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28.4.11
We have entered a new age of gaming. Gone are the things that I grew up with; cartridges, discs, memory cards and controllers are things of the past. What we now have is a generation of gaming-capable devices, that are completely digital and rely entirely on touch-based input. I am, of course, saddened to see the things I grew up with disappear, but I am a modern person and I welcome these new devices. It's these new gadgets that bring progress and help to extraordinarily change and enolve the industry. If you had asked me ten years ago what I thought the gaming industry would be like, I would almost certainly have described it being essentially the same as it was way back in 2001.
That said, I also thought the Xbox would never catch on as a games console.
So when the iPad 2 arrived on my doorstep, I was prepared for something outside my comfort zone. The first thing that comes to mind when you take the iPad out of the box is how elegant and majestic it looks. It is an extraordinary example of function following form. Compared to the computers of the past 50 years, the iPad is the equivalent of an elegant Georgian building, compared to a modern functionalist one. The iPad is a triumph of minimalism, but also of beauty. It's a slight ray of hope in an an age that lacks beauty.
It's The Four Courts, an opulent Georgian building in Dublin's city centre, compared to the Unité d'Habitation in Berlin.
These things, however, have no bearing on how good the iPad is at gaming. As the subject of this piece is on the iPad as a gaming device, for the time being, I shall henceforth not mention things superfluous to gaming. The first game I tested on the iPad was LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. It's a game which provides two methods of control; the first is similar to the one used in point and click games, whereby you move your character by tapping on the screen according to where you want your character to move. The second method used a virtual D-pad on the screen. Whilst the first method was extremely precise, it felt unnatural in a game like LEGO Harry Potter. The second method had no such problem, feeling very natural, but unfortunately made the iPad very cumbersome and after a while my hand began to get sore. The screen and the touch interface in LEGO Harry Potter are used very well, and the picture quality is superb; it wouldn't look out-of-place on a home console.
The second game that I tested on the iPad was Fruit Ninja HD. Fruit Ninja, despite being a simple game, feels much more natural on the iPad that its iPhone counterpart. The picture quality is somewhat hazy, however, a problem of the game itself, rather than one with the iPad. Aside from that, the game's control scheme feels very natural and responsive. The crowing achievement, though, is the multi-touch functionality of the iPad, which makes stringing combos easy but also somewhat hectic and incredibly enjoyable.
The third game that I tested was World of Goo. This game is a triumph for the iPad. When playing, one would not notice that it was originally a PC game; the control and the visual display are so perfect that I would consider World of Goo an essential application for all iPad owners.
You may be wondering how I can judge a device based on three applications. I haven't; instead, I've tested the iPad with at least twenty other applications and games. The iPad is a fantastic device. The sheer number of apps available mean you can do almost anything that you would do on a PC on the iPad, whilst also being able to carry it around like a book or newspaper. Some other recommended apps that make the iPad useful must be mentioned; the likes of Zinio, Flipboard, the Engadget app, Wikipanion, Amazon Kindle, Photoshop Express, Adobe Ideas, Simplenote and IM+ really deserve a download. In terms of games, whilst the iPad is a fantastic conduit for playing some very intuitive, imaginative games, I don't personally consider it to be the next big gaming device. In my opinion, gaming on the iPad is a frivolity - an entertaining frivolity, yes, but a frivolity nonetheless.
Now that I have assured your 3DS that it's safe, I come to the slightly more boring bits about the iPad. I call these "the boring bits", but - in fact - these are probably the main reasons that would convince you to buy an iPad. The battery life on the iPad is phenomenal; I've used it extensively throughout the past week or so and I've only had to charge it twice since its initial charge. The battery life alone places the iPad above the majority of laptops and netbooks. The picture quality on the iPad is also amazing; whilst not as spectacular as the iPhone 4's Retina Display, an average user shouldn't notice any real difference in quality. The iPad's built-in speaker's audio quality is as expected; it isn't exceptional but it fulfils its purpose. I would, however, recommend you use a pair of headphones if you want to listen to something in its full aural fidelity.
