Classic Games HD

There are plenty of games that have been given an HD makeover in recent years, and for some it was a good choice and some unnecessary. While it may seem like it's a way for companies to cash in on a previous title's success, there are some that truly benefit from the process. Some great examples would be Bionic Commando Rearmed, ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and one of my personal favorites Okami. Then there are some unnecessary and bad examples like Silent Hill collection, Flashback, and even Final Fantasy X/X-2. I say the last one because even though X is an okay game, it's not that great, and X-2 is complete shit. 

    Even though there are many many games that would certainly qualify, let me tell you some of my favorite games (nice picture huh?) that I believe deserve a day of treatment at the HD spa.

5. Contra III: The Alien Wars

   Contra for the NES was one of the first games I ever beat, and it's still one of the best 2 player games ever made. So when Konami introduced it's newest title on the Super Nintendo, it didn't disappoint. With awesome weapons, a giant mutant turtle, killer robots, riding on missles, and an incredible soundtrack what's not to love? This is truly one of the best Contra games you can play, and it's among the best SNES games ever made. Konami owes it to themselves to recreate this in HD, because it's not only a badass game, it's a milestone in gaming history.

4. Tenchu

   Ninja games don't often appease the desires most gamers expect, so it's understandable they don't do well overall. Tenchu is one of the only franchises that seemed to get a grasp on what a ninja game should truly characterize. Tenchu lets you figure out creative ways to complete your objective, but rewards you on mastering your skills at becoming a shadow. Both the first and second games are alot of fun to play, and it would be great to see these two PlayStation classics reborn with current-gen graphics.

3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

   Castlevania is one of the most memorable franchises in gaming, and are still making games to this day. Another great Konami title that strayed from it's typical formula, and blessed us with something very special. Symphony of the Night was an oddity when released, because almost all games were embracing the 3D style and leaving the side-scroller behind. Using a Super Metroid style of gameplay, and creating a romantic/gothic atmosphere, SOTN delivered one of the best and rewarding experiences in any Castlevania game. Even to this day the game looks and plays great, but this is one title that would benefit the most in high definition and trophy/achievement support. Konami needs to make it happen!

2. Ninja Gaiden

   Ask anyone who played the original NES what games are the most memorable, and I guarantee Ninja Gaiden will be one of them. Though this may be one of the most difficult and frustrating games to ever play, it is in fact the game that revolutionized the future of gaming with one crowning achievement. Cinematic cutscenes. Home consoles would build upon and refine this visual aspect in gaming to what we see today. Now Ninja Gaiden may be hard, and it's questionable when someone claims to have beaten it, but it is a fantastic game. The first two games have both a solid storyline and soundtrack, and challenge us to progress further to find out what happens next. I wasn't a fan of the third game in particular, but it's still a part of the trilogy. With the success of Bionic Commando Rearmed, this trilogy would truly shine with an HD revival. I'd only hope that something be done to rework the third game in terms of story and difficulty, because it was next to impossible to get far into the game.

1. Final Fantasy VII

   Now before you get up in arms about it, yes I realize a great deal of things concerning this title. I know way too many people cry about how this game should be remade. I know that it's not the best Final Fantasy game in the series. And I know that Square Enix has all but sworn not to remake this, and that it may be better off to not redo it per chance of them ruining it. But for me, this is a special game. It's not the first Final Fantasy I ever played, but it was the first RPG that really caught my imagination and immersed me in hundreds of hours worth of gameplay throughout the years. I agree with many people when they cringe at the thought, and reason that it would probably turn out horrible. I haven't been much of a fan of Square Enix for quite some time, but I would love to see this come to fruition one day. This is the title that catapulted JRPG's into American mainstream, and I think it would be foolish if Square doesn't explore every possibility to make this come to light. On that same note, I would love to see the prequel, Crisis Core, have the opportunity to be re-released one day too. I think they need to change some things with the gameplay, but it was an awesome title for the PSP that alot of people missed out on trying.

    So those are the games I'd be happy as hell to play in HD. There's plenty of others I'd like to see besides the ones I listed, but I feel those are the ones that would really impress me and do well with other gamers.

Whore of the Orient

One of the things I believe is a luxury in my life is that I have many friends with a rich and knowledgeable taste in film. I don't view myself as a movie guru in any means, but I enjoy an expansive range of film genres, and have the pleasure of talking about them on a daily basis. Noir is a style of film I deeply admire for it's dark, sinister, and tragic atmosphere and often it's true to life even today. So to no surprise I particularly enjoyed LA Noire for it's take on the genre, and the craft of storytelling that showcases a golden era of American history, and the desperate seedy underground of Los Angeles.

Developer Team Bondi introduced gamers to motion scan technology in order to deliver some of the best facial recognition graphics ever produced. They also painstakingly researched and recreated 1940's Los Angeles alongside Rockstar using old newspapers and other archived photographs to achieve a realistic representation of a pre-freeway southern California. Unfortunately, Team Bondi became a focus of controversy in the gaming industry due to founder Brendan McNamara and management creating a stressful work environment, and overworking employees. Relations between them and Rockstar became hostile, and it's likely the two won't collaborate again.

Although Team Bondi's studio was liquidated, they've been working on their next game that could see the light of day, Whore of the Orient. Not much is known except that it's gameplay and atmosphere will be similar to LA Noire, and McNamara says that it's set in a 1936 version of Shanghai, "the most corrupt and decadent city on the planet". There has been plenty of backlash from the Chinese in regard to the game's title and former nickname. Surprisingly it's not the word "Whore" but the outrage is against the word "Orient".  Though the game's future has been in limbo, an interested party has invested $200,000 in support of it's development, so there's a chance we may see this game released next year.

