So, I was originally going to do a TV show for my next review. Problem was, for some reason I couldn't rip the videos from the DVD, and as a result I'm having to *COUGH*download*COUGH* the show.
But it's taking AGES. So in its place, I give you a crappy CGI film with David Tennant and Woody Harrelson.
Me @ the Doctor Who Experience
Ever been to the Doctor Who Experience? I have! Let me tells you about it.
Madisun's Arc - Daikatana
As you may be able to tell from the image (which I actually chose this time round - progress!), this review is of Daikatana, one of the biggest disappointments in gaming history. But once you cut past the myth surrounding it, how does it actually hold up?
...well, it's not good, per se...
This one took me ages to do.I had to capture all the footage for the game (I'd estimate 20 hours), and that left me with over 200 Gigs of video footage. Ugh.
Then I had to sort through and get all the clips I needed. This was an absolute chore because of the process I used. I loaded the chunks of footage into Windows Movie Maker (which would take 5 minutes for each chunk), then I would grab the bit of footage I needed (usually only around 30 seconds or so) and then convert that (which would take another couple of minutes). Then I had to import THAT into VideoPad (yet another 5 minutes) and then finally place it into the actual review.
And I had to do that for Each. And. Every. Clip.
Bear that in mind when watching this review and you'll see why it took me a week and a half.
I think I've been scared away from video games for a while! Not that it matters, I've plenty of other stuff to review that isn't a game. Still, hell of a learning curve!
...well, it's not good, per se...
This one took me ages to do.I had to capture all the footage for the game (I'd estimate 20 hours), and that left me with over 200 Gigs of video footage. Ugh.
Then I had to sort through and get all the clips I needed. This was an absolute chore because of the process I used. I loaded the chunks of footage into Windows Movie Maker (which would take 5 minutes for each chunk), then I would grab the bit of footage I needed (usually only around 30 seconds or so) and then convert that (which would take another couple of minutes). Then I had to import THAT into VideoPad (yet another 5 minutes) and then finally place it into the actual review.
And I had to do that for Each. And. Every. Clip.
Bear that in mind when watching this review and you'll see why it took me a week and a half.
I think I've been scared away from video games for a while! Not that it matters, I've plenty of other stuff to review that isn't a game. Still, hell of a learning curve!
The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice
Bit of a story behind this one.
See, at the end of the last video, I had a little coda of me passing out, ready to launch into this review. However, shortly before I was due to start scripting this one, my PC got hit with a virus, which forced me to completely re-install Windows. Gah!
So I had to install all my programs again, which took me a few days, and then I had to summon up the motivation to actually do the review, which took another day or two. In all, this review which should have taken three, maybe four, days ended up taking about 11. Talk about life imitating art.
Speaking of art, that's also why the desktop on my PC is different. I lost the old one and had to get another. Might try alternating the backgrounds instead of constantly having toys in front of it. I'm running out of toys!
But anyway. Enough backstory. Here's the video.
Fun fact. When I first released the video, there were several errors (which I've since fixed).
- The clip with the 'Love Life Lows' text wasn't edited properly, so the clip ended before the word "now" was finished being said
- I accidentally left the background audio at full volume in one of the clips after my rant about the 'ad-fades'
- The two penultimate live-action shots of me had the clipboard with the script visibly blocking the right side of the shot, because I accidentally left it covering the camera
...and all this goes to show is that you should actually test-watch your videos before compiling them!
My latest review is currently in the works - scripting's going well and I'm just getting all the footage I need. It's a video game, and it's supposed to be one of the worst ever made. That's all the hints you get!
Should be up within the next few days, my own personal lethargy notwithstanding.
See, at the end of the last video, I had a little coda of me passing out, ready to launch into this review. However, shortly before I was due to start scripting this one, my PC got hit with a virus, which forced me to completely re-install Windows. Gah!