The iPad is superb and it makes some tasks much easier than they would be on a laptop or netbook. It doesn't, however, make gaming easier. There are many superb games on the iPad, but I'd advise against purchasing an iPad on its gaming-based achievements alone. If you want a pure gaming device, I would recommend that you buy a 3DS or - when they release - an NGP, but if you want an exceptional multi-purpose device with gaming capabilities as a sideline, then get the iPad.
As a standalone gaming device: 4/10
iPad in general: 8/10
Labels: 2011, Cathal Geoghegan, Fruit Ninja., Hardware Review, iPad, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Review, World of Goo
- Cathal Geoghegan
Gaming. It is a past-time which is not only time-consuming, but can also be ridiculously frustrating, hugely expensive, addictive and full of gory shooty bloodiness. With such high price tags and demands on our time, it's a wonder that we even play games, let alone write about them.
Thing is, games are more than merely short-term entertainment. They, like any other form of media, tell stories, create worlds and allow us to experience danger and action safe in the comfort of our squashy living room chairs. And, as such, we'll always manage to find that extra fifty pounds in order to pre-order that latest announced title, before playing it in a freezing cold house because you could no longer afford to keep it heated.
Without further ado, the following list gives some insight into my favourite games of the last year, that I'd be prepared to sleep rough, go without food or wrestle a mole rat for. Read, and jouirez-vous.
5: Just Cause 2
You can call me old-fashioned, but there's something about grapple hooks that just never gets tiring. Add in a mahoosive game world - which takes three weeks and a Ray Mears-esque survival instinct to cross - some guns, free-roaming gameplay and a cheesily over-acted storyline, and you have Just Cause 2: a sandbox shooter with just enough 'liberate-poverty-stricken-country-from-unjust-corrupted-government' storyline to give at least some context to the mindless violence.
It is, in some ways, like a Carry On: a complete shambles, but one which just keeps you coming back, addicted like you're on some sort of audio-visual ketamine. It's cheesy, yes - incredibly so - but what it does, it does very well.
Just Cause 2's shooting feels solid (even though enemies seem to be able to take bullets to the chest as if they're sponges made from feathers and fairy-dust), abilities such as the grappling and skydiving are nice and the sandbox design gives a real sense of scale that far surpasses anything else I've really played: you really feel like a single person, stuck on a massive archipelago of foreign islands against a country's entire military.
It might not be awe-inspiring, and it certainly isn't revolutionary, but it's a blast nonetheless.
4: LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
The meaning of the 'Lego' brandname - 'play well' - has never been more applicable to a game than when it comes to LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, the plastic-brick version of the murderous baby who ruthlessly slayed the poor, innocent, saintly Lord Voldemort, before arrogantly swanning about, scar atop head like some grotesque power symbol, repeatedly attacking members of the friendly hobbyist group known as the 'Death Eaters' for some sick sense of fun, and generally being an arrogrant little...
As I said in my review of the game, Traveller's Tales have done a commendable job of porting the Harry Potter brand - a famously tricky one to get right in videogames - into a game that is not only fun to play, but is fantastically comic, charming and family-friendly.
Yes, it has some problems, but they're few and very far between. It plays excellently, as do all the other LEGO-brand games, with some truly wonderful little details and additions; the humour is clean, clever and genuinely laugh-out-loud; the Potter canon is excellently implemented and the LEGO aesthetic gives everything that happy-go-lucky, innocent glow that you saw the world through when you were little.
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is my 'Games of 2010' recommendation for fans of the boy wizard, fans of small, Danish plastic bricks or fans of games.
3: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
Generally, I wouldn't count myself a fan of racing games. First of all, they bore me out of my head; and secondly, there's something about the thought of having my various limbs ripped off me in an 142mph crash of crumpling metal, plastic and glass that doesn't appeal to me all that much.
There have only been two games which overcame the aforementioned issues preventing my enjoyment of racers. The first, needless to say, would be Burnout Paradise, the sandbox racer that conspired in every way to endlessly punish you with metally, crashy death for the slightest mistake. Criterion did everything right with Paradise, and created one of the only racing games that I have consistently returned to since purchasing it.
And then Criterion took all that knowledge, and one-upped Paradise, thus creating the second racing game I enjoyed: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.
