Ahh, September. Ordinarily the start of Autumn, but apparently not this year… someone must have not got the memo. But I digress: let’s see how the uncharacteristic heat has affected the brilliant minds that form the Character Select Network!
So-called morality in games is something that all of us discuss at one point or another, and Gamerdork’s Leah Haydu considers the good and the bad of recent in-game attempts. See what I did there?
“The way I see it, the major problems with how most games end up incorporating a “morality scale” all circle around the fact that once a game has decided to have one, ambiguity goes straight out the window. The scale never has dimensions; instead, it has poles. It’s a straight line. In games like Fallout 3, Mass Effect, and Knights of the Old Republic, just to name a few, your character’s choices inevitably push him or her toward one end of the completely linear spectrum: higher or lower karma? Paragon or Renegade? Light Side or Dark Side? Rarely if ever will you be presented with a choice that has elements of both, and if you are, you may be assured that it won’t have a perceptible impact on the storyline, or indeed, on the development of your character.”
Meanwhile, elsewhere on Gamerdork, Johnnytigs was forced to prepare for a weather onslaught that was quite the polar opposite to our recent heat wave.
“With the prediction of an apocalyptic hurricane on the horizon I had no choice but to prepare myself. For normal people this would mean going to the store and stocking up on batteries, water, soup and other non-perishable food. Personally this meant charging every portable system I have and a USB mobile battery… After being evacuated from her apartment my girlfriend, Kathryn, joined me in my less flood prone area and dove headfirst into Angry Birds Seasons. I felt the need to boot up some games myself.”
Over on Console Arcade, John Henderson dips his toe into a triple-tiered retro re-release and finds that sometimes it’s better to leave those rose-tinted glasses on.
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection Review
“Anyone who was a fan of these games back in the day will surely appreciate some of the nostalgic touches on offer like the replica cabinets on the game select screen, or the fact that visual filters such as scanlines or a curved effect can be applied to help replicate that old-school CRT monitor look. What they won’t appreciate, however, is how amateurish the package feels in other areas. There are various sound issues and other glitches, including an alarming 1-2 second period of the controls being dead when you return to the action after pausing the game. In a title that demands a high level of control and fast reactions, this is unacceptable.”
Keeping on the retro releases, Jamie Davies posted a video that both warms my heart and, since I was there first time around, shows my age. Long live 2D gaming!
New Guardian Heroes trailer accompanies release date
“Despite the news that Guardian Heroes was coming last week (quickly redacted by Microsofts Major Nelson because it simply wasn’t true) Sega have now confirmed the game will be coming to XBLA on October 12th for 800 Points.”
Thumb Culture’s Max Drinan share his views on how to make FPS multiplayer a more compelling experience for primarily single player gamers like him (and me) and it all lies within a C-word.
“Being a primarily singleplayer gamer, context is important for me if I’m going to dedicate my time to the competitive world of the online first-person-shooter. I need to feel I’m part of more than just a game, that I’m in some way a part of a world. For example, when I play Halo my time is spent almost exclusively in Elites versus Spartans games. Why? Because it just doesn’t make sense to me that Spartans would fight each other. Sure, it could be some sort of training but that’s a stretch when I stab my MJOLNIR wearing friend in the top of their head and kick them in the back.”
Finally, Aston Taylor – inspired by the release of Dead Island – ponders the likelihood of a zombie apocalypse and shares some survival tips.
Zombie Apocalypse – Is The Day Nigh?
“There is a lot of speculation about whether Zombies could actually exist – is it possible that there could be a real Zombie Outbreak which would turn, no doubt into an Apocalypse? Well, realistically, the chances are slim but it hasn’t stopped many a gamer gathering round with a few drinks discussing how they’d plan their survival, I certainly have.”
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