Video Games Archives | Page 19 Of 43

Not Quite in Rhythm with, than of the Universe: Ionia

It’s a reasonable enough product for one play through.

Available for the
PC (on Steam), PS4 and Oculus

Disclaimer: The PlayStation version was provided for evaluation

The VR game, Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia is an intro to a grander project that’s still in development. The potential hasn’t been pushed because the graphics have to be easy to migrate from PC to the PSVR and Oculus platforms. This product is developed through Unity, and I hope what’s offered next will be an improvement when compared to what this sampler offers. Hopefully by then, ROTU Entertainment will have figured out the issues.

The developers recommendation is a mid-tier PC with the HTC Vive as the headset of choice. I understand why this rig is the best. When the computer is powered by the best high-end video cards, the in-game visuals can sparkle. The highly positionable base stations (cameras) for this particular VR rig do a better job to make wandering around in Ionia feel more natural. I visited a friend’s home with a proper setup to get a taste of what the developers really intended.

The Oculus uses 6DOF motion tracking and the PSVR uses a stereo camera with a lighted head unit to compute where people are. Sadly, the controls with the Sony unit are clunky. Grabbing onto virtual items and trying to use them isn’t as fluid. Stray off camera, and tracking is lost. Using the PS Move controller to play the xylophone was hard. If you’re not in the sweet spot, it’s easy to appear through objects and not be able to drum. This crucial part needs improved error detection. I had to often reset.

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Pokemon GO in 2022

Unless players are keeping tabs on the latest news, it’s easy to miss out on when specific pocket monsters will make appearances

Pokemon GO isn’t off to a good start in 2022. Players are getting a mix of both worlds; the developer of the game, Niantic, believes everyone is returning outside to play but not everyone truly is! Some parts of the world are knee-deep in pandemic woes, and are self-isolating. Also, what’s offered in the coming weeks feels tailored towards new players rather than old. Where’s those missing Pokemon for those wanting to complete their PokeDEX? And why can’t we have other options to gather coins?

Two Community Days for grabbing Spheal and Bulbasaur were not terribly exciting. According to reports, this cute walrus type beast is worthless in combat situations. It’s not recognized in the meta and it’s a shame I can’t harvest all that ivory and convert that into coins. I also get the sense the next one won’t be as exciting (confirmed in update: Hoppip? Really?) As for the plant-based pocket monster, I was semi-excited to go grinding for mega candy. I thought the shorter three-hour window made more sense so an entire day is not wasted with a game.

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RPG Dice: Heroes of Whitestone is a Rollin’ Experience

RPG Dice: Heroes of Whitestone Launch Trailer #shorts - YouTube Available on iOS and Android

Avid Dungeons and Dragons players have lots of options when wanting to find a similar experience in a digital video game. From official products like Baldur’s Gate, which puts the player first and persistent “Living” campaigns where it encourages strategy (and regular check-ins), the gambit is wide and varied.

WIMO Games has joined this world with RPG Dice: Heroes of Whitestone™. This game combines traditional board game style mechanics (navigating around like in Monopoly and getting cards which offer options in how to continue) with role playing type elements. Depending on the tile your team lands in, you either find treasure, get an encounter, progress through the story (like in a choose your own adventure novel) or have a chance to win more goodies to make your characters stronger. I recommend playing this game on a tablet than smartphone. The amount of details in the cartoon style graphics and all the buttons you’re navigating through doesn’t work well on a small screen.

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How Atari can Recharge Itself in 2022

Hopefully, Atari Inc. has plans for more Recharged video games

Hopefully, Atari Inc. has plans for more Recharged video games. Last year’s releases by software developors Adamvision and Sneakybox Studios had a nice theme going with Centipede and Black Widow before going to space. The last title was Asteroids Recharged. In what I hope to see coming up are even more adaptations of their classic vector-based games like:

Battlezone

This version is a no-brainer for the simple reason most modern controllers have two sticks built in. It makes players feel like they’re in the tank, and they can slowly navigate their way in a landscape populated by the enemy.

I’ve played Battlezone Gold (released 2018) and VR (2016) enough times to know they are graphically richer experiences, but sometimes all I want is the basics. There’s just something to that old vector style look which has me feel like I’m navigating an old vehicle. I also think it’d be cool to use those power-ups from the previous games imagined from a fresh new first person perspective.

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Atari’s Asteroids is Reloaded and Caught Between A Rock and a Hard Place

Anyone who has played the original Asteroids will find Asteroids Recharged settings for button mashing very unnatural.

Asteroids Recharged

Available for Nintendo Switch, PS4/5 and Xbox

Anyone who has played the original Asteroids will find Asteroids Recharged settings for button mashing very unnatural. That’s because long time players of this game have grown accustomed to pushing buttons to aim and steer the spacecraft to shoot away these rocks in space. Even with the many versions available on the Internet (sometimes called Atari Reloaded), I’m more inclined to load up those takes than to play the official product.

My skill with the original and Atari 2600 lets me get farther. To put this game on a stick is odd. I need my buttons! At least some of them can be assignable through system preferences. But having a reconfigured setup plays better on an arcade fight stick. Also, I’d require a cabinet sized spread than a small one, which I picked up on Amazon to test if my theory is true, and I’ve lasted longer.

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Getting Back to Nature with Matt DesLaurier’s Wayfinder

Wayfinder Production Art Available on Apple Store and online.

Anyone who wants to take Matt DesLauriers’ Wayfinder art game on the go can now play it on iOS! This game is something I’m sure Hayao Miyazaki would endorse, as it’s rich world is filled with serene wonder and beauty. You’re wandering through a forest, and encountering everything a natural world can offer. The objects you’re supposed to find don’t pop up right away, but when you do and use them, areas will come alive and you’ll feel like you are experiencing the ‘sound of music.’

This program blurs the line between video game, animated short and interactive poem and lets the player create the experience “from the ground up.”

From the press release:

Symbolizing the give-and-take relationship humans have with nature, players move a mystical character through forest, grasslands and tundra in search of poetic tokens dotting the landscape. When activated, they reveal words hidden in the wind, breathing new life into the nearby flora and fauna. Leaves stir and flowers spring up in the character’s footsteps. Birds and butterflies emerge. As the player continues on their journey, these uncovered words combine into verse, expressing our eternal need to capture nature’s fleeting moments in poetry.

This program originally launched June 16th, on NFB.ca and Wayfinder captures nature’s fading memories before they’re gone forever.

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