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Review: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Developer: Climax Group
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PS2 | PSP | Wii
Website: www.konami.com/shsm

As one of the two biggest horror game franchises in the world, the one thing Silent Hill hasn’t experienced before is the string of remakes that its nearest competitor, the Resident Evil series, has seen over the years – until now, that is. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is the first “reboot”, if you will, of the Silent Hill series, being a retelling of the first game. I sometimes wonder in amusement whether the title was chosen because the developers knew that a large percentage of the fans would whine about how it wasn’t exactly the same as the first game, just with better graphics.

Silent Hill Shattered Memories

Thankfully, it’s more than that. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is an ambitious idea that takes the first game in an entirely different direction. The basic premise is the same: Harry Mason is out driving with his daughter, Cheryl, when something causes their car to spin out of control and crash into the highway barrier outside Silent Hill. When Harry wakes up, he realises that Cheryl is missing and sets off into the cursed town to find her. This is where the differences start to creep in. For starters, this tale is told after-the-fact from Harry’s viewpoint as he sits in front of a psychiatrist. From time to time the psychiatrist will bring Harry out of his tale and ask him to complete some kind of exercise. All of these exercises actually have an effect in the game too, which is intriguing. Another change is that Harry is actually a resident of Silent Hill rather than an outsider, and some of the characters we remember are quite different now. For instance, Cybil Bennett, the cop, is no longer blonde and a lot less sympathetic than we remember.

The gameplay is also quite different. For starters, there is no combat at all. Yes, you read that right. Instead, Harry will be frequently attacked by demonic creatures, and his only option is to run like hell. These chase sequences are actually very well handled and provide a white knuckle sense of urgency we seldom enjoy in games, particularly when Harry reaches a T-junction and must decide which way to go while the nasties come every closer.

Silent Hill Shattered Memories

The greater part of the gameplay is comprised of exploration and puzzle solving. Harry’s main tool is his cell phone, which he can use as a GPS, to phone numbers he finds, and to take photos of items in the world to solve puzzles or acquire background information. The graphics are very good, for something on the level of Wii, PS2 and PSP, and the town is highly detailed, making it a joy to explore.

It’s a shame that avid followers of games like Silent Hill are so opposed to new ideas, because Shattered Memories really is a nice change and a great new take on the original Silent Hill story. It also has some compelling gameplay elements and a few original ideas to boot.

SH-bottom-line

Posted by Matthew Vice Mar 15, 2010
1 Comment

Best 50 game weapons of all time

I can’t help myself, I have to admit. Whenever I see a Top 10 or  Top 2 Best, worst, or most obscure, unappreciated or underrated list of some kind compiled by any official source, I have to check it out. I also have the bizarre need to bring it to people’s attention. So here’s another one. The folks over at UGO decided to put together a Top 50 videogame weapons of all time list. A few of them are obvious, like the crowbar in Half-Life and Gravity Gun in Half-Life 2. Their number 1 choice might shock you, however. Personally, I was disappointed not to see Dante’s Pandora weapon, from Devil May Cry 4 on the list, mostly because it’s one of the most conceptually brilliant weapons I’ve seen in a game. Anyway, to see if your personal favourite made the list, check it out here.

Pandora. A great concept.

Pandora. A great concept.

Posted by Matthew Vice Mar 15, 2010
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Fable III screenshots

Fable III screenshots? Fable III screenshots! Not much else is known right now, aside from the fact that you will have to “touch people” in the game.

Posted by Miktar Mar 13, 2010
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Is being connected a Good Thing™?

We’re in the digital age, guys. Technology has developed so explosively over the last seventy years, right to the point where it allows us to be more than we are. Or, at the very least, it allows us luxuries we never thought possible.

Consider Skype, a network that sought to change how people communicate. Webcams have been around for ages, but this was the first time it ever seriously took off – even Oprah now uses it religiously. But, for all the good that Skype does – and it really does, saving businesses thousands of Dollars on money for flights, accommodation and hookers on business trips by having a conference over webcam – it physically segregates us as humans.

This is relevant to my interests.

This is relevant to my interests.

