What to Watch

Hello internet, Max here. I love game trailers, nothing is as mesmerizing, engaging and imaginative then a  game trailer. It is one of my best reasons to wake up every morning, just to watch that amazing, kick ass game trailer. Although over time after watching a lot of game trailers, you just realize that the best part of the game is not in game.

Worse are the ones that oversell the game, when you get it and feel how bad it is. There comes the sense of betrayal and anger. The expectations set by viewers after watching the game trailers that just fails to reach the level of satisfaction is just hard to bear.

Like the creative assembly's Stormrise. Came out in 2009. Check out this trailer.

Awesome trailer, right? Then the reviews came and what a shocker. Gamespot gave it a 2 out 10. It was so hard to believe it was such a disappointing game. I didn't even know Gamespot could bother to rate the game so low. I truly wanted to buy this game, then I watch a game review in Youtube and I didn't want it anymore.

Some though reach a higher expectation than what trailers can show or just meets the exact amount. The narrator telling the tale or ominous warnings. The view of game world. Bits of gameplay. The right music to match the video. The immense gratification of getting just the best game out there. Like Skyrim.

And some just make you to wonder and leave your mouth open. Like No Man's Sky trailer.

I am really hoping to see what in store in this game. There are a lot of gametrailers out there, some are for teasing, some to impress, humor, horrify. Just another good reason to wake tomorrow. For me, after watching the game trailer below and I want it.

I have a thing for anime.

Flash, New Frontier

It has been a busy month for me, my internship is on its second last month and I have a project to finish by the end of next month. I am not sure if it will be done but I keep going till its finished.

In the mean time I have been going through Adobe Flash tutorials and its been fun. Learning the capabilities of flash animation and actionscript programming. Still a lot to learn and it is really a lot. Lots a people for different stuff like advertising, animation, developing apps, teaching, illustrations and more.

There was this tutorial in YouTube video I found about how to make a 3D flip animation. The videos below.

It seems like a cool animation to try and so I follow the tutorial. This is my result. Click on the red box.

Simple and done. I'll try the next tutorial.

Defining Survival Games

What makes a great survival video game? Is it the sense of dread when traversing unknown territory? Is it about leaving all the luxuries of home and living in the wilderness? Is it about managing resources like water and food and trying to make a stable home in harsh environments? Is it fighting hostile enemies while trying to stay alive till the next day? Or is it about creating a safe a home and preparing for the worst?

There was one article I read in kotaku.com (I think). It was a discussion about the why are game developers making most survivor games into a fight for survival from raiders, zombies, creepers, and any hostile creature that means to take the player out of the game. It continued on about a survival game isn't just about defending from enemies or taking out any competitors. Survival games are about living in harsh environments, removing yourself from your home and managing to stay alive.

Banished, for example, is about building a settlement from a procedural generated world. The game has a survival feel as players have to managing the villagers and keep them dying. Not attacks or raids from hostiles but from starvation, disease, and freezing. Players have to set up building to manufacture tools, plot farms for food and fell trees for fire wood. This kind of game play brings forth a welcome change from the conventional survival games.

Despite the good argument, having enemies that attack periodically can be exciting and fun. Like Left for Dead and Dead Island where players have fight off zombie hordes to reach their goals by either gunning down zombies or cutting through with axes, hammer or whatnot melee weapons.

I found the article enlightening and found myself appreciating the game mechanics of a survival game. I have played Banished, Left for Dead and Dead Island and they are all great games to play. Its really about what people like to play and shoot zombies is way easier than to manage a town.