So I had to install all my programs again, which took me a few days, and then I had to summon up the motivation to actually do the review, which took another day or two. In all, this review which should have taken three, maybe four, days ended up taking about 11. Talk about life imitating art.
Speaking of art, that's also why the desktop on my PC is different. I lost the old one and had to get another. Might try alternating the backgrounds instead of constantly having toys in front of it. I'm running out of toys!
But anyway. Enough backstory. Here's the video.
Fun fact. When I first released the video, there were several errors (which I've since fixed).
- The clip with the 'Love Life Lows' text wasn't edited properly, so the clip ended before the word "now" was finished being said
- I accidentally left the background audio at full volume in one of the clips after my rant about the 'ad-fades'
- The two penultimate live-action shots of me had the clipboard with the script visibly blocking the right side of the shot, because I accidentally left it covering the camera
...and all this goes to show is that you should actually test-watch your videos before compiling them!
My latest review is currently in the works - scripting's going well and I'm just getting all the footage I need. It's a video game, and it's supposed to be one of the worst ever made. That's all the hints you get!
Should be up within the next few days, my own personal lethargy notwithstanding.
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines
...and here's number three.
Lighting's still not right in this one, but otherwise there's a lot to enjoy and I'm pretty happy with it.
Latest one's coming. Bear with me!
Lighting's still not right in this one, but otherwise there's a lot to enjoy and I'm pretty happy with it.
Latest one's coming. Bear with me!
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear
So here's the second review I made, and it's the first in a trilogy of films. Don't worry, I explain it all in the video.
Still had stuff to learn in this one. I was trying out getting really angry at the film, and it clearly doesn't suit me, but it's the sort of thing you don't really know unless you actually try.
Also, I forgot to turn my light on, so the video gets noticeably darker as it goes on. Oops!
Anyway. Still an enjoyable video, if you can ignore the shouty sections and the overly long credits. I'm sorry, I just love that song too much to actually cut in in half. And can you blame me? It's epic.
Others are on the way, so don't go anywhere!
Still had stuff to learn in this one. I was trying out getting really angry at the film, and it clearly doesn't suit me, but it's the sort of thing you don't really know unless you actually try.
Also, I forgot to turn my light on, so the video gets noticeably darker as it goes on. Oops!
Anyway. Still an enjoyable video, if you can ignore the shouty sections and the overly long credits. I'm sorry, I just love that song too much to actually cut in in half. And can you blame me? It's epic.
Others are on the way, so don't go anywhere!
The Crow: City of Angels: The Game
OK, so if you're at all a follower of this blog (and I'm guessing most people aren't, since I get so few views), then you may be wondering what happened to my video reviews.
...yeah.
See, I tend to completely forget about this blog, as you can probably tell by the dates of all my posts. It's not a regular thing for me. And when I'm busy making all these reviews, I also tend to forget to put then on here for people to see. Mostly because there's no-one around to see them.
So this is me apologising for that. When I post a video, I really should be posting it here as well as the forum I frequent. That way, I can probably double the number of people who watch them (possibly even get that number up to double digits!).
So, yeah. My bad.
Anyway. Apologies are all well and good, but how am I going to make it up to you? Well, a bunch of videos might help. :)
Here's the remake of The Crow: City of Angels: The Game I made on the 1st of February. It's meant to replace the original one, since that's really not very good. That makes this is the first official video in the series, and a good place to start. So here ya go!
Odd how that image seems to be the thumbnail on both videos, considering it's only on screen for a second. :shrug:
I'm actually pretty damn happy with this review. There's decent structure (unlike the original), the audio's pretty good, I go through everything that's wrong with the game and I think it's a pretty solid review.
There's more on the way, so make sure you check the other posts above this one.
...yeah.
See, I tend to completely forget about this blog, as you can probably tell by the dates of all my posts. It's not a regular thing for me. And when I'm busy making all these reviews, I also tend to forget to put then on here for people to see. Mostly because there's no-one around to see them.