The classic 'cops vs robbers' chase situations are done perfectly, and the game has such a realistic sense of speed and danger that excitement is outweighed only by the adrenaline pumping around your veins. The Autolog system is fantastically developed and works really well, looking at online gaming from a whole new angle. It's a polished package that left a lasting impression with me, and is certainly one of the best handling, best-looking racers of the last year.
2: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
I could talk about - and have talked about - the Assassin's Creed series until I am blue in the face. When the third game in the series, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, graced our screens, I was ready to cry from the rooftops about it, like the Renaissance heralds you'll find scattered around the game's locales.
I didn't, of course - mainly because getting onto my roof is such a damn hassle - but instead decided to get down to reviewing the game. And I certainly found alot to say on it, with a gargantuan review which came close to doing accurate justice to what is, undoubtedly, a truly excellent game.
Whether I could ever do proper justice to a game like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, though, is beyond my ability to predict. As usual, the combat is to the utmost level of quality, the parkour aspects are as good as it ever was, and the additions to the series - particularly the multiplayer, but just as much the little things - make it a stellar title and one which nicely opens up the door for further series expansion.
1: Fallout: New Vegas
Where the genius lies in the Obsidian-developed Fallout titles is difficult to pinpoint. Personally, I consider Fallout - and, narrowing that down, Fallout: New Vegas - to be the perfect storm: a combination of devastating elements which, when they come together, create something electrifying, exhilirating. Fallout: New Vegas is a force to be reckoned with.
I think that part of what makes New Vegas so inexhaustively excellent is that, at its core, it is the most subjective game I've ever played.
Allow me to explain. Every person I know who has played either New Vegas or its little, less-refined brother, Fallout 3, cite a different reason for why they fell in love with the series. Some say that the combat is what attracts them so much. Others cite the post-apocalyptic, dystopian society in which the game is set as the key factor in what sets Fallout apart. Either way, it's a game that seems to impact people differently, and it allows people with very different play styles to access the game and still enjoy it.
For me, the thing that I always find enthralling is the depth and deft weaving of Fallout's storyline and canon, combined with the unique moral choices which shape the course of the storyline differently for each person. Different choices in different situations can have drastically varying consequences, which creates some unique emotional and moral dilemmas which just aren't available in any other title. The storyline is generously smattered with sly hints to earlier Fallout titles, as well as the general canon of the game (which, if you didn't know, is huge: see The Vault, the Fallout wiki to see just how much the series packs in).
The game also has a good level of replayability, due to the diverse multitude of locations, characters and loot to find on your stumblings through the wastes of the Vegas area. Starting a new game from the beginning and, instead of following your original path from your first playthrough (usually to the first objective), can lead to a very different experience of the game, with the discovery of new places, people and quests. Fallout: New Vegas is jam-packed full of variety and the unique choices through the game serve excellently to ensure that every gamer has a very different experience of the same game, whilst still delivering the goods.
New Vegas isn't without its problems, but they're the same ones that plagued Fallout 3, and no-one seemed to care then. The game will often stutter, there are issues with 'popping' due to the short draw distance for detail objects, game crashes aren't unheard of, and companions can often be a hindrance rather than a help. However, when playing New Vegas, the bugs are often outweighed by the mere awe-factor that at least I felt during play.
Still, what is the opinion of an unknown, lowly, independent games journo like me worth? Well, perhaps these quotes from well-known critics will be able to quell your fears about the game, and show you just why Fallout: New Vegas deserves my top-spot in my 'Games of 2010'.
"The fact that the many issues with glitches and bugs weren’t ironed out of this release would be unforgivable if the core game wasn’t so tirelessly compulsive and complex. [...] If you don’t mind working around them then this could be a game of the year contender."
- Peter Chapman, TheSixthAxis.com
"Fallout New Vegas is a fantastic game that in its vast, interesting, flavour-filled world has something for everyone. I could say that I’ve not loved the last thirty hours, and don’t expect to spend another thirty more, but ‘It’s a sin, to tell, a lie’."
- Reece Warrender, Console Monster
"While New Vegas is unmistakably built upon the fundamental gameplay and structure laid out in Fallout 3, it’s a formula that any student of that game will be happy to see repeated, and Obsidian’s numerous embellishments result in what is, in many respects, a deeper and more compelling experience."
