The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[Syt]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/09/10/impressions-valiant-hearts/

Valiant Hearts: The Great War doesn't look like a war game.

And that's because, to hear the folks at Ubisoft Montpellier tell it, it's really not. World War I is the backdrop, but beyond that, the adventure puzzler is kind of like The Walking Dead. Characters come first, and typical tropes of the genre shamble in at the back of the pack or don't show up at all.

And yet, despite the cartoony art style and focus on heartfelt interactions over shooting until eagles cry and Uncle Sam gives you his beard as a trophy, Valiant Hearts really isn't much like Walking Dead either. Dialogue is nearly non-existent, with Ubi instead opting to take inspiration from the likes of Machinarium to produce a mixture of audio cues and visual language.

It's a minimal approach, but it may well end up being all the more affecting for that reason. The story will focus on five characters – a French prisoner of war, an American volunteer fighting in the name of his deceased wife, a medic beset on all sides by the horrors of war, a British aviator who lied about knowing how to fly, and a lovesick German soldier – and their intertwined tales, all of which involve the aforementioned Battle Puppy in some way or another.

It's a great setup in a surprisingly underused (at least, by games) setting, and it's rooted in real tales from the time. Producer Yoan Fanise even brought along actual letters sent by his great grandfather from the frontlines, many of which directly inspired scenes in the game. He positively buzzed with energy as he flipped through his stack of photos and postcards, eventually producing his great grandfather's worn, barely legible dogtag. He survived the war, thank goodness, but it was still a chilling sight to behold.

Moments later, we encountered the very same dogtag in-game, presumably in much better shape than the body that once wore it. The French POW, Emile, began his section peeling potatoes and wheeling massive stew cauldrons as Germans guffawed and chomped on pretzels (the game certainly isn't without its lighthearted moments) in the background. Then some kind of huge blast hit, and the laughing stopped. And so did everything else.

Emile nearly got a headstart on the whole "being six-feet-under" thing that dead people like to do so much, but he was rescued by Valiant Hearts' loyal canine companion. Tugged from the snow-strewn rubble, he then pet the Red Cross wonder-pup (something you can do any time you feel like it) and played fetch with him using what – in retrospect – I'm fairly sure was a human leg bone. At the time, however, I was just like, "D'AAAAAAWLOOKITTHEFURRYTHING" – proving that, even during times of haunting madness and total emotional destruction, adorable fuzzy creatures still drop the average human IQ by at least ten points.

Emile's section was otherwise simple, but it was more about establishing a tone and flavor than leaving armies of brain cells bleeding in craters from mortar blasts of obtuse puzzles. Before long, he dug up a dogtag and – sure enough – it was an exact replica of the one resting in Fanise's clenched fist. The game treated it not as some monumental occasion, but as a rather matter-of-fact truth. "If things had gone a bit differently," it seemed to say, "this game's creator might not even exist today."

As Emile approached the remains of a transport track, he balanced a section that could no longer support his weight by dragging a mine cart onto one end of it. Then he lurched his way to the top to survey the war waging below. The remains of a massive anti-air gun watched alongside him, unfeeling, as a terrifyingly colossal zeppelin rolled into view – eclipsing even the dreary clouds that eclipsed the sun. The moment left me feeling positively puny. I'm pretty sure that was the point.

American volunteer Freddie's demo section was even shorter, and thankfully a bit easier on my not-so-valiant heart. Fanise explained that each character has different puzzle-solving abilities, and all the while Freddie clipped his way through barbed-wire fences, hurled explosives, and generally did his best to survive in a paradoxically green, lively field. He was no Rambo, however, so his (still rather simple) puzzle involved waiting for a gun emplacement to reload so he could climb up behind it, stealth past another soldier, and then drop down and wire an entire bridge to explode. That was the end of his admittedly less impressive bit, but Fanise promised much more complexity in later areas.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War certainly looks impressive, but the demo only clomped around on the surface of what has the potential to be an extremely deep, nuanced look at a wildly complex subject. Simply talking to the Fanise revealed the crushingly powerful passion driving this project, and though the team is only ten people strong, there's an excellent pedigree behind it. This one certainly isn't at a lack for promise, is what I'm saying. But can it follow through? Sadly, I didn't see enough to get a positive read one way or the other. I'm crossing my fingers until my bones ache, but the rest is up to Ubisoft. Valiant Hearts will be out sometime next year.