I know I usually banter about the latest technology, but this is something I think affects us all. We no longer visit our extended families – we chat to them on Skype. Sometimes, all you ever see of your extended family is what was shown on your computer screen. Usually people would say that’s fine; there are thousands of other people who keep contact through the internet. But we never visit them, do we? Instead, we stay in our homes. We don’t even go out to the bank any more. Internet banking has improved to the point that we relax on the couch with coffee and biscuits, and pay our accounts via cellphone. We don’t physically write letters to people anymore – it’s via e-mails, instant messaging, SMS and MMS. Love letters passed through class? Yep, it’s now an SMS. Am I alone in thinking that this takes all the fun out of doing such a thing?

Who even does maths using their brain anymore? [Many people, I'm sure, but we'll let this slide for the sake of... something -ed] Our thinking processes are now wired to use a calculator and keypad. Einstein arrived at E=mc² through his own intellect, did he not? Have we lost something along the way, some intellect, spawning in turn the useless morons we see everyday on forums, Facebook, and the newspapers?

We're doing away with paper and human attendants already. Are things already becoming too impersonal in return for convenience?

We're doing away with paper and human attendants already. Are things already becoming too impersonal in return for convenience?

All this now begs the question: Does technology make us lazy? It’s not just me who wonders so, but an entire community of psychiatrists, analysts and philosophers who agree on the theory that Google makes you stupid. It’s not that you’re becoming less able; on the contrary, our brains are just learning to rely less and less on our instincts and more on our technology. The world is at your fingertips, so why go out there in the first place? Pretty soon, we’re going to end up like those humans in Wall-E: lazy, completely reliant on technology, and satisfied with living their lives in front of a screen.

But gamers and geeks? Nah, we’re better than that. We have sharper reflexes than the average human, we can spot specific colours faster than others, and we can survive without technology easily. We can also fight zombies quite efficiently, and can stave off Armageddon using a shotgun and Lightsabre. Technology is reliant on us to continue its existence. You can thanks us later after we successfully avoid an I, Robot scenario.

Posted by Wesley Mar 12, 2010
1 Comment

Feature review: Heavy Rain

Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Platforms: PS3
Website: www.heavyrainps3.com/

I remember when the PS3 had just been launched, and the Xbox 360 had been around for about a year — back when the term “next gen” was still being used frequently. A worryingly large contingent of gamers kept on whining about how “next gen” games were nothing more than “last gen” games with better graphics. It was quite grating to listen to after a while, but perhaps if they’d known games like Heavy Rain were on the way, it would have shut them up.

Heavy Rain

To tell the truth, Heavy Rain is hard to classify. It brings to mind the old term “interactive movie”, which over-zealous games writers used to apply to certain games over the last decade, even though they didn’t really deserve it. In the case of Heavy Rain, however, it holds true. In the past, if a game tried to be too movie-like, either the movie elements or the action game elements would suffer somehow, but Heavy Rain really is like a movie tightly integrated with an action game in a way that makes the best of both worlds.

[Note from the ed: The below paragraph contains spoilers of the events that occur in the first couple hours of the game. In the spirit of this game's nature, I suggest that those who wish to preserve the experience of discovery rather skip to the next paragraph, marked with an asterisk. There's also a bit in the first paragraph on the next page. Don't say I didn't warn you :P ]

Heavy Rain

This interesting hybrid experience is delivered in the form of a compelling crime thriller. Ethan Mars is a happily married family man, but after losing one of his sons in a car accident, his marriage breaks up and he winds up sharing custody of his remaining son, Shaun, with his ex-wife. One day, while Ethan and Shaun are at a local park, Ethan looks away for a moment and Shaun is abducted by a notorious serial killer known as the Origami Killer. The Origami Killer’s trademark is that he drowns the boys he abducts in rain water and leaves their bodies near train tracks a few days later with an origami animal in their hands. A lesser known trait is that he likes to try and engage the fathers of his victims in a deadly game, daring them to complete a set of dangerous tasks to earn clues to their child’s whereabouts before it’s too late. Whether or not Ethan will be able to complete the Origami Killer’s sick challenge is entirely up to the player.