- gamesTM
"Fallout: New Vegas is the game that many wanted Fallout 3 to be. It's harder, more ruthless, better written and more morally ambiguous. It's a game we’ve been wanting to play for more than a decade, a real modern re-imagining of the Fallout series, complete with that deliciously black humour. [...] If Obsidian were to make another Fallout game, we certainly wouldn't say no."
- Keza MacDonald, IGN UK
"Fallout: New Vegas is an expansive and complicated RPG that encourages you to see and do as much as you can. This is an explorer's game, always lavishing new and interesting quests on you and giving you a lot of flexibility in how you approach many of them. It builds upon Fallout 3's mechanics in interesting and esoteric ways, making it a comfortable evolution to one of 2008's best games. [...] Fallout: New Vegas is periodically awesome and consistently compelling.
- Kevin VanOrd, GameSpot
Fallout: New Vegas is a game which, despite the common bugs, never fails to impress. For the ridiculously cheap amount you can get it for now, its an investment that will tide over twenty or more hours of gaming time with its incredibly deep storyline and variety.
Cheapest Fallout: New Vegas prices:
£13.99, Amazon.co.uk
£26.99, Play.com (UK)
£16.99, Play.com (UK)
Labels: 2011, Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II, Fallout, Fallout: New Vegas, Games of 2010, Just Cause 2, Lego Harry Potter, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Linford Butler, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
- Linford Butler
Having just blazed my way through Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and replayed LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, my mind is awash with tiny Danish blocks. So far, Traveller’s Tales have parodied/extolled/reveled in the worlds of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman, Rock Band and Harry Potter, forging recreations that simultaneously mock and tip their hats respectfully to their franchise parents by putting them in brick form. I, for one, want more.
Here are fourteen franchises that are already Lego-worthy in my mind. Try imagining yourself playing them in a happy utopian world, where the government provides every family with a unicorn pegasus, where robots work in the place of humans at 9-to-5 blue-collar jobs, and where the water is lined with just a hint of LSD. In this fantastic scenario, Lego has the rights to all creative property - ever - and has handed it off with a smile to Traveller’s Tales with the orders that they must create whatever franchise games they wish, no copyright infringement holds barred. Also, it’s Christmas everyday, and everybody races sled dogs to school or work.
Warning: anyone who says anything about “missing Twilight” in the comments will be slapped with the firm, open-palmed parental justice of a site ban*. That’s GGTL-style judge-and-jury shit, yo.
Begin.
14: Godzilla
To be honest, I’ve seen maybe two Godzilla films that didn’t star Matthew Broderick. I say "maybe" because the plots of every classic Godzilla vs Space/Radioactive Monster That For-God-Knows-What-Reason Seems To Seriously Hate Japan tend to run together. Flipping through channels on sad, rainy days I may have seen twenty different Godzilla films, but I can’t tell the difference. It walks, it screams, it demolishes the Japanese military or protects them against a giant Moth-shaped behemoth. Godzilla has a pattern.
That being said, the idea of giant Lego monsters demolishing a string of 1950s Japanese cities is an extremely fun, and unique, prospect. So fun and unique that I would spend hard earned greenbacks to experience it.
13: The Matrix
Besides the image of Lego figures breaking slowly and laboriously apart in bullet-time, there are a handful of reasons why the Matrix saga would convert perfectly into digital Danish toy bricks. First off, it has the necessary holy quadrinity of Lego title needs: characters, story, overall aesthetic and cult fan-base. Secondly, while I can’t bring myself to watch the second or third Matrix movies without a constant and copious flow of morphine, I would play through them in a game while clean and sober. Scenes that are originally graphic and ... orgyriffic ... can with the power of good old Lego magic become ridiculous and funny.
12: A purely LEGO created saga
Remember those basic sets you played with, back before Lego shook hands with the begrimed, devilish claw of the corporate man? Remember the glow-in-the-dark ghost piece? Remember the castle it took weeks to make with your dad?
I want a game of that.
This is tougher than it sounds. First of all, to do this Traveller’s Tales would have to pray that its original audiences - fans of Star Wars, Batman, Harry Potter, yada yada yada - had become fans of Lego games in general, and would buy a non-franchise-themed product. Second, it would have to tell a new story without using any words or text, as is the Lego game custom. Third, it would need to fuse seemingly unconnected classic Lego sets together with an at least somewhat stout plot. The culmination could be awesome, amazing, and damned terrific.
