Tiers - Why they do and don't matter.

I always enjoy looking up tier lists made by high leveled players for the fighting games that I play. I love to see opinions that match my own and opinions that may or may not cause me to reconsider my initial thoughts. As it turns out, I find that most tier lists match very accurately with my own, with only a few deviations here and there.

My personal definition of what I think about tier lists is simple: They outline which individual character has the easiest time racking up wins utilizing a playstyle that meshes neatly with what's known as "the metagame". The term "metagame" is the description of the game being played in the communities head, where as the actual game itself acts as a sort of tool to help you play the metagame, not too different from the limbs of a fighter in a mixed martial arts match. Developers often have a metagame in mind, and in the games initial release the metagame slightly at the discovery of new techniques. It is for this reason that post release patches are often issued, so that the metagame could be further reinforced, as well as rebalance the strength and abilities of the roster.

But, I digress.

Tiers take on different meanings depending on the game that they originate from. Generally, a tier list in a two dimensional fighting game is a list that outlines which characters have the smallest amount of bad matchups, if any. Logically, having a discernible advantage over a large fraction of the entire roster would make a strong character. An advantage that tiers can provide would be to show players what to expect from each character in a roster.

Tiers aren't a good reason to choose a main, however. People often forget that choosing a character that holds their interest the longest means having more dedication to improving their skills with that character. I believe that people that truly love/enjoy the characters they use will reach heights in half the time it takes for a player that only uses high tier characters.

Tiers also don't necessarily mean they are the best. While a high tier character has more match ups in their favour, a player that has more experience with a low tier character against a high tier character is practically guaranteed a win over the player that uses the top tier but has next to no experience.

Lastly, tiers DO NOT justify the need for buffs and nerfs! As I said earlier, patches are only there to make steps towards realizing the metagame that the developers had in mind! Giving nerfs and buffs should only be implemented to define and develop characters further.

Tiers can be fun and interesting, but they are all just opinions at the end of the day.

Surely I'm not the only one?

The general opinion has been like this since day one, and no matter what the devs say in order to placate the fanbase, people keep finding more reasons to hate the upcoming reboot of Devil May Cry.

Devil May Cry holds a special place in my heart not for it's infamous difficulty but because of it's setting and the characters that inhabit it. When I heard that a new game was on the way, I was excited. And then when the Tokyo Game Show rolled around showcasing little reboot Dante's new design, I understood the changes made by Ninja Theory, the developers taking over the project.

What people don't seem to understand is that reboots are supposed to be different, not just more things that we expect and love. While the writing has taken a more vulgar direction, and that the unique weapons that will be employed in this game require a different mindset before taking them to battle, the over the top action of DMC is still going to be there. It just looks different, and the changed core gameplay promises to be a fresh new experience for veterans and newcomers alike. Surely that's reason enough to justify the black hair and cigarettes?

Perhaps the only gripes that I have about this reboot is that I find the writing to be extremely vulgar (f-bombs and s-bombs galore in E3 2012's gameplay trailer). Part of what I enjoyed so much in Devil May Cry was that the language Dante used was relatively clean, while his mannerism and tone still had enough bite to anger any demon he enountered. Unfortunately, that seems to be the direction that Ninja Theory is aiming for. Hopefully, it won't take away from my enjoyment.

When I saw the gameplay trailer, I was amazed by what I saw. The overtop combat that the series is known for is making a return, this time in true HD. Let's hope that it'll be polished enough so that I can dive into this game on launch!  

What am I REALLY looking forward to?

E3 was a couple of months ago, and I find myself speechless at my strange lack of feeling broke like as I usually feel after watching and reading about every press conference in previous years. Truth be told, I can't find anything to look forward to with only a few exceptions.
Why is that, then? Could it be that I'm content with everything that I have, or do I feel like gaming has become so stagnant that I feel that only a few titles are worth my attention? Or perhaps is it that I haven't heard enough info regarding any upcoming titles to get me stoked for the next big game? Maybe it's a bit of each reason, maybe it's something different entirely.

One game that I actually am looking forward to is Assassin's Creed 3. I've never been a huge fan of the franchise and it's gameplay, but the story has had me intrigued ever since I sat down to play AC2. And now that the upcoming title will take place in a completely new setting and that the story should (hopefully) be drawing to a close, I definitely will be putting some money aside for this.

