Be Excellent To Each Other

Christ almighty...

I particularly liked the part with two squishing devices, one where you had to stand in the middle, one where you had to avoid the middle. Only way to find this out? Squishty squish.

I mainly completed it so that I could remove it from my hard drive, never to return.

Yeah, that was pretty much the nadir for me. It looks pretty but it's trial and error nonsense.

There are a lot of unavoidable deaths but seconds later you're put back to the bit right before you died and you don't die the second time because you know what to do. It's barely an inconvenience mechanically, and it just means you stop thinking of death as a failure state so much as a tutorial of sorts for what to do right. I played through twice on the Xbox and once on my phone and thoroughly enjoyed it in all cases without ever worrying about how often I died; and I say that as someone who often gets enormously frustrated with dying in game if I feel there was little I could've done.

I don't mind dying in a game due to lack of skill (see Spelunky et al), but dying because you can't anticipate what's coming up because it's totally random? No thanks.

I would agree if dying meant resetting a whole load of progress, nothing would get a game deleted faster for me. Due to the checkpointing though you rarely lose anything more than a few seconds so it's not much of a consequence. I dunno, in principle I understand the objections but in practise, with this particular game, the deaths just didn't carry any weight for me. I knew when approaching a particular section I was very probably about to die but that just became part of the game for me. The next hazard is demonstrated to you via the medium of killing you and then the subsequent goes were the 'real' ones where you actually had the information required to actively play the game. Like, when some games begin a level by having the camera pan through the stage showing you the route you're up against, but this time the preview mechanism is death. I realise that sounds like I'm just being an apologist for poor game design but it's genuinely how I felt when playing it. Something about the design and atmosphere and the almost inevitability of dying brought it all together in a way that I was quite happy with.

So what is the skill to it? It's just remembering to do the opposite of what you did last time. It's boring. Let's face it, if it didn't have the aesthetic it does, no one would have given a shit about it. It does look very pretty.

This guy plays the exact same trap sequence and dies twice.

It all starts at 7 mins 10 seconds.

He dies twice and completes the traps by 7 minutes 30 seconds.

20 seconds later. 20. Seconds.

So it's entirely trial and error, glad we agree.

That one section is. How many times did you die playing Super Meat Boy on the harder levels before figuring out the correct path?

I've got to agree with the Limbo supporters. Rick Dangerous killed you and it mattered, because you had eight live. Limbo kills you and you go "huh" and work out how to move on. It's a puzzle game, and dying is part of working out the puzzle.

The difference is that when I beat a hard Meat Level, I feel mighty (see also: Dark souls)

When I beat one of limbos trial and error puzzles, I just feel like they've wasted my time. Because there's no challenge to the solution.

Well I enjoyed it both times through. I hope this teaches you a lesson.

If the puzzles were the star of the show I might agree. Or I might not, because Thomas was Alone was simple as shit but that was vaguely enjoyable in spite of how simple it was. You want to play a puzzle game, play Mr Chips; you want a moody atmospheric platform-lite game, play LIMBO. If LIMBO's world doesn't pull you in then you won't want to see what's next for the lad and you won't enjoy it, and that's your prerogative of course (Nowt wrong with that), but complaining the puzzles aren't challenging is rather missing the point. Neither was ICO, Another World, Flashback, Thomas was Alone, Christ, loads of games these days are on the wrong side of piss easy. But if the world created through the unique (award winning) art style, the ambient soundtrack, the spooky characters and settings wasn't pulling you forwards such that you wanted to see the next screen in between a couple of seconds of death and a restart about two inches from where you were standing then you were never going to enjoy this.

*all the applause in the world*

The aesthetic was pleasant enough, but if the puzzles aren't the point of the game, what is? It doesn't have much else. It's a very thin, nice-looking game, but beneath the veneer is nothing much at all. Ok if you like that sort of thing, but I prefer more a bit more substance.

I'm sure you've said in the past that you enjoy 'walking simulator' games, couldn't the same be said about them?

If there's much variance away from monochrome and foggy, I didn't see it. Certainly didn't feel very explorey to me.

I love them precisely because you can explore and get lost. In this you just walk left to right.

You know what my favourite part of Dear Ester was? Getting lost. Where am I going so slowly? I don't know? This is so much fun. Hang on, this isn't the way, this is a dead end. Back I go. So. Very. Slowly. Over terrain I've already seen. This is the bomb.

