Hello and welcome to the first Awesome Friday Games Podcast of 2022! This week I’m discussing two games that are connected to graphics vs. mechanics. Hey! Listen!
Continue reading “Awesome Friday Games Podcast: ‘JETT The Far Shore’ and ‘Vampire Survivors’”
Welcome to the new episode of the Awesome Friday Games Podcast! And as you can see from the title, this week it’s all Halo, all the time. There’s a little reflection on Halo’s significance on its release in 2001, then a look at Halo Infinite and how it compares to the divisive Halo 4. Enjoy!
Continue reading “Awesome Friday Games Podcast: ‘Halo Infinite’ & ‘Halo 4’”
It’s time to interrupt the endless barrage of Christmas calories
that I seem intent on shoving down my throat as quickly as possible
seriously, it’s like Gluttony Man in Se7en
but I don’t have my body tied down,
my arms are wilfully ladling anything alcoholic or sweet or tasty into my mouth
like it’s going out of fashion
to round up what I think have been my personal favourite games and movies of 2013.
Continue reading “Simon’s Best Games And Movies Of The Year”
My Maserati is silver-grey with a blood red stripe running from its beautiful head down to the nape of its back. With the accelerator pushed hard against the carpeted floor it makes the sound of a dozen screaming harpies. It fights gravity until the rubber melts into tarmac and pushes me forward, turning fences and faces into warping blurs. The perfect corner is part total mechanical control, part gamble that the lip of my fender will slip effortlessly past the barrier just inches away as the chassis rolls into position for the outward curve. Get it wrong and the jarring shutter of failure crunches and frustrates, time piling on to ruin dreams of slicing away personal records. Get it right, though, and the mercury flow of movement is just sheer bliss. Oh, I don’t own a Maserati, but I drive one, just not on the gridded streets of Vancouver. Or any physical streets, really. She – *of course it’s a “she”* – exists purely within my save file for *Forza Motorsport 3*, nestled deep within the digital confines of my Xbox 360, and will remain there until the day a certain disk gives me the chance to take her for a spin again.
Soooooooo this is a thing that’s happening. Given how underwhelming the PS4 announcement was, and also considering the rumours of things like it not being backwards compatible and always needs to be online I can’t say that I am too terribly excited.
Which is a shame because I’d like to be excited. I like my XBOX 360, but if it turns out that Microsoft is selling a replacement instead of an upgrade I’ll probably go back to PC gaming and never look back.
Well, maybe not never.
I’ve always been addicted to Geometry Wars in all its forms and hold up Retro Evolved 2 as my favourite twin-stick shooter. Bizarre Creations showed how to get the perfect mix, with tight controls, enemy variety and lip-bitingly tight spaces to squeeze your ship through. It’s fair to say that every GW clone that has been released since then has each fallen wide of the mark. Whether it was the pace of movement, the connection between finger, stick and ship or the design of the fighters, there’s never been a similarly-designed game that’s been able to replicate the raw thrill of Geometry Wars.
I was therefore ready to be disappointed with Grid Space Shooter. Xbox Live Indie Games have been a real mixed bag – with a few notable exceptions, it’s not been the hive of quality that was promised at the beginning. There have been a fair number of moves to cover GW’s bases, neon lines attempting to hide the lack of inspiration in design. My expectations were low.
What a beautiful surprise, then, to wade into Grid Space Shooter only to find it’s tight, frenetic and beautiful. After a gentle tutorial to cover the basics – ship choices, special weapons, controls – it’s into the first level of a series that quickly ups the ante. Enemy ship designs are distinct and varied, each having an unique look that quickly becomes synonymous with their movements and quirks. From tiny pulsing globes to giant motherships (and even something that looks like Ghostbusters’ Slimer with a shield and sword), it’s a real treat to see so many enemies on screen without performance taking any kind of hit. As the levels unfold, new weapons and power-ups appear (both for you and your enemies), until the screen is a bleeding tangle of lasers and danger.
The barrage of weapons is where Grid Space Shooter makes itself distinct from all the twin-stick shooters that have come before, even from Geometry Wars. It’s clear that bullet hell games such as Ikaruga have had an equal impact in design, as the higher levels need pixel-perfect manoeuvring skills to stay alive. It’s a testament to GSS that this never feels unfair or unresponsive, with control of your ship feeling incredibly tight yet free and glossy. Weapons come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, each with a tangible impact as they hit. My favourite is the Microwave gun. Oh yes.
Alongside the regular mode is an Arcade option that is purely about highscores on a table, perfect for a friendly rivalry. However, past the one-upmanship there’s even a two-player co-op option in the main game, screen split down the middle for maximum destruction. It’s all such an attractive package and, for just 80MSP, it’s an absolute steal.
Highly recommended, then. It doesn’t carry the immediacy of Geometry Wars’ shorter, more focused gameplay, but Grid Space Shooter brings to the table enough variety, style and prolonged excitement to actually threaten the template. Fire up the Xbox, treat yourself, and go find the Microwave gun.
Grid Space Shooter, Xbox Live Indie Games, 80MSP –
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