The next games that I'm anticipating are constantly thrashed by their fanbases, with the sole reason being that they are "different". It's because young Dante's hair is black, and because Rising plays differently than Solid. In every scenario, change is just as likely to be detrimental as it is likely to be successful. With the Devil May Cry reboot and Metal Gear Rising in development, I'm looking forward to seeing some exciting action and bizarre atmosphere's for their games.

The next two titles represent the transformation of survival horror becoming perhaps a little too action oriented. Fans may cry that Dead Space 3 and Resident Evil 6 have completely abandoned their horror roots, but they do so at the risk of being unable to appreciate the excitement of encountering some awesome monster designs and a story grounded in a battle between rogue agents and corporations. And really, sometimes that's all I need to enjoy a game, and I know I'm gonna play the hell out of each of them because I loved the previous installments of their respective series.

And finally, the upcoming downloadable content for Dark Souls. Really, so long as I have more excuses to play 2011's rpg epic, I'm sold. With new areas, bosses, and equipment, I'm looking forward to dying over and over again in the face of the game's new challenges.

Why I LOVE fighting games pt.1

I wasn't all that into fighting games until last year. Truth be told, the closest I've ever been to dedicating myself to a fighting game was back when I played a lot of Melee and Brawl. Of course, those games are more like intensified party games than actual fighting games in my opinion, but only now I realized that the reason I was hooked on those games was the prospect of improving my skills and beating whatever challengers came my way.

It was last year when a friend of mine got a copy of Mortal Kombat 9 for his 360. Of course, the MK series had been infamous for it's over the top violence for a long time now so of course I was already familiar with the series although I never really played the games myself. And so I played my friend and got my ass handed to me every single time. I didn't care though, I was fascinated by all of the characters and wanted to play as them all. Eventually I bought the game for my Ps3 and that was the only game I played for that entire summer. I learned a few combos, but my win rate for the online mode was dismal at best. I scoured Youtube for videos that would give me stronger combos that I couldn't have been able to think of myself and spent hours finding them and practicing them.

Yet no matter how strong my combos were, I was still routinely beaten after every few wins. Eventually I happened upon Test Your Might, and searched every thread for ways to improve my skills. And so new terms were added to my vocabulary: mind games, punishes, whiffs, unsafe on block, active frames, match ups etc. I learned ways to improve and what mistakes I should avoid. And after every loss, I'd always ask myself "what did I do wrong and what should I do to win next time?"

The feeling was, engrossing. I loved the sense of accomplishment that came with overcoming obstacles in terms of my defence and the thrill of taking down dreaded opponents. And whenever there was a new technique hitting the scene, I was always sure to learn about it and adding whatever knowledge I had to my arsenal.

To this day, Mortal Kombat 9 remains the most played game in my library.

Project Dark is going live!

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally committed to starting my first video walkthrough with my new Gamecapture HD!

Dark Souls is one of the most exciting and rewarding games I've ever played. It's also one of the most challenging, with every dungeon or area acting as a sort of thrown gauntlet from the developers at From Software. Whether it's being faced with overwhelming odds against a horde of undead knights, or living in the fear of falling into some sadistic trap, the challenges are as varied as they are clever. Incorporating the very best elements of your standard role playing game, the nuanced combat system is wrapped in a moody and dreadful atmosphere. Dark Souls is a game a serious RPG fan should never miss.

Of course, being the dark game that it is has presented a few problems. The first 2 hours of gameplay had been recorded with no adjustments to the ingame brightness level. The footage looked just fine when I was editing them on my computer, but as soon as I uploaded them to Youtube the darkness became apparent. I've done what I can at the moment, using the option Youtube has given me to increase the brightness of the video, but for now the most the viewers can do is view the video in fullscreen mode to get a clearer picture. This issue is more obvious in the cavernous areas.

The first batch of video is currently being uploaded, and I have plans of recording more footage tomorrow.

Metal Gear Solid 5 (!)

I'm not sure what to think of the recent announcement of MGS5.

