Sprite Sheets

Video game playing is still on hold as game development has been a stressful use of my time lately. I have had to make all the sprite sheets and I had no idea how to make them going into this project, so I have had to re-size and re-do them quite a bit. It has been a learning experience for sure. I have also gained more technique in animation for this assignment, so that is always a good thing too. It has been rough the last little while because I accidentally stepped on my computer I stupidly left it right where I would step outta bed in the morning working late on my laptop. CRUNCH. The screen had big black spots all over it and lots of cracks. It was a bit hard to order a new one and install it myself, but alas, I put in a replacement screen good as new. I really wanted to vent about that because it was so frustrating haha. Anyway, here are some sprite sheets I have been working on. -->

PSP

I got a PSP a few years ago and neglect it usually until I go on a trip. I was fortunate to bum a trip off of my in-laws to Hawaii this past week, which I kinda shot myself in the foot for in regards to school. But I was able to take my PSP through all the airports and play. What a wonderful little device this is. I really need to play it more often, wow. It really seems to be under rated. I like that the mini-discs it uses come in cases, so wonderful! Why can't all media upgrade to this? Why are we still using crappy CD's for everything anyway?

I played a few games. I had a cool game called God of War I never got a chance to play since I have XBox. I got a new Metal Gear Solid game, I always have loved those, and the PSP one is awesome. I also have Tiger Woods Golf and it is pretty challenging!

I recommend a PSP to anyone that is thinking about getting one, they are really cool, and you can get all kinds of used games and movies for it really cheap. Plus you can get wifi on it and play games online. How cool is that!?

Game Development

The pressure has really been on in my classes and I haven't had a chance to pick up a controller. Gaming as of right now has been a development phase. I am designing a 2D game for my game development class called Rocket Climber. The game scrolls vertically as you rocket from platform to platform with limited fuel and enemies. It has been very challenging because I am the sole artist and I work with a programmer, and we have had a little over 2 months to make this, and the clock is ticking. I am now moving on to work on character animations, we may acquire a new guy to work on the HUD, and I have asked my best friend to help with some animations as well.

For now, I just got over my biggest challenge and that was making a repeatable panoramic background. The way I accomplished this was all broken into seperate tile pictures and then carefully making sure they line up and that some are able to be repeated. This is the panoramic of the background I have been working on:




Here is some character art:

Crackdown 2

Took a Crack at it
I have never played the first Crackdown, I never heard good things about it from my close friends so I never bothered. This game I saw a demo video for on xbox live and I saw the creator talk about it. I gameflyed it, because I thought maybe it was worth a shot.

Close Yet Far
The game doesn't necessarily disappoint, but it doesn't please so well either. It is a fun game don't get me wrong, but I think it doesn't exceed expectations in any way really. I think it was cool that the game went for a cel-shaded look, but it kinda seemed on the fence about it. Like it couldn't make up it's mind to look realistically 3D or cartooney and cell shaded. I thought that the online element was cool at first, until someone somehow got into my game, kept killing me repeatedly. and I had to get the menu to refresh on me every time I tried to figure out how to boot him. It got so annoying I turned the game off!

Annoying Stuff
The game was sorta annoying as well in that there was no cover system for the firefights. I also thought the tutorial in the beginning covered really stupid stuff, and not the things that would actually be useful in the game that it lacked to go over on the controller. The collectibles in the game were overwhelming in number and annoying. I also thought things got repetitive and there needed to be a story and some missions. Not just, connect the light beams around the city and then protect the hub and destroy zombie guys called, "freaks." The Colonel that narrated the whole time was VERY annoying and there is no option to silence him.

Still Proves to be Fun
Ok, so the game lacked some ingenuity, but it was kinda fun still. The basic physics of the game played out a little arcade like, but still were quite fun. The cars handled ok, and that was a relief after playing the past game I reviewed called Just Cause 2. Very similar title, but the cars were HORRIBLE and the cities were a plenty and loaded with races.

Game:
Art: 6.5/10- Solid animations, but it was unclear if it was supposed to be a cartoon cell shaded game, or realistic and just artsy
Story: 4/10-the game really followed no particular story, there was a beginning cut scene but no missions. You are an agent, you protect the beacons in the city, you kill zombies. That's...about...it.
Gameplay: A bit arcadey, online stuff more annoying than cool
Overall: 7/10
Pros: Pretty fun, worth a rental and maybe a few hours of time tops
Cons: Lots of annoying odds and ends to make you wanna stop playing and not pick up the controller again.

Halo Reach

Bungie Bangs
This is Bungie"s last game and as expected they went out with a bang. This is by far the best Halo and the most content rich than any other halo. The campaign has brilliant storytelling, Beautiful visuals (Night time on reach is stunning)and the hardest halo campaign yet and dont expect to have it easy with friends because each player you gain the higher the difficulty scales.

Firefight is Fun!
Firefight makes a return from ODST and now has matchmaking. Firefight is highly addictive, i have found myself playing more firefight than the campaign. The firefight maps are great, my personal favorites being beachfront and corvette. Firefight offers loads of customization this time around. If you want to be invincible and go on a grunt massacre you can or maybe you want to test your skills and go against hunters and elites with just a magnum and a sniper, the possibilities are massive.

