Where is Spidey's Arkham Asylum?

  Most comic book geeks have acknowledged that Batman: Arkham Asylum is without a doubt the best comic book video game to date.  Rocksteady, the development team behind Arkham Asylum, created an amazing atmosphere packed with cameos and interesting pieces of Bat-history that would please any Bat-fan.  With the near-universal praise for Arkham Asylum, comic book video games are now a far more profitable gamble in the eyes of the major publishers.  This is a perfect time in the gaming industry for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to make his comeback.

  I grew up in the 90s, and I constantly read the Amazing Spider-Man comics whenever I had the chance.  I was one of Spidey's biggest fans.  My love for the webhead was unmatched, he was my hero.  As I matured and learned of the human miracle known as "video games," every weekend became a hunt for the next Spider-Man game at my local Blockbuster.  One of the first Spidey games that I had the joy of playing was Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six.  After playing the game for a couple of days, I wanted to rid myself of the abomination via the nearest window.  My tiny heart was broken, and I simply could not believe that sub-par Spider-Man games existed.  

  The year was 2000 and I was losing hope in the gaming industry's prowess to produce a marquee Spider-Man title.  My doubts received a powerful uppercut to the jaw from Spidey himself when Neversoft's Spider-Man released on the PS1.  The game was amazing and everything I could ever want from a Spider-Man game.  The storyline felt as if it was ripped straight from the original comics, the voice acting matched the characters' personalities, the gameplay was robust, and the sheer amount of cameos was simply everything a Spider-Fan could ask for.  All was right.

  Soon after the release of Spider-Man, Neversoft produced a sequel titled Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro.  The game was fun, just like its predecessor.  However, I wanted something new.  I needed the next Spider-Man game to be even better.  After three years of more mediocre Spider-Man games, Treyarch stepped up to the plate and delivered a homerun with Spider-Man 2.  Possibly the first movie-to-video game adaptation not to suck.  Spider-Man 2 was an epic victory in the eyes of comic book geeks around the globe.  The game allowed you to swing your way through a lifelike New York City using Spidey's signature web-swinging abilities.  Freedom was finally granted to the player, and the experience of swan diving from the tallest structure in the city was too good to be true.  Since Spider-Man 2, nothing quite like it has emerged. 


  I've played some of the more recent Spidey titles like Spider-Man: Web of Shadows and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, but none of these games have really pushed the boundaries like Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2.  Beenox, the development team behind Shattered Dimensions, is producing yet another Spidey title this year.  And it's not just any Spidey title either.  This new game, The Amazing Spider-Man, is actually a movie tie-in with the upcoming film of the same name.  I cannot help but feel that this upcoming Spidey game will not meet my expectations, as few movie-to-video-game adaptations ever do. 


  The Spider-Man universe is ripe with untapped elements and new gameplay ideas.  Create an experience that is true to the source material - the comic books.  Design the most realistic version of New York City, add Peter Parker segments where he deals with the real life issues of his personal life, throw in as many classic Spider-Man villains as possible, and take advice from the fans.  Without Spider-fans, companies would have no reason to continue pumping out title after title.  We, the fans, are the people who support Spidey in his video game endeavors. We deserve better than another rehashing of a previous title.

  The time for another innovative Spider-Man video game is now!  We need a development team to bring us the Spidey equivalent of Arkham Asylum - no, a game that surpasses Arkham Asylum!  Deliver what the fans are asking for, not your shareholders! 

Amnesia: The Dark Descent - This is True Horror

  Allow me to be perfectly blunt.  The horror genre is no longer horrifying.  We've all played titles like Dead Space, a game that has proven that the horror genre has yet to fade away into obscurity, but was the experience truly terrifying? 

  Dead Space is an amazing game. EA Redwood Shores (Visceral Games), the development team behind Dead Space, borrowed game elements from Resident Evil 4 and atmospheric elements from films like Alien and The Thing to create one of the best-selling horror titles of the generation. While I admit that Dead Space is a solid horror title, I cannot help but feel shafted during the halfway point of the game. My weapons are too powerful, the ammo is too plentiful, and my suit upgrades make me feel invulnerable.  Am I supposed to be a ship engineer or an intergalactic space marine?  This feeling is especially apparent in Dead Space 2.

  Personally, not since the original Silent Hill titles have I experienced a genuinely frightening video game.  Oh, how I yearned for the next spectacularly spooky masterpiece to haunt my nightmares.  I heard talk amongst the horror gaming community about a title called Amnesia: The Dark Descent.  I did not take interest in Amnesia until many months after it released due to my blind skepticism for the title.  Needless to say,  I am quite disappointed with myself for doubting the spine-chilling fright-fest that is Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

  The year is 1839 and Daniel, Amnesia's protagonist, has just awakened in Brennenburg Castle, a decaying mansion with many dark secrets.  Upon awakening, Daniel is disoriented and confused as to what exactly is going on.  Daniel eventually manages to find a note written by his pre-amnesia self.  He learns from the note that he is suffering from self-afflicted amnesia and is instructed to murder a man named Alexander, the mysterious baron and proprietor of Brennenburg Castle.  After reading the note, Daniel sets out to uncover the secrets and mysteries lying deep within the walls of the eerie castle.

  

  What makes a game "scary?"  Enemies that cannot be fought or wounded?  Atmospheric tension that never loosens its grip on your psyche?  A well-paced story with interesting twists? Amnesia contains all of these elements and more.  You will not encounter many "jump scares" during your trek through Brennenburg Castle.  However, you will experience an atmosphere that haunts you every step of the way.  I never considered the "jump scare" to be a legitimate horror tactic, it's simply a human reaction to something suddenly appearing accompanied by a shrill noise.  True horror is creating a world so dreadful that you wince at the thought of walking down that dimly lit hallway.  In Amnesia you dread the unknown, not the predictable "jump scare" found in many other horror titles.