Maybe a single player version of this.
11: The Wizard of Oz
In technicolor!
Oz is perfect for the Lego game universe. Absolutely perfect. It features a diehard fanbase; a colourful, completely unique imaginative setting; a veritable grab-sack of characters; and hundreds of core and non-canonical plots.
A Lego Wizard of Oz is only plagued by one question: would it sell? It’s not easy to answer. On one hand, parents might love the Wizard of Oz as a clean alternative to toys that promote sex, drugs, or violence, and buy it in holiday droves for the younglings. Or, kids and parents alike could shun such a game as lameness in its purest form, leaving copies to gather dust tragically on shelves.
Bonus points if the soundtrack is Dark Side of the Moon.
10: Chronicles of Narnia
Yes, that’s right, I want to Lego-roll with that mincing, boy hungry paedophile Mr. Tumnus. I want to roll with him for hours: riding centaurs, combatting creepily-erotic white witches, eating tiny wedges of Turkish delight, all in Lego form. Then I want to work out my issues with an expensive counsellor.
Narnia has everything Lego games need, from a huge hardcore fan base to a whole seven books of sweet, sweet satire-ripe plots to choose from. Jokes could be plentiful, as could C.S. Lewis’ hallmark innocent, hyper-metaphorical charm. This game would be a hit in and out of youth groups worldwide.
9: Die Hard
Goddammit, yes, I want this game. Imagine a gritty, ultra-action-packed Hollywood satirisation of one of the most beloved movie series of all time. Think a Neo-Nazi Alan Rickman in Lego form, smarmy cubular scowling face and all. Or gritty cop Bruce Willis, smirking through his dotted five o’clock shadow. Now imagine those characters chasing cars, blowing up helicopters, sending Lego torsos into the engines of jet planes. Lego explosions! Who wouldn’t want to play through that?
Three movies equal one solid game.
8: Spider-Man
Batman was the most obvious comic series with which to beat ruthlessly with the unforgiving Lego makeover stick, but Spider-Man comes in a close second for its depth of characters, myriad of plots, and unattractively-religious (cultish) fanbase. Ever casually told a friend that Batman would thrash Spider-Man in a fight, only to receive a three hour point-by-point lecture - complete with prepared diagrams - on how wrong everything is that you choose to be? I give those lectures. They’ll ruin a twelve hour car trip.
Sadly, there are many reasons not to create another Spider-Man game. Sam Raimi squeezed that franchise for all the public attention it could harvest, then ceremoniously murdered it in front of millions of people. Those seeking to study the day that will forever live in infamy should look no further than 4th May 2007, the terrifying and unholy night that saw the release of Sin’s abortion, the movie-that-shall-not-be-named.
Spider-Man 3.
That film emo-jazzercise hip-thrusted a dark knife through my heart. I still have nightmares. On its anniversary, I wear black. With the ratings that film got, Hollywood knew better than to even whisper about another Spider-Man flick in closed circles until only very recently. Any chance of a Lego Spider-Man will have to wait until a new production team pulls a Lazarus, resurrecting the film franchise.
7: The Passion of the Christ
Lego Jesus building his own cross? Hi-larious.
Let's be honest, this will never, ever happen. But... Lego Bible stories from the Old Testament? That could work.
No, I‘m not looking forward to hell. Unless...
6: Dante’s Inferno, or Any Other Literary Classic
Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies, anyone?
They're not really franchises, but the idea of a true epic work of literature, like The Iliad, One Thousand and One (Arabian) Nights, or - I dunno - Beowulf being morphed into Lego would tickle the bookish nerd in me in a manner inappropriate for children. Think about it! True, tasteful adaptations (see: opposite of this) brought to life by Lego wit and adventure would be a blast. And would they be educational, making parents rush out to buy it in competitive droves? Probably not. But they would be hugely entertaining, regardless.
5: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
The comic, not the movie. Maybe both.