 Armor Upgrades Add to Addiction
The multiplayer is better than ever with loads of armor customization that you earn with credits which can be earned in campaign and multiplayer(Your custom also appears as noble six in campaign. New game modes like invasion bring freshness to the multiplayer and the armor abilities are a great additions(JETPACKS!!!). I'm kinda bummed that there are not that many new original maps and most are remakes of old maps. Of course thats not bad thing a glad the brought back these maps(Ivory Tower).

Forge for the Innovative
The last and greatest addition is forge world, the ultimate map creation tool on any console. Forge world is a massive area for you to create whatever kind of map or gametype you want to make. Im looking foward to what master forgers are going to bring to the community. Kudos to bungie and there final outing to an amazing series. Bungie proves that they are one of the gretest game devolpers ever and they love their fans and community and we love them to.

Art/Animation: 10/10
Story: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

Pros: Typical fun online play, fun story, lots of new things that are a hit!
Cons: Some of the same old maps, miss some of the old things changed around.

Alan Wake

Different From Every Game
Over the break I actually didn't get as much time as I thought I would to lounge around and play this game. I put work before it instead since my boss offered me the extra hours haha. I have played it as far as chapter 3 in the game though. I must say that overall this game is pretty impressive, and not the usual type of game I play, and seems different from any game really.

What is so Likable
What is so likable about this game is that for one, the graphics are simply beautiful. This game has really pushed the envelope, and it being a scary game, it really adds to the creepiness. The game has the best story of any I have played, so good in fact, that it is the main component of the game. This is because Alan is a writer in an escape to a small town. So far the story is kind of unraveling as you play and you find missing pages to Alan's manuscript throughout that eerily tell the outcomes of events to happen. The other really cool part about this game is although it follows a traditional linear level design, it still feels like you are in an open world, very few games accomplish this as well as this one does I think. I also have lived in Washington for awhile (where this game is based in) and they really captured the creepiness of how it feels to be out in the woods at night there.

What Could Be Better
This game seemed like it was almost so focused on the story, that it detracted a little from the gameplay. I would find a random radio, a TV, or a manuscript and it would read or play on for a good two and a half minutes. In game time, where you seem to be on the go, it feels like an eternity. The other thing is that it seems to get a little repetitive at times. It seems like I am ALWAYS running through the forest from something to find something and that's about it. I always come across an abandoned house that sometimes looks the same, or an obvious off trail I should follow to get a powerup, that usually isn't the best thing in the world like a flare gun to ward off dark spirits. I also wish that I could use a first person mode to shoot at things, the third person shooting is ok, but I feel it needs something and I don't know what.

Hooked
So far the game has me aching for more, and I usually finish about a chapter a night in my break time among homework. It is great because the "chapter" sense gives the player a recap of what happened in the story. Very smart, and something I often wish more games did, because it is hard to follow a 16 hour stretched out story in one sitting. I suppose it can get annoying that I can't skip the recap video when I do play through say two chapters, but that is small potatoes.

Overall: 9/10
Graphics: 10
Gameplay: 9.5
Story: 10+

Pros: Really solid story, awesome attention to detail, really unique game.
Cons: Bit more level depth, less time on things to stall upon to keep flow consistent.

Red Dead Redemption

If You Play Games, You Must Play This Game.
I actually purchased this game on it's release back in May, but since I still play it, I think it deserves a review, or does it? I honestly find it hard to say what I don't like about this game. I really geek out to gritty Clint Eastwood westerns and the Grand Theft Auto series. So when you combine the two, you basically make the best video game ever made. The video game Gun had originally stolen my heart on this, but then this game came through strongly on the 1upmanship.

Cons Few and Afar
I will name the cons to the game, even though they don't detract from it much. I thought it was a little silly for a lone gunman to collect flowers around the frontier. It was a real time consumer as well if one collected all the different types and quantities. The other thing that was kind of cumbersome was how it would cut to a cinematic every time you would skin an animal instead of just saying you collected a skin. It was worse how you would go into town to the trading store and have to sell everything and buy everything one by one and not it large quantities. At first the game was kinda fun in that it was so vast and how so much to uncover, but it can actually get annoying to ride a horse to long lengths around the great frontier. Luckily though the game had a warp where you could set up camp and get transported anywhere on the map. The one other thing is I thought the story was good, but could have been better. Gun had this game beat on that aspect. I also missed how there wasn't any Indians like there was in gun, or a bow and arrow. There wasn't swimming like unto similar Rockstar games. Lastly, although the graphics were phenomenal, the characters eyes still have that weird buggy look that hasn't been quite nailed in games yet.

Red Dead Addiction
The pros to this game will be hard to summarize because there was so much, and so much to the online play as well. Fun mini games, unlockables, horse racing, shootouts, side missions and accomplishments. The graphics I practically drooled over in this game with my jaw open. The rolling plains, epic sunsets, sweeping vistas, textures, waterfalls, animals and the physics. It was fun to compare scores with friends and other players with an elite membership to the Red Dead Social Club. The game is so addictive it is almost like a drug. So hard not to pop it in and play instead of do homework like a student should. The Grand Theft Auto series didn't quite nail the online play, but this game did. I love love love playing it online, and it has great rewards to when you rank up, fun co-op and great variety of games.

I give this game 10/10 overall.
Pros: Almost all things are pro, especially all the DLC
Cons: Very few, but could use a tad bit better of a story, and could shorten some lengthy things.