That was me playing Dear Ester, by the way.

EDIT: It's not really fair to compare platform games to walking simulators, mind. You can compare Doom and Pacman all you like but it's stupid.

Yeah, I wasn't the one to do that. The person defending you was.

He's not defending me. He's got his own opinion which just so happens to be widely held with the majority of people who have played Limbo.

Why are you so upset other people might have a different opinion to you? You're almost as bad as gamergaters who believe in the Holy Metacritic Bible.

No one ever claimed you said it so I'm not sure what you're facepalming at here. And I wasn't directly comparing the two types of game so much as I was pointing out that your criticism could be applied to both. Your response to that about exploration vs linearity is fair comment of course.

Im not upset. Does it sound like I'm upset? I didn't mean to. We can challenge other people's opinions with a conflicting viewpoint without it descending into the politics thread, can't we? Course we can. I wubs you guys.

Of course, I am gently ribbing you.

Not like that.

No... Fight. Then, kiss.

He's also gently Bumming you.

Just like that.

In his mind.

Why do you have to explain my jokes?

Remember when we used to finish games?

I've been rubbish this year! Playing too many games that don't actually end.

I finished Limbo. I didn't like it.

Me either.

You ain't finished it though. Loser.

Does it get better?

Nah. It gets worse.

Might not bother then

You lazy cunt.

Too busy playing Destiny

Hey, whattayaknow, The Beginner's Guide is -40% in the Steam sale!

Yoink!

1. Crysis (PC)
2. Octodad (PC)
3. Crysis Warhead (PC)
4. Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PC)
5. The Evil Within (PC)
6. Torchlight (PC)
7. Mass Effect (PC)
8. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC)
9. Tomb Raider: Underworld (PC)
10. Monument Valley (Android)
11. Impossible Mission (Commodore 64)
12. The Tender Cut (PC)
13. Far Cry 3 (PC)
14. LIMBO (PC)
15. Fallout 3 (PC)
16. Project Zero II (PlayStation 2)
17. 3D Out Run (Nintendo 3DS)
18. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Game Boy Advance)
19. Trine (PC)
20. The Talos Principle (PC)
21. God of War III (PS3)
22. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation)
23. The Last of Us: Left Behind (PS3)
24. LIMBO (Xbox 360)
25. The Beginner's Guide (PC)

I wouldn't really consider this a game at all, rather an interactive work of art a la Dear Esther, only much more interesting, thought provoking and inspirational than that. Although it is a game (or collection of games) according to its own use of the term. Oh well. I do enjoy these things in any case, especially if they're good, which this is.

I'm not really sure what this is a comment on. You seem to have understood the opposite of what I wrote than what I meant.

Well, let's try and sort this out.

Firstly, The Beginner's Guide repeatedly refers to the tableaus it presents as games, thereby giving me the impression that the author felt that this is the right term for them, and that this is intended to support the claim that video games can be art. But I just personally don't think that they can be called games at all.

Secondly,

In the end it doesn't matter, points are made, issues of purpose and meaning are pondered.

101. Renegade Ops
102. Mystery of the Ancients: Three Guardians
103. X-Men: Days of Future Past
104. The Typing of the Dead: Overkill
105. Tales from the Borderlands
106. And Yet It Moves
107. Spooky's House of Jumpscares
108. Incredible Jack
109. Monzo
110. Devious Dungeons 2: the equally excellent sequel to an excellent Android action platformer made by the same guys who did the Random Heroes and League of Heroes series'. My comments from the original game last year pretty much cover it so here's what I had to say: "As it's a swords 'n' sorcery theme this time round your character has melee attacks only which actually brings quite a lot of strategy to how you approach the difference enemy types (especially as a few of them can fling projectiles which puts you in some very vulnerable positions) and the procedurally created levels keeps things fresh. It's got an odd structure though in that you only get to 'save' every three levels so if you die on, say, level three you'd go back to level one again on restart. You keep any cash/XP you've earned though so you're basically grinding and upgrading as you go. It starts off pretty easy but the last set of levels are a stiff challenge such that you find yourself running for the exit door as soon as you've found the relevant key rather than exploring and looting the entire level as you do when things are easier. Fun stuff with excellent controls and comes recommended, especially if you like their house style." The only real deviation here is that you've got a choice of three characters this time round who have different abilities (a rogue who has a double jump; a mage who has a projectile attack and a 'float' move; and a barbarian who just get more health and takes less damage) which adds a bit of variety.