Alan Moore’s Justice League of Victorian England fits the Lego bill. Boldly solving mysteries as Dr.Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, th eInvisible Man, Dorian Gray, Captain Nemo, Martian explorer John Carter, crazed scientist Dr. Moreau, and the many other members of the League, while thwarting archvillains and saving literary kind would, in a word, be goddamned terrific.
4: Avatar: The Last Airbender
For crying out loud, M. Night Shyamalan, what in red sinful hell were you thinking? A 7% Tomatometer approval rating. Seven. Percent. As in, out of one hundred. This isn’t just bad; it’s Kazaam territory awful. The kind of movie that drives you to take a shower after seeing it, just to scrub off the terrible.
To be a product that people over the age of ten will actually want to buy, a Lego Avatar would need to separate itself by hundreds of millions of creative miles from its cinematic adaptation, modelling itself on Nickelodeon’s fantastic cult classic television series, the “inspiration for the movie,” instead. With Shyamalan’s unholy bastard child shrinking far in the rear view window, the makings of a classic Lego game could be in the works. With four types of bending, myriad other skills that could translate into various gameplay types, a gorgeous and vast world to explore, and a veritable smorgasbord of characters to choose from, this game could be excellent.
3: World War Z
Cause when there’s no more room in hell, the dead walk the earth.
Muslim is to Qur'an as Zombie Aficionado is to World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. A disturbing prophecy of undead doom nigh upon us, the book uses a series of fictitious interviews to let us know exactly how the shit went down when, in the near future, a zombie plague ran rampant through the living human world. One part horror, another intellectual documentary, World War Z is just dying to be tastefully translated into game form.
Here’s how I see it: hundreds of Lego zombies, lumbering limbless like C-3PO in Lego Star Wars after he takes damage, moving en masse towards your Danish-bricked hero, a player-designed character who is moving frantically from war-torn country to country in an attempt to locate a zombie-free haven to fortify with his or her family and friends. As the nations and people of the world respond to the zombie threat, so too do the globe-trotting main characters, who will do anything to secure peace from the undead hordes that chase them.
LEGO zombies equal hilarious.
2: Lord of the Rings
After years of debate and wondering, it looks like a Lego version of the epic Lord of the Rings mega-franchise is finally happening. It is a strange fate that we have suffered so much fear and doubt over so small a thing.
For obvious reasons, a Lego Lord of the Rings would sell oodles upon oodles of copies, to children and adult-nerdy-types (myself included) worldwide. The Hobbit, The Fellowship, The Two Towers, Return of the King, and possibly Silmarillion equals a mountain of gameplay potential as tall as the series itself. My guess? We’ll see a Lego Lord of the Rings pack sometime around the release of The Hobbit, when the Tolkien fan frenzy rises from hibernation. I can’t wait.
Much as LEGO Lord of the Rings would be amazing, it still doesn’t match the pure fun capacity of the franchise topping off my Lego wish list...
1: Star Trek
Star Trek, you’ve earned a LEGO incarnation, dammit. Let’s go over a few reasons why a LEGO Star Trek would rock:
- Five crews with stories to tell (Separated by captain... Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Archer)
- Space battles and exploring brave new worlds on foot + a gaggle of strange technologies + hundreds of possible character species and rank types = infinite gameplay possibilities
- A massively large, dedicated fanbase waiting hungrily for a solid (or even kick-ass) Star Trek game (no dice, Star Trek Online).
- Over 700 episodes, 10 movies, and an expanded universe which only Star Wars can match to pull stories from
- Besides captains, there's a plethora of loved heroes to play as (Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Checkov, Sulu, Scotty; Riker, Worf, Data, Troi, Wesley and Beverly Crusher; Dax, Kira Nerys, O’Brien, Quark, Odo, Garak, Bashir; Chakotay, Torres, Tuvok, Kim, Paris, Neelix, Seven of Nine; T’Pol, Trip, Reed, Sato, Maywether, Flox, and others).
- An antagonist gallery filled with recognizable villains (Khan, Q, Klingons, Romulans, Nero, Borg, Lore, Cardassians, Gul Dukat, Dominion, Gorn, basically anyone to exist in a mirror universe, and lots more)
When the new, Abrams-directed Star Trek film was released, it breathed three hundred and eighty-five million box office dollars of new life into a tired franchise, and got kids excited about that corny science fiction show their dad watches after they’ve gone to bed. That set the stage: at least two sequels with the same cast are slated for release. If they’re good, this trilogy could be the next Lord of the Rings or Star Wars IV-VI. And if that happens? You can bet Star Trek marketability will boldly go where no franchise has gone before. That means Lego.