On one hand, if anyone can make a sequel to a grand finale work exceptionally, it's Hideo Kojima. On the other hand, I feel like making another Metal Gear Solid game is unnecessary, especially after the epic send off that was MGS4.
Back in 2008, Kojima did the seemingly impossible by successfully tying up all the loose ends of the entire MGS franchise in the final hours of Guns of the Patriots. The Patriots were defeated, old feuds were settled, and cryptic secrets were finally revealed. Why should we reopen the wounds that took a painfully long time to heal?
The reason I was so excited for Metal Gear Rising was because I was glad to see the franchise breathe some fresh air rather than continue to milk something that worked until it gets old. Now, I'm not saying that MGS5 will simply just be a "milking" title, but I just felt that stepping into completely new territory in the form of Rising was the step in the right direction for the series.
According to a recent article on Gamespot, the developers are considering adding story trees, meaning there will be dialogue options in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid game. Personally, I'm a little skeptical about this addition. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE role playing games, especially whenever they involve branching storylines and dialogue options. It's just that Metal Gear has always been more like a film to me (an excellent one, mind you!) and I sort of see that as a MGS staple.

Since the game isn't out yet, no one can really say for sure if this  game will be terrible or the next big thing. All we can do is just wait for it's eventual release, and give the game a fair chance for when it comes out. You know, like any game.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 - My impressions

Say all you want about Capcom trying to milk every beloved franchise they own, they know how to make an exciting game. UMvC3 is a well polished, frantic fighting game that's every bit as tasteful as any other fighting game out there. Bringing an additional 12 characters to the already staggering roster, there's more than enough fanservice to keep even the biggest comic book geeks satisfied, and the well defined art style makes each fight a spectacle to enjoy. The soundtrack and voice work is also exceptional.

The game does have it's faults, of course. Though the game is simple enough for all sorts of players to ease into, it also makes it easier for more experienced fighting game players to find and exploit some very dangerous and frustrating tech. Some of said tech is found in the annoyingly long combos, which cannot be interrupted until it finishes after what feels like forever. While this is very much part of what the game is about, it will be difficult for newer players to adapt, and likely result in a few broken controllers. The only real solution to this is to adapt and to ensure that one is never caught in these combos, which takes patience that very few players have. It is very annoying to have to pay big time for one mistake in one's blocking, so as a result lucky reads play a larger role in this game than in most other fighting games.

All in all, it's a great game. While most beginners might want to avoid online until they've gained some offline experience (against other players, of course), it's every bit as rewarding as any other fighting game out there. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D review

I picked up a 3DS almost a week ago, and me being the huge Zelda fan that I am, purchased the remake of the critically acclaimed N64 title Ocarina of Time. For it's time, there were many great things that could be said about it. Not only was it the successful first jump into the 3rd dimension for the ever popular Legend of Zelda series, it was a technical marvel on the N64, perfecting third person gameplay with it's revolutionary Z targeting system, and is to this day considered one of the best games out there.
And now, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has remade this game with some visual improvements for the 3DS.

Personally, Majora's Mask is my favourite game in the series, but it was Ocarina of Time that helped ease me into the series when I first started out. One of this game's biggest strengths is around it's tightly paced main story. Every once in a while you may be forced to do some backtracking, especially early on in the game, but for the most part you'll feel like you're covering a lot of ground and enjoying yourself while doing so. A good chunk of the fun is found in the games dungeon exploration, which always involves a good blend of puzzle solving and combat. One minor complaint that I have for the game's combat, and for the whole game in general, is that maneuvering the 3D world using the 3DS's stick takes quite a bit of getting used to, although I feel like that at the beginning of every Zelda game sometimes. Complaints aside, it's great to be able to play a console sized game wherever I go, and I'm looking forward to similiar experiences on the 3DS.

In terms of differences between the remake and the original, Nintendo has definitely addressed some of the concerns made by the fans. Some adjustments have been made to bypass level design issues, such as a camera focusing on the location of a possible hidden plan, and much care has been put into the infamous Water Temple so that players won't get lost as often (I personally have only gotten lost once in the remake, as opposed to the 5 bouts of wandering in my first playthrough). Hint videos are also available ingame, which is a great way to welcome newcomers to the series while at the same time staying true to the original level designs that players have grown to love and cherish.
The music and sound design is largely the same as they were on the N64, as well as the original art style. Although, all these things have been touched up a little in the remake, which is great because we get to see and hear like it was new while still retaining what the developers had in mind back in 1998.

This game is quite an adventure that players won't soon forget. It has certainly aged better than other games in the past, and will probably still be remembered after most of the games in the 90's have been forgotten. While the game certainly looks prettier, the core gameplay that we all know and love is safely intact. And for those that have played this game in the past, you'll all know how valuable this information is!