49. Max Payne 3 (PC)

What a game. It feels much better returning to it after all these years (May 2012 it was released apparently) for a second go. I can understand why I enjoyed it so much the first time and now I allowed myself to enjoy it more. Why sit behind cover popping up and taking shots when you can dart around cover, flank your enemies and flail around in the air shooting genuinely bad baddies. Unlike, say, Black Ops 3, I knew who were the villans here. It was the paramilitary. No, it was the rudebwoys. No, it was the local policia. Actually it was absolutely every single male character.

I almost never play any game twice unless it is something special to me so it was really nice to allow myself to take a look around the environments and take in everything that Rockstar had made. And they made a lot. I looked for a while at a table where the occupants (now dead) had been playing poker. There was cigarettes burning, an ash tray, cards laid out on the deck looking like the occupants (now super dead) had been interrupted mid-game, some food on the table, drinks. It was a small slice of a world that had been crafted to perfection. It looks groovy tarted up on PC and runs like a dream, but the small incidental details are almost insane. I couldn't figure out why for the life of me they had gone to such trouble to set up this one table as they had. That lead me to just walk up to things and look closely at them. Some guy's desk, boxes stacked in the favela, and so on. What really blew my mind however was in the New York level when you exit the bar and some goons are huddled around parked cars. You blow them away and proceed up the alley. There is no need to look behind you at any time. Nothing comes behind you and the enemies are always in front and after you go up the alley a cut scene leads you up to another section which means you cannot return to this place.

... but if you turn around and look up there's a billboard on top of the bar. The advert isn't funny or clever or anything, it's just a billboard and rather pointless but you really have to look for it to notice it. Clearly a bit of effort had gone into it but they could have easily not done anything. It just amazed me that they went to the time and effort and I'm glad I did this second playthrough to appreciate some of what they did.

I feel like I've missed loads from GTAV but it's so huge I know I don't have the patience just to go find all the details, but here I can take my time wander about and shoot goons in the face in slow motion (which is still great. Especially if you get that last kill when you're about dead. It's like a big fuck you to the dead guy). Mind you, I did see that skate park in GTA V out in the middle of nowhere that was tagged up and looked the tits. I think an alien piece was near it but you wouldn't otherwise go anywhere near it on the campaign. That was lovely.

Oh, and the last level in the airport. Did you know that the outside world is largely blurred due to the effect of the windows? But walk up to the windows and there is a whole world out there with planes and shit. Seriously, you almost never even point in the direction of those windows since no goons come from outside - they come from in front and down the side where the shops are - and you need to walk right next to the windows to adequately see out. Why do it? It's just ace. Yeah, yeah, loads of games do shit like this, but not on this scale.

I've read the Rockstar are going to do a sequel to Red Dead Redemption next, and I'm happy about that, but I hope they don't forget about Max Payne. Or Manhunt. Do a Manhunt thing please, Rockstar. That'd surprise everyone and I would get almost get as excited for that as I feel about The Last Guardian. And a Max Payne. Thanks.

Anyway, MP3 was a 8/10 for me. It's got better with a second playthrough: 9/10.

50. The Beginner's Guide (PC)

I didn't care for it, to be honest. At one point, where the author of a game discusses loneliness I was being sucked in and I found myself replying to questions honestly and sincerely as I felt at right this moment in time, but when the moment was gone (and it went quickly), the moment was lost.

I found the narration over-taking the "game" at a couple of times so I had to stop touching the controller until he'd finished talking. The narration was necessary, but a couple of times I wished the games were something more interesting than they are: very basic graphics, walk forward/backwards and occasionally click a button. I get that it's trying to illustrate a number of sad themes but it's verging on just being a collection of basic geometry with the complexity added by the narration.

You are in a white room. A black rectangle is in front of you representing a door. You try and walk through the door but you can't go through. You spin and spin around pushing against the door. You can actually walk "behind" the black rectangle and find the other side of the door is grey and opens when you push against it. "NOT EVERYTHING IS BLACK AND WHITE" says the narrator. Yeah, I should be consulted about the sequel.

That's not part of the game, by the way. I just made it up as an illustration of what happens. This is probably the type of game I'd enjoy reading about afterwards but I'd really struggle to recommend to anyone at all.