   Amnesia uses darkness as its primary weapon.  If Daniel lingers in the darkness for too long he will slowly begin to lose his sanity.  Lighting candles with tinderboxes and oil for your lamp (i.e. flashlight) are your only weapons against the ever-present darkness that Daniel will encounter throughout Brennenburg Castle.  If your sanity drops to a certain point Daniel's vision begins to blur, paintings are contorted into ghastly images, and a few other nasty things occur as well.  However, the darkness is not the only obstacle in Daniel's path, you will eventually come across actual enemies whom are basically impervious to damage.  Looking at these enemies for too long decreases your sanity which is just the icing on the cake.  There is no combat.  Daniel must remain hidden and evade these enemies if he wishes to survive.

  Throughout the castle Daniel will find notes and letters from different people associated with either Alexander or Brennenburg Castle.  Daniel will also find  diary entries and notes from his pre-amnesia self, these notes shed light on the story just as BioShock did with audio recordings.  If you have ever read an H.P. Lovecraft tale, you will feel right at home in the world of Amnesia.

  Amnesia does everything right.  Frictional Games, the independent development team behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent, has created a true horror gem.  Playing Amnesia reminded me of the days when playing a horror game was actually frightening.  Remember that night you played Alone in the Dark with the lights off for the first time?  Amnesia: The Dark Descent has brought back that same sense of horror with a vengeance and has proven that "scary" video games are still out there. 

Remember the Good Dragon Ball Z Games?

   Oh, Dragon Ball Z.  It brings a tear to my eye every time I recall your sordid video game past.  I remember the old days when the announcement of a new Dragon Ball Z title actually meant something.  I remember when using the Kamehameha attack while playing as Goku actually looked and felt cool.  I remember how awesome it was to play against my friends on a classic 2D fighting plane.  What happened to you Dragon Ball Z?  

   I am probably in the minority when I say this, but I loved the original Dragon Ball Z: Budokai.  It was a great 2D fighter that featured a solid chunk of fighters from the DBZ universe.  The fighting mechanics were simple, but they also required a bit of practice if you wished to match your friends' skills consistently.  Your basic punch, kick, grab, charged, special, and super attacks were all present, and some combos ended with the ability to fire off a special attack after completing them.  Your characters moved on a 2D plane most of the time, although you could sidestep SoulCalibur-style if you wished.  The sidestepping was not at all integral to how one would play the game, and I cannot recall ever using it heavily in any of my characters' fighting strategies.  Aside from dodging the occasional long ranged special attack, I hardly ever used it.  Characters could also take the fight several feet into the sky while hovering.  Usually the only way this would happen is if one player threw the other into the above airspace.  The attacker could either give chase or just wait until his victim came back down on his own accord.  

  

   The combat felt great.  It was simple, yet robust.  There was no need for the convoluted flight controls as seen in the more recent video game iterations of DBZ.  You fought, you unleashed your special attacks at regular intervals, you tried your best to throw your opponent off guard using your practiced combos, and then you finished him off with a Big Bang Attack at the end, courtesy of Super Vegeta.  You did not need to worry about how you were going to reach your opponent.  You did not need to know the fastest method of reaching him.  You were both on the ground most of the time and usually within striking distance.  The controls of the recent Dragon Ball Z games are too complicated for their own good.  The DBZ video games do not need gigantic fighting venues that are completely barren.  I do not want to spend half of the game flying over to my opponent just so that I can punch him in the face.  These games need to get back to the fast and furious combat of DBZ: Budokai.  Sure, having the ability to fly is neat.  But would you not rather stages that have already confined fights to the air?  If you over-complicate the controls in a fighting game, most players will be left with a lackluster experience. 

   The cutscenes in DBZ: Budokai were very well put together and actually told a tale while you played the game from start to finish.  Even if you were new to the DBZ universe you knew what was going on due to the cinematic cutscenes.  The story modes in today's DBZ titles are just plain horrible.  I don't want to read a giant text bubble regarding Goku's training with King Kai.  Give me a cutscene, give me a small clip from the anime, give me something!  I would much rather see all of the story in video game form than read about it, which is exactly why DBZ: Budokai succeeds in this category.  Sure, DBZ: Budokai did not cover every little thing, but it sure as pie covered more than the recent DBZ video games.  I am well aware that the story of DBZ has been retold several thousand times, and I fully understand that revisiting the entire story in full detail is a bit indulgent.  But when I play a DBZ game, I want the entire experience.  I want to relive every epic moment, every encounter, and every event that can be fit into a cutscene.  

   I await the day when a good development team will take hold the brand of DBZ and restore the name to its former glory.  The last few DBZ titles have been completely disappointing, especially while being a die-hard fan of the series in general.  I once said that I would purchase anything with the DBZ brand attached to it, but after having played DBZ: Ultimate Tenkaichi, I have revised my stance on the matter. 

   

   

Nothing Ventured...

   Here I am at three o'clock in the morning writing the first entry for my new blog.  This is truly monumental stuff you are witnessing here, dear reader.  I have never been fond of blogging, nor have I have ever been fond of people that participate in the internet phenomenon, but I guess everyone comes around at some point.  I have always wanted a place to talk about video games and the unique experiences that they offer, but not until now have I ever had the will to get the proverbial ball rolling. 

   I eagerly await the writing of my first real piece for this newly christened blog.  I truly hope that I can muster the willpower to continue on with this new endeavor.  I am in no way a master of speech, nor do I claim any prowess regarding blogsmanship. But I shall try my best at this new trade and embrace its challenges. 

   I ask you to bear with me, reader.  I ask you to brave this unknown road along side me, for I do not know where we are headed.  However, one thing is certain...we're going to be playing some video games.