lowspec

When Criterion’s Burnout: Paradise demo went live last December, fans of the high-speed, crash-and-burn racing series were largely unimpressed. And for good reason: It was boring. Instead of the open racing world Criterion promised, the demo was tiny slice of unremarkable cityscape that played host to a scant handful of racing events.

Criterion’s Alex Ward responded to the chorus of yawns and whines with an indignant holiday missive on Criterion’s website. “We think we made THE best demo released all year,” he wrote before launching a full-frontal defense of the upcoming title. “This new Burnout is an experience that YOU choose how to play rather than us forcing a game structure on you - when the rest of you get to play the full game I am confident you will agree.”

I wasn’t convinced by Ward’s open letter. Let’s face it: Game industry talk is very, very cheap. But as I now know from a series of marathon sessions with Criterion’s finished product, Ward was right. Criterion knew what they were doing when they built a game that defied established conventions.

(Read the rest of this article over at The Escapist)

Several weeks back I visited a local children’s hospital to get a better handle on just how Child’s Play makes a difference in kids’ lives. It was awesome. I wrote about it for The Escapist. Here’s an excerpt:

Some kids arrive by ambulance. Others by helicopter. Some will leave the same day. Others will stay for weeks. Whether they’re in the burn unit, the trauma center, the oncology department or the rehabilitation unit, the children at Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, all have one thing in common: They’d rather be somewhere else.

Jen Usinger is one of five certified Child Life specialists at Legacy Emanuel, dedicated to helping young patients cope with the pain, anxiety and boredom that inevitably accompany their hospital stays. “It’s a kid’s job to play and have fun,” she says, “and we try to incorporate that into their hospital experience.” Penny Arcade’s Child’s Play charity helps them do just that.

You can read the full article here.

Five assassinations in, and I was done. I didn’t care that my remarkably animated hero was capable of superhuman feats. It didn’t matter that the citizens of beautifully-rendered ancient cities needed saving. The conspiratorial malefactors that terrorized the kingdom would be spared. I was finished. I slipped Assassin’s Creed back into its prepaid rental return envelope and found myself thinking, once again, if only.

If only Ubisoft had injected a little variety into my hero’s tasks, instead of requiring him to repeat the same cookie-cutter “investigations” over and over again. I would have happily finished the game.

If only. While the internet explodes with countless numbered lists announcing the best and worst of last years’ offerings, I look back on 2007 and those two words keep echoing in my head.

(read the rest of this article over at The Escapist.)

Three and a half years ago, Crytek didn’t have a reputation to worry about. No one could’ve guessed that the unknown German studio’s debut game, FarCry, would reset the standard for graphics and convince droves of PC gamers to pony up for the latest generation of video hardware. FarCry’s visual wizardry surprised just about everyone.

In contrast, Crytek’s sophomore effort, Crysis, finds itself on the opposite end of gamers’ expectations. Eighteen months of stunning previews and tech demos left almost no question as to whether Crytek could once again raise the graphical bar. PC enthusiasts stockpiled funds in anticipation of Crysis‘ unforgiving hardware requirements, and those unable to deny DirectX 10’s siren song actually installed (gasp!) Windows Vista.

It will come as no surprise to anyone, then, to hear that Crytek’s latest creation is often wondrously beautiful. And the gameplay isn’t half-bad, either. You can read my full review of Crysis’ single-player campaign over at The Escapist.

I’m occasionally perplexed by my own gaming habits. During the past few years I’ve found myself setting aside or even foregoing certain games I’ve had every reason to enjoy. Even worse, I’ve occasionally spent hours on games that would normally bore me. It wasn’t until the Call of Duty 4 multiplayer beta that I could put my finger on what was up.

I wasn’t overly excited when I received a COD 4 multiplayer beta invite last month. Though I’m an Infinity Ward enthusiast, and I thoroughly enjoyed the single-player campaigns of both Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2, the series’ multiplayer components never drew me in. The beta languished on my 360’s hard drive for nearly a week before I checked it out. But once I started playing, I couldn’t stop.

(Read the rest of this article over at The Escapist)

It’s hard to believe it’s been only two and a half years since we’ve seen a new hand-held Zelda title. Maybe it’s because the DS has long since asserted itself as the de rigeur Nintendophile hardware, lending an air of obsolescence to the Game Boy Advance’s The Minish Cap. Or maybe it’s because the latest console Zelda release, Twilight Princess, made its debut as launch title. Either way, the DS’ The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass feels like it has been a long time coming.

I’ve got a full review of Phantom Hourglass over at The Escapist. You can read it here.