Heavy Rain*In addition to Ethan, the player also gets to control three other characters. The first is Scott Shelby, an aging private detective who used to be a cop. He is apparently investigating the case of the Origami Killer at the request of the previous victim’s families. The next is Madison Paige, an insomniac who meets Ethan while he is struggling with the Origami Killer’s mystery. She claims to be a photographer for interior design magazines, and helps Ethan out because she cannot leave people in need alone. The last is Norman Jayden, an ambitious young FBI agent who is sent to help the local police track down the Origami Killer, using his advanced FBI techniques and cutting edge tools. He gets the feeling he is less than welcome among the cops of the town, and has a hard time dealing with their rough treatment of suspects and their slapshot investigative techniques.

Posted by Matthew Vice Mar 11, 2010
5 Comments

Final Super Street Fighter IV character revealed!

He oils himself up and slides around the stage. He grapples his opponents and forces them into awkward homoerotic positions. He’s Hakan, and he’s ready to make you feel good about making someone else feel bad. On the side, it seems Dan has been upgraded to have a real, fully-functional fireball that travels the full width of the screen. And Guile can now put on sunglasses.

hakan

Yes, Hakan’s hair is blue and in.. buns. Or something. Or perhaps his head is a minefield. Who knows? The full scoop is over at PS3 Attitude.

Posted by Miktar Mar 10, 2010
0 Comments

Toddler mistakes real gun for Wii peripheral

In a tragic turn of events, it seems that a three-year-old toddler from Tennesse, Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan,  accidentally shot herself after mistaking her stepfather’s loaded pistol for a Wii gun peripheral. She was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. Apparently her stepfather left his gun out on the living room table after checking for a prowler earlier that evening. So far the police are treating it as a genuine accident. Seems rather irresponsible on the part of the parents, if you ask me.

Even though it's the parents who are to blame, I wouldn't be surprised if videogame peripherals start getting it in the neck.

Even though it's the parents who are to blame, I wouldn't be surprised if videogame peripherals start getting it in the neck.

Posted by Matthew Vice Mar 10, 2010
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Five efficient dev habits

Anyone who has ever tried to make a game (or write a book / draw a comic series / insert long-term creative project here) is probably aware of just how gosh-darn difficult it is to keep going at it. Sure, that initial burst of creativity can fuel a working spree of a few hours, days, or even weeks if you’re lucky enough. But at some point or another, even the most focused mind working with the most amazing project is going to start wandering. Here’s some advice on keeping to the straight and narrow, creatively speaking:

Shorter games1. Make shorter games

If you find yourself struggling with those big game plans of yours, try getting some practice with smaller projects first. If you find your average attention span for any given game to be about a week, start thinking about stuff that you can create in a few days or less. Not only does completing smaller projects give you a much bigger motivational boost than a mountain of half-finished Homerian epics, it also sets you up with a far more appreciable portfolio.

2. Be consistent

Sometimes our brains just deal better with clicking into steady routines. As tempted as you may be to engage in periods of frenetic game dev activity followed by long cooldowns, you’ll probably end up doing yourself a world of good by opting to work moderately — and consistently — instead. Giving your project even a little bit of love on a daily basis makes a huge difference when compared to working with sporadic “chunks” on the odd weekend. Remember: once you begin a work session, it becomes a lot easier to keep going!

Get organised3. Get organised

In general, people find it far easier to stick to commitments and work routines when they’re not operating in a realm of hazy uncertainty. Schedule time for your dev projects if at all possible — earmarking particular hours or days for your work is far more effective than simply thinking about “getting around” to it between games of DotA. Making yourself a nice, lightweight design doccie to sort your mess of a creative brain while you’re at it.

4. Chop it up

Jot down a bunch of project milestones and make them as small and frequent as possible. Doing this will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand, and allow you to feel a steady sense of accomplishment as you complete short-term goals. After all, it’s far less of a mental strain to consider your work in terms of the next sprite animation or level design than it is to think, “Holy crap, I’ve got a whole MMORPG to work on!”

5. Keep it fun

If you’re a hobbyist developer who happens to be game making for the pure fun of it, you can take quite a few liberties with your work. Hate designing menus? Make do with a crude splash screen, or just hop straight into the game! If you’re not into the art side of things, focus on games with small, simple sprites that can work with fewer animations. If your project really does become the Next Big Thing, there’s always time to work on the annoying details later. As long as you’re not completely abandoning or confusing the player, you should feel free to do what’s fun for you.