So this is me apologising for that. When I post a video, I really should be posting it here as well as the forum I frequent. That way, I can probably double the number of people who watch them (possibly even get that number up to double digits!).
So, yeah. My bad.
Anyway. Apologies are all well and good, but how am I going to make it up to you? Well, a bunch of videos might help. :)
Here's the remake of The Crow: City of Angels: The Game I made on the 1st of February. It's meant to replace the original one, since that's really not very good. That makes this is the first official video in the series, and a good place to start. So here ya go!
Odd how that image seems to be the thumbnail on both videos, considering it's only on screen for a second. :shrug:
I'm actually pretty damn happy with this review. There's decent structure (unlike the original), the audio's pretty good, I go through everything that's wrong with the game and I think it's a pretty solid review.
There's more on the way, so make sure you check the other posts above this one.
Review? No, PREview!
So yeah, I made a video review. Wasn't that great, but at least I went and did it.
I also learned a bunch from it as well. Things like writing an actual script rather than just having a page of notes that say things like 'Rant about Password System'. Things like filtering out the background audio and adjusting the volume to make it somewhat listenable. Things like closing my damned curtains.
So I took all that I learned, and made this:
It's just a three minute preview of my epic 25-minute long full review, but it does show off how much better I've gotten at this sort of thing. The full review should be up in a couple of days.
I also learned a bunch from it as well. Things like writing an actual script rather than just having a page of notes that say things like 'Rant about Password System'. Things like filtering out the background audio and adjusting the volume to make it somewhat listenable. Things like closing my damned curtains.
So I took all that I learned, and made this:
It's just a three minute preview of my epic 25-minute long full review, but it does show off how much better I've gotten at this sort of thing. The full review should be up in a couple of days.
Hey ma, I made a video!
Funny story. One of my New Year's resolutions was to stop daydreaming about it and actually sit down, record, edit and put together a video review of something.
So that's exactly what I did.
Yeah, that's my very first video review. Go me! As you might imagine, this was my very first attempt at anything like this, and the inexperience shows. The audio is pretty bad, there's far too many crossfades (IE: there actually are some) and I pause an awful lot during the live-action sections.
I've learned a lot from this though, and I've implemented most of my mew education into the next review I worked on. Stay tuned for it.
So that's exactly what I did.
Yeah, that's my very first video review. Go me! As you might imagine, this was my very first attempt at anything like this, and the inexperience shows. The audio is pretty bad, there's far too many crossfades (IE: there actually are some) and I pause an awful lot during the live-action sections.
I've learned a lot from this though, and I've implemented most of my mew education into the next review I worked on. Stay tuned for it.
Multiplayer? Not in my RPGs!
So hey, Dragon Age 3 might be getting multiplayer.
...
NO.
I do not want multiplayer in my RPGs. I do not want multiplayer in my previously single-player series. I do not want multiplayer in my Dragon Age. Or Mass Effect. Or anything
I don't care how good it will be. It's not what the series started out as and I do not want this.
I'm fed up of single-player series suddenly shifting to make way for multiplayer that I will never play and only takes away from the single-player aspect. Call of Juarez, Crackdown, FEAR, Lost Planet, Mass Effect, (arguably) Assassin's Creed, and now Dragon Age.
DO NOT WANT.
If you have to have multiplayer, make it a spin-off title. Something that can be enjoyed on its own, but fans of the ongoing saga who don't want to play it aren't forced into to continue the story. Don't shoehorn it into an established series - all that'll do is upset fans and detract from the experience.
Now I know what a lot of people are going to say. 'But Baldur's Gate had multiplayer and it was awesome!' Well y'know what? That was an entirely different situation. You can't compare the first game in a series, in this case Baldur's Gate, to the third game in a ongoing series, Dragon Age 3, not the fact that there's 15 years difference between the two. I don't think it's hypocritical to say that the situations are completely different.
