General gaming |
| Kingdom Hearts 3D Review: Unlucky Number Seven Posted: 01 Aug 2012 04:19 PM PDT The premise of the original Kingdom Hearts couldn't have been simpler; gather some of Disney's most popular movies, turn them into video game levels, and layer a thin story on top to unite these varied ideas in a single package. The original game had its issues, but the basic premise at least held the promise for a string of sequels to transport us to an entirely new collection of Disney worlds with each successive installment. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Square to betray the charms of this basic concept; since 2006's Kingdom Hearts II, the series has grown into an exercise in repetition, with the added bonus of a hydra-headed plot that's become the inside-est of baseball to all but the most devoted fans. With Dream Drop Distance, Square once again complicates the simple Kingdom Hearts premise with its dog's breakfast of a plotline and an abundance of poorly implemented mechanics, which will no doubt leave fans of the first game doubtful that the RPG giant will ever recapture that Disney magic. |
| Environmental Theater: Five Games that Throw You into a Living World Posted: 01 Aug 2012 04:13 PM PDT
Feature 1UP COVER STORY  1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JULY 30 | NARRATIVE IN GAMES Environmental Theater: Five Games that Throw You into a Living WorldCover Story: These narratives show that there's life beyond a linear path.T he term "living, breathing world" gets thrown around so much that it's nearly lost all meaning. It seems that any time a developer crafts a colossal chunk of land and drops it into a game with a day/night cycle, many of us find ourselves uttering this dreaded phrase before we realize the massive world in front of us really doesn't start moving until we do. Despite claims to the contrary, size alone doesn't instill a game's environment with realism; rather, the worlds that regard us as just another occupant end up feeling the most honest; worlds that, regardless of their square footage, pack themselves with people and events that -- like in reality -- we can miss if we're not at the right place at the right time. Even if most these games have one fundamental path, they still allow us to explore the periphery at will, letting us observe the lifestyles and personalities of their inhabitants as we see fit. Some of the pressures of these "environmental theater" games may prove too stressful for the average player, but there's no doubt that the following experiences provide the unique experience of a fictional world that doesn't stop turning just because you decided to make a sandwich.  |
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