...cause the party don't start until they walk in.
* I in no way have the power to implement this sweet justice.
Labels: Columns, Greg Mengel, Lego, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, State of the Union
- Greg Mengel
As a franchise, the Harry Potter brand has a long and illustrious history. J.K. Rowling’s septology of novels – following the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter as he grew up at a school for budding wizards and witches – became an unexpected success, having as much positive impact on children’s literacy rates as it did to Rowling’s bank account. Soon snapped up by Warner Brothers as a film franchise, the idea for the Harry Potter series – conceived on a train journey between Manchester and London in 1990 – has become an icon of both British literature and ‘magic’ worldwide.
However, when it comes to games, Harry Potter is somewhat of a grey area. Stacked against every developer is a key question: how does one weave the delicate tapestry of Rowling’s deep stories, about love and trust and magic and death, into an entertaining eight-hour-or-more gaming experience which will appeal to a wide demographic? This is, of course, the same problem which plagues the majority of ‘branded games’, a subset of gaming which most steer clear of. Putting across the whole of Rowling’s stories, with their complex canon and trivia, in game form is no mean feat.
That didn’t stop developers from trying. Since 2001, we’ve had better Potter games, such as the original PS1 version of Philosopher’s Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban on PlayStation 2 and Xbox; and not-so-good attempts at translating the Potter recipe into game form: the PS2 version of Goblet of Fire stands out to me as easily one of the worst of the series, alongside the spin-off game Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup. But despite the valiant attempts of EA Games to pull off Harry Potter in a videogame setting, any Potter gaming experience I’ve been brave enough to attempt has been distinctly mediocre.
So when I heard that Traveller’s Tales were planning on taking the world of Harry Potter and transforming it into Lego form, I was adequately intrigued to see how the final product – which arrived in June in the form of Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 – would come together. Almost every gamer knows the Lego game concept by now, even if they feign snobbery and pretend they’ve never played one. Still, the Lego series has been highly successful, and the choice to take on Harry Potter and turn the universe of the boy wizard into pixel-modelled plastic sounded like the lifeline which Harry Potter, as a game concept, needed.
Lego Harry Potter allows gamers to play through the key moments and plot of the first four Harry Potter stories (Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire), but with the cutesy yet charming aesthetics of famous building toy, Lego. Of course, you play as the key characters – Harry, Ron and Hermione – for the majority of the game, but also get the opportunity to take control of other supporting characters, such as Fred and George Weasley, Remus Lupin and even the lovable giant Hagrid. Indeed, the cast in the game is strikingly large, and is faithful to both books and films, only adding to the sense of familiarity which long-term Potter fans will revel in.
It’s this familiarity which really sets up Lego Harry Potter as a must-buy for Potter fans. Hogwarts Castle, whilst not an exact clone of the castle from the movies, features many locales which will be instantly recognisable to aficionados. The majority of the Harry Potter cast make appearances, all in Lego form; whilst the player has the opportunity to learn a range of the spells from both page and screen. The game is also largely faithful to the storyline of each book: although each story has been abridged and edited down in order to fit the first four books into one game, all the key moments of the stories feature, and whilst the full depth and colour of Rowling’s novels and their canon isn’t put across, both fans and newbies to the Potter series will have at least a basic understanding of the fundamental plot of each story.
I mentioned earlier that Lego Harry Potter is charming, an adjective which I seldom get opportunity to use in a review. You find yourself playing the game and smiling; it’s child-friendly, clean, innocent fun, and beautifully implemented too. Even the older gamers amongst the Lego ranks will find Lego Harry Potter irresistible once they’ve begun on the first two or so levels. At the risk of wandering blindly into the shady underworld of New Games Journalism, wittering on about the emotional effect of games, it does make you grin like a small child as you regress and re-experience your Lego-centric youth.
