I'll get to be the cool uncle that spoils my
niece/nephew/both (could be twins, mind you) then sends them home.
Uncle. What a funny word.
-D out.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
It's not much of a story.
So, I picked up Fable a while back, and thought I'd write about it.
For the uninitiated, Fable is a game for the Xbox. Lionhead Studios and Big Blue Box had hands in making it. You see, when I heard about it, I looked forward to it. I really wanted to like it, too. Not the kind of liking that you have for games that you rent for a weekend to keep you occupied on Saturday, but a Halo kind of liking. A Romance of the Three Kingdoms kind of liking. A liking that stirs something deep inside you everytime you hear the title, even if the person saying it isn't talking about the game.
Basic Plot: You start as a kid in a small town, with a need for a birthday present for your sister. Your dad tells you that you can do good deeds around town to earn money for said present. These "quests" can be either done in a good way, or in a bad way, but the end result is the same, with a few variances. Later you go onto hero school and learn the ways of a hero as a teenager, then you graduate, become an adult, and a full-fledged hero, that can take on quests, kill stuff, etc., etc.
Congratulations, that's the entire game. It's doing the same things in different ways, depending on the personal tastes of the player. Me, I played a bad guy. I ran around killing traveling merchants instead of trading with them. I stole things from shops instead of buying them. I broke into peoples houses and riffled through their stuff. But, that was about it.
The game seemed to be both deep and shallow at the same time. It had various elements common to other RPGs (although I really don't agree with the term RPG on anything resembling a console) but the problem was, no matter what you did most, like cast spells, hit things with an ax, or shoot things with your bow, you generally accumilated enough general experience to increase any area of study. That really takes away from the game, because you can do nothing cast lightning throughout the enitre game and still be able to level up your strength skills.
Also, the main character never says a word, thus taking away from the whole good vs evil thing. The morality that's supposedly so important in the game is simply reduced to who you killed more, merchants or bandits. Not to mention the whole good player/bad player thing has been done before, and done better. (Knights of the Old Republic and the Fallout series come to mind)
The quests are simply the same things over and over again. A couple do have some variations on the "go somewhere and kill a bunch of stuff" staple, like escorting traders from point A to B. There's also one where you "need" to be stealthy, but I found it was easier (not to mention more fun) just to kill everything in your path, then sneak around.
Aside from the main part of the game of running around and killing stuff, there are some enjoyable divergences. There are some pub games for play, villagers you can hit on, chickens to kick. They're nice, and the "Best Chicken Kick" stat in the personality screen is a nice little touch, but it all still felt pretty flat.
Now, if you're going to talk graphics or gameplay, the controls are nice and simple. I would have liked the option to customize them at one point or another. Using magic seems a bit awkward at first, but honestly, if you can't hold R trigger while you push x,a, or b, then you're just pathetic. (I played through the game as a spell slinger.) The game looks very good, but it's rather disappointing that everyone you see or fight against comes from the same five molds.
All in all, this game is enjoyable, but not great. Rent it, borrow it from a pal, but only drop $50 on it if you REALLY like it.
-D out
For the uninitiated, Fable is a game for the Xbox. Lionhead Studios and Big Blue Box had hands in making it. You see, when I heard about it, I looked forward to it. I really wanted to like it, too. Not the kind of liking that you have for games that you rent for a weekend to keep you occupied on Saturday, but a Halo kind of liking. A Romance of the Three Kingdoms kind of liking. A liking that stirs something deep inside you everytime you hear the title, even if the person saying it isn't talking about the game.
Basic Plot: You start as a kid in a small town, with a need for a birthday present for your sister. Your dad tells you that you can do good deeds around town to earn money for said present. These "quests" can be either done in a good way, or in a bad way, but the end result is the same, with a few variances. Later you go onto hero school and learn the ways of a hero as a teenager, then you graduate, become an adult, and a full-fledged hero, that can take on quests, kill stuff, etc., etc.
Congratulations, that's the entire game. It's doing the same things in different ways, depending on the personal tastes of the player. Me, I played a bad guy. I ran around killing traveling merchants instead of trading with them. I stole things from shops instead of buying them. I broke into peoples houses and riffled through their stuff. But, that was about it.
The game seemed to be both deep and shallow at the same time. It had various elements common to other RPGs (although I really don't agree with the term RPG on anything resembling a console) but the problem was, no matter what you did most, like cast spells, hit things with an ax, or shoot things with your bow, you generally accumilated enough general experience to increase any area of study. That really takes away from the game, because you can do nothing cast lightning throughout the enitre game and still be able to level up your strength skills.
Also, the main character never says a word, thus taking away from the whole good vs evil thing. The morality that's supposedly so important in the game is simply reduced to who you killed more, merchants or bandits. Not to mention the whole good player/bad player thing has been done before, and done better. (Knights of the Old Republic and the Fallout series come to mind)
The quests are simply the same things over and over again. A couple do have some variations on the "go somewhere and kill a bunch of stuff" staple, like escorting traders from point A to B. There's also one where you "need" to be stealthy, but I found it was easier (not to mention more fun) just to kill everything in your path, then sneak around.
Aside from the main part of the game of running around and killing stuff, there are some enjoyable divergences. There are some pub games for play, villagers you can hit on, chickens to kick. They're nice, and the "Best Chicken Kick" stat in the personality screen is a nice little touch, but it all still felt pretty flat.
Now, if you're going to talk graphics or gameplay, the controls are nice and simple. I would have liked the option to customize them at one point or another. Using magic seems a bit awkward at first, but honestly, if you can't hold R trigger while you push x,a, or b, then you're just pathetic. (I played through the game as a spell slinger.) The game looks very good, but it's rather disappointing that everyone you see or fight against comes from the same five molds.
All in all, this game is enjoyable, but not great. Rent it, borrow it from a pal, but only drop $50 on it if you REALLY like it.
-D out
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