If you're making a new game (as Baldur's Gate was), there's no real pressure, except from your investors, so you can take as much time as you like and really focus on both single-player and multi-player, if that's what you want. There's no expectations from fans either, so you can make the game how you want to make it.
For the third game in a series, fans have come to expect things from it. I've no real problem with innovation, but taking what has been a massive single-player series and whacking multiplayer into it just seems like a cheap attempt to grab new fans into an established franchise, despite the fact that they'll know nothing about the plot and get bored since it's not Modern Warfare or whatever.
Also: they're already putting multiplayer into Mass Effect 3 (also for no reason). So why do they have to do it with Dragon Age as well? Could they not look at the other franchises that have tried to shift to having multiplayer and seen how it's not gone down that well?
Don't get me wrong, I love Bioware for their SINGLE-PLAYER RPGs. Few other companies make them as well or have anywhere near as much depth. I just don't think adding multiplayer to their games will make them any more epic. I think it'll detract from what they do best. And I really don't want that.
Multiplayer does not make everything better. It just forces the development team to focus more on the new multiplayer aspect then on the single-player campaign, and it falls short. And since Dragon Age 2 already did that, I don't think the franchise can take another half-baked game.
If Bioware can focus on making Dragon Age 3 a great single-player experience (and come up with a better name that just 'Dragon Age 3', that'd be nice too), then that's really all people want. And that's what Bioware should give.
...
NO.
I do not want multiplayer in my RPGs. I do not want multiplayer in my previously single-player series. I do not want multiplayer in my Dragon Age. Or Mass Effect. Or anything
I don't care how good it will be. It's not what the series started out as and I do not want this.
I'm fed up of single-player series suddenly shifting to make way for multiplayer that I will never play and only takes away from the single-player aspect. Call of Juarez, Crackdown, FEAR, Lost Planet, Mass Effect, (arguably) Assassin's Creed, and now Dragon Age.
DO NOT WANT.
If you have to have multiplayer, make it a spin-off title. Something that can be enjoyed on its own, but fans of the ongoing saga who don't want to play it aren't forced into to continue the story. Don't shoehorn it into an established series - all that'll do is upset fans and detract from the experience.
Now I know what a lot of people are going to say. 'But Baldur's Gate had multiplayer and it was awesome!' Well y'know what? That was an entirely different situation. You can't compare the first game in a series, in this case Baldur's Gate, to the third game in a ongoing series, Dragon Age 3, not the fact that there's 15 years difference between the two. I don't think it's hypocritical to say that the situations are completely different.
If you're making a new game (as Baldur's Gate was), there's no real pressure, except from your investors, so you can take as much time as you like and really focus on both single-player and multi-player, if that's what you want. There's no expectations from fans either, so you can make the game how you want to make it.
For the third game in a series, fans have come to expect things from it. I've no real problem with innovation, but taking what has been a massive single-player series and whacking multiplayer into it just seems like a cheap attempt to grab new fans into an established franchise, despite the fact that they'll know nothing about the plot and get bored since it's not Modern Warfare or whatever.
Also: they're already putting multiplayer into Mass Effect 3 (also for no reason). So why do they have to do it with Dragon Age as well? Could they not look at the other franchises that have tried to shift to having multiplayer and seen how it's not gone down that well?
Don't get me wrong, I love Bioware for their SINGLE-PLAYER RPGs. Few other companies make them as well or have anywhere near as much depth. I just don't think adding multiplayer to their games will make them any more epic. I think it'll detract from what they do best. And I really don't want that.
Multiplayer does not make everything better. It just forces the development team to focus more on the new multiplayer aspect then on the single-player campaign, and it falls short. And since Dragon Age 2 already did that, I don't think the franchise can take another half-baked game.
If Bioware can focus on making Dragon Age 3 a great single-player experience (and come up with a better name that just 'Dragon Age 3', that'd be nice too), then that's really all people want. And that's what Bioware should give.
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