Keep it fun

Posted by Rodain Joubert Mar 10, 2010
0 Comments

Guitar Hero: The Real Thang

guitar

Seven45 Studios thinks Guitar Hero is for babies, and real men play Power Gig: Rise of the SixString.  This ain’t no red-yellow-orange-green plastic-toy guitar game, Power Gig was built from the ground up to work with a legitimate six-string guitar. Coming out for PS3 and 360, it uses proprietary technology “that can distinguish and recognize gamers’ input all along the guitar.” The axe also has all the internals needed for hookup to an amp, so you can use it as an actual guitar too. If you ain’t sold on this being a ‘real guitar simulator game’ type thing: “Power Gig also introduces the option to switch on chording, or chord play; chording presents the added challenge of playing the game using chords that require specific finger placement on the strings.”

We wonder how much this will cost. No word on release date or pricing yet, or if it will even ever hit South African shores.

Posted by Miktar Mar 09, 2010
0 Comments

FIFA Interactive World Cup 2010 local qualifier

An enormous 466 contestants descended on the Cresta shopping centre, Johannesburg this past Saturday to compete in the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) 2010 local qualifier.

As early as 9am, players had begun grinding through continuous elimination matches, until around 5pm, when the final seven had emerged. Amongst them was newcomer Naeem Williams who produced some great upsets in the tournament by eliminating both 2008 FIWC local qualifier Bjorn Diedricks and 2009 FIWC local qualifier Gordon Butler in late round matchups. Unfortunately Williams’ reign was cut short in a 4-2 defeat by semi-finalist Andries Makgato.

To make an even final 8, the Saudi-Arabian FIWC feeder event winner, Rakan Al-Haqbani flew in from Dubai to attend the event but suffered a 5–3 loss at the hands of Collen Ndlovu in the quarterfinals.

Overview of tournament

The first spot in the finals was awarded to Abubaker Ebrahim’s French team after a secure 4-2 win over Ian Pillay’s Spain. Ndlovu’s English squad then capitalised on Chelsea’s goal-keeping errors for a 4-1 victory over Makgato and confirmed an Ebrahim/Ndlovu final.

The final matchup of the day commenced with both players donning Bafana Bafana jerseys and Ndlovu issuing some light hearted smack talk to his seasoned FIWC’08 grand finalist opponent. Ebrahim didn’t seem too bothered though as he rocked the post with France’s Thierry Henry in the early seconds of the game. France continued to pour pressure on Ndlovu’s frantic English defence, only stopping for the whistle to signal the end of a goalless first half.

Without a moment’s pause, the second half kicked off and the silence of the crowd was shattered by Ndlovu’s first early goal. Ebrahim retaliated by catching the keeper off his line with a well-placed chip. Before the crowd had time to digest the 1-1 score line, Ndlovu and Ebrahim had pushed it to 2-2. In the dying seconds of the second half Steven Gerrard’s boot delivered the deciding goal, cementing Collen Ndlovu, the 18 year old youngster form Bedfordview, Johannesburg as our FIWC 2010 local qualifier.

When asked why he entered the tournament, Ndlovu simply replied “I live for football.” A statement fully supported by the fact that he claimed to have practised between “5 to 6 hours a day” at FIFA 10 before entering the competition.

Our proud winner

Our proud winner

Ebrahim landed himself a brand new PSP and R3000 worth of games for his second place efforts. As overall winner of the tournament, Ndlovu received a new PS3 slim, R3000 worth of ps3 games and will be flown over to Barcelona, Spain, to participate in the global FIFA Interactive World Championship on the 1st of May. The grand prize of the Championship include 20 000 Euros and the title of FIWC world champion.

If all the nail-biting action wasn’t quite enough for you, DJ switch along with the gravity defying football freestylers and break-dancers were on hand to keep you entertained. Other highlights included visits from members of local rock band The Parlotones, Comedian Trevor Noah and Revin John from 94.7 Highveld Stereo.

This year’s event concluded as the most thrilling and well-attended local FIWC qualifier to date. All that’s left to do now is wish Collen Ndlovu the best of luck when he represents South Africa in the FIFA Interactive World Championship.

Posted by Brad Hutchinson Mar 09, 2010
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