But hey, if nothing else, at least it's got a really, really great dog. Sorry, Riley. You're already old news.

[barkdreg]

Looks great. I'm definitely getting this game.

[DontSayBanana]

Space Engineers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3b9e_KWO-I

Basically Minecraft IN SPACE without the blocky graphics and with a physics engine.

Me likey.

I just noticed that one of the ships in the big ship collision demo was a Republic Cruiser from Star Wars: Episode I.  That says good things about flexibility in the construction.  Better believe I'll be buying it and making some damn Lancers and Carrack Cruisers.

[Habbaku]

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gods-will-be-watching

The Gods Will Be Watching folks hit their goal and then some.  Can't wait.   

[Syt]

Destructoid pointed out that Second Life is still going. I had a look at their website (never tried it) and looked at their world map.

http://maps.secondlife.com/

On the left there's:

Destination Guide PicksTake a look at some of the best places we've found in Second Life

Top destination:

RoseWould Plantation Sex & Swingers Club (A)

A lush plantation with destinations mimicking sites in the commonwealth of Kentucky, USA. They offer true southern hospitality and...

[Tamas]

Espana 1936 is out. Here is an AAR to see how it is:
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?32101-España-1936-a-beta-AAR

[MadImmortalMan]

The John Romero classic Daikatana is up on Steam for $6.99. 

[Ed Anger]

Hmmm,stuff from Matrix/Slitherne/Ageod or Dickitana.

Decisions, decisions......

[Tamas]

I am actually starting to grow tired of RPS covering all those Kickstarter and indiegogo titles.

I get all interested or even excited just to realize the "game" they tout is little more than a concept in somebody`s head.

[Ed Anger]

I'm tired of 'indie' games in general.

[CountDeMoney]

Hmmm,stuff from Matrix/Slitherne/Ageod or Dickitana.

Decisions, decisions......

Lulz, matrix...for somebody allegedly smart enough to have shit fall on him for cash, you sure make some repeat errors in judgment sometimes.

[Ed Anger]

I don't think you got it.

[CountDeMoney]

Then use the appropiate smiley.

[Habbaku]

The Darkest Dungeon :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AQLxdHfMPF8

The concept behind Darkest Dungeon is to put the dungeon back in "dungeon crawler."  The environment itself is an antagonist - a scary, haunted place where your chances of survival are slim, hordes of terrifying monsters notwithstanding.

To pay that out, we're focusing not just on exploring miles of subterranean sepulchres, but on the effects those abysmal environs have on the psyches of the party members.  We envision a dungeon adventure where characters are more than a sum of their stat-heavy gear, because let's face it, a Sword of Smashing +2 doesn't mean much in the hands of a catatonic coward.

Each and every adventurer you recruit will develop a unique combination of predispositions, proclivities, flaws and strengths - factors that must be carefully considered when forming a party and leading it through horrific environs.  Furthermore, how you perfom in the dungeon will have lasting and impactful consequences on their continued development.  You are put smack-dab in the role of a squad leader or sports team manager, doing your best to keep the human factors from fracturing your team or destroying their effectiveness.

In short, we want to create the kind of team interaction and tension that arises in the most desperate situations.  We want Hudson's panic from 'Aliens', MacReady's booze-battling from 'The Thing', James's detached sadism from 'The Hurt Locker'.  We want you to manage a party of human heroes faced with almost insurmountable odds.  If you can lead them to victory, you'll have earned it.

Shows promise.

[CountDeMoney]

Sounds like crap.

As far as dungeon crawlers go, they broke the mold with Phantasie I and II.