However, a game is nothing without good gameplay mechanics, and Lego Harry Potter is a thought out title. Controls are intuitive and follow the basic scheme of all the Lego games’ controls. The shoulder buttons are particularly cleverly used, allowing players a quick method to switch between spells in their inventory. Furthermore, changes of controls according to the context are a big win and, whilst they’ll go largely unnoticed by most, certainly keep the game feeling smooth and polished.
The latest iteration of the Lego games franchise also utilises the excellent ‘drop-in’ co-op mode present since Lego Star Wars back in 2005. It works flawlessly: one can play through the single-player campaign alone, but a friend can join them immediately and without having to change game-mode or setup a new player profile by simply connecting a controller and pressing the ‘Start’ button. It’s a simple addition which does a huge amount to make the game more attractive to those who enjoy a laugh with friends during their gaming sessions, but the lack of an online co-op mode may have been an oversight on Traveller’s Tales’ part, and a feature which I believe would have added a huge amount more lifetime to the game.
It’s genuinely funny, too. Traveller’s Tales have interwoven some truly fantastic moments of comedy into the game, following the same utilisation of comedy which Rowling herself uses in her writing: have a quick giggle and then move swiftly on. It adds sparkle, personality and fun to the game and, considering that there is no speech during the entirety of the game, was probably the saving grace which prevented the story from becoming dull after long play sessions. Some favourite moments include the Gringotts scene, where the camera pans round to show that the goblin is not hard at work doing some number-crunching, but instead drawing a picture of a house and trees. It’s comedy gold, unexpected and laugh-out-loud.
The actions which the player undertakes are largely consistent and unvaried, however, and in a game with no script and only comedy to pull some interest back, Lego Harry Potter becomes dull during long play-sessions. In short stints, there’s no doubting the attraction and success of Lego Harry Potter, but as a game for long-term play, there’s better choices out there. Of course, for completionists and collectors, Lego Harry Potter is practically a wet dream: not only are Lego studs (the currency) readily available in bulk, but the gold and red bricks, student in peril challenges and collectible characters provide a wealth of content to unlock for those obsessed with clinching that platinum trophy. For those who aren’t largely bothered with hundred-percent-ing their games, however, Lego Harry Potter will be trying after a while.
Combat is also disappointing, though thankfully doesn’t appear often. Duels between students or opponents are slow, clunky and ultimately unrewarding, and only serve to irritate the player. Every year has its own boss character, too, and the combat doesn’t really improve here at all – every boss battle is handled in much the same way as one another, and the disappointment which these battles serves ends up making the end of each year feel a little anti-climactic.
That aside, though, Lego Harry Potter isn’t about combat, instead rewarding players for exploration and the development of their characters through that exploration. It’s where the game really comes into its own; Hogwarts is huge, sprawling and confusing, exactly as you’d imagine it would be, and all of it is spectacularly presented (graphics are high-quality and impress, and framerate is stable for the most part). There is a real magic to Lego Harry Potter as you wander round the locales and see pixies holding key objects just out of reach, or locked chests which you can’t open, or objects which just can’t be destroyed – rather than being an irritant, they give the player a sense of drive as you know that, eventually, you’ll learn the spells you need to open those chests or defeat those pixies. Whilst I’d advise against long play sessions with Lego Harry Potter, particularly if you’re playing alone, short stints combined with this motivation to learn the spells you need to complete tasks is what will keep you returning to Lego Harry Potter, even years after your first play-through.
Despite the challenge of translating Harry Potter into a game context, Traveller’s Tales have certainly done an admirable job. There are flaws, yes – it is the only game I know to give me a physical headache after more than a few hours play – but it is a game more focused at fun and enjoyment in the short-term than addictive play appeal. The parts which matter – the exploration, comedic moments, Lego aesthetics and incorporation of the Potter canon – are developed and impressive, and do well to make Lego Harry Potter a must-buy game for fans of Rowling’s creation. Admittedly, the more experienced gamers may not find any real appeal here, but the point is that this isn’t a game for the hardcore. It’s a game designed to cash in on the cutesy Lego brand, whilst providing some giggles and quick entertainment. In that, it does superbly.
8/10 [?]
Labels: Lego, Lego Harry Potter, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Linford Butler, Review, Traveller's Tales, Warner Bros.
- Linford Butler
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