I hope this is the case, because I'd love to play another game designed in the classic film noir fashion. If you never played LA Noire, it's definitely worth the time if you enjoy either the film style or police investigation drama.

Alien Isolation

Alien Isolation is a survival horror game that takes us back to Ridley Scott's realm of the Alien universe, and to one of the most iconic creatures science fiction has ever produced. Developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Sega, this new entry into the Alien franchise is set 15 years after the Nostromo incident and disappearance of Ellen Ripley. The game follows Ripley's only child, Amanda, who has grown up seeking answers about what really happened to her mother. The year is 2137, and Amanda has been transferred to the space station Sevastopol to find the flight recorder of the Nostromo, but finds that the station has become home to a xenomorph. The game is played entirely in first-person and is HUD (heads up display) free. Instead, the player actually has to sort through their inventory and must use the motion tracker to have an idea of where the alien is. To be clear about what to expect from this title, it's important to know that there is only one alien throughout the game. There are some weapons that can be used, but they're only effective against other humans and androids you may have to combat. As far as I've come to understand the alien itself cannot be killed, at least not with the weapons available. Using the motion tracker to determine the alien's location can be helpful, but may give away your own position to the alien if it sees the light or hears any sound. Amanda must use any tools she comes across, and rely on stealth and instinct to outwit and survive the alien hunting her through the station's corridors. After the disaster of Aliens: Colonial Marines, I had little hope of playing an Alien game that could come close to matching the experience of watching the first two films. But after watching the trailer for Isolation, my faith has been renewed that this may be the game I've always wanted to play. Now I have to say that I have no idea what to expect from developer The Creative Assembly, because I've never played any of their other games. It makes me a little uneasy after discovering that most of their other titles have been real-time strategy and hack & slash games. They've released videos detailing their design process and careful consideration to game mechanics, so this genuinely looks like they've put a lot of love building this from the ground up. Alien Isolation appears to be the most promising endeavor in the franchise's gaming history, and I'm hoping for the experience I've dreamed about all these years. Alien Isolation is scheduled to be released this October on all major platforms.

AGENT

Rockstar has dominated the video game industry with critically acclaimed titles like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and Max Payne. But they've also published unique games that cater gamers looking for a different experience like The Warriors, Bully, and LA Noire. Not long after the last generation of consoles launched in 2007, Sony announced that Rockstar was working on a PlayStation 3 exclusive that would begin a new and exciting franchise. Two years later it was revealed to be a genre inspired title known as Agent. What's known about the game is that it's set in the Cold War in the late 1970s, and that it's a CIA style espionage game. Aside from a few screenshots that were leaked, nothing else is known about this game. Much like my post regarding The Last Guardian, this game has almost completely vanished from the news. What's known is that Rockstar has renewed it's trademark to Agent, and that it's still in development. With the PS4 being released in November, it's safe to say they'll probably redesign the game for the new generation of gaming, but it's unclear whether this will still be a PlayStation exclusive title. I suspect and hope we'll hear more about Agent at this year's E3 and
update any news as it appears.

The Last Guardian

We all know there are certain gems in gaming that are exclusive to consoles, like Halo and Gears of War for Xbox or Mario and Zelda for Nintendo. And though Playstation has their share of games and series like God of War and The Last of Us, there is an often forgotten developer who is by all means the very heart of all things PlayStation. Team ICO. It can't be denied that the Japanese side of the gaming industry has been waning for quite some time now, because gamers have been in favor of the Western market's gameplay style since the tail end of the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox era. Games like Final Fantasy and companies like Nintendo have been losing influence with their industry's audience, because it doesn't cater to everyone's taste. Though this may be true, there are particular games that can still amaze and delight us. Team ICO is known for two PlayStation 2 games known as ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. I have to admit, I've only just begun to play ICO, but it's a beautiful game. The developer made these games in a minimalist fashion to put nearly all emphasis on the setting and hero, and though this creates a lonely atmosphere, it immerses you into an adventure that challenges you to figure out how to complete your journey. I actually played Shadow of the Colossus when it first came out, and can tell you that it's a timeless game. It shares much of the same visual style as ICO, but provides some of the best action qualities you'll find in regard to battling the towering Colossi. Though I love these type of games, I realize they're by no means tailored to everyone's taste. Most people I know play GTA just to kill people and blow shit up without ever playing the story! I just feel that throughout the history of games, these titles are masterpieces in their own right. The picture you see is supposed to be the third  and possibly final entry of Team ICO's games that will be released called The Last Guardian. It appears to share a great amount of visual characteristics as the first two games, but offers a strange creature to interact with that hasn't been done before. The creature is a griffin-like animal who is just as much a central character as the human is. Nothing is truly known about the story to this game, but it's almost certain to become a cult favorite in the gaming universe.  I felt it was important to bring this title up and discuss the series, because The Last Guardian has had a very long and rocky development since it was begun in 2007. It was revealed to audiences at E3 in 2009 with a plan to release the game for the PS3 in 2011, but that time has since come and gone. What's known is that the series director has resigned from Team ICO, but is still involved as a consultant. What's speculated from random interviews with staff from Sony is that the game is still in the works, and that development may have been restarted to create the game for the PlayStation 4. It's possible we may finally see this released next year if it's announced at this years E3, but until then, I'd recommend anyone looking to try something different give Shadow of the Colossus a chance.

Wolf Among Us

Lastnight I decided to give Wolf Among Us a shot. Telltale games is recognized for developing adventure games like Back to the Future and The Walking Dead, but not to many have given this game a try let alone heard of it. After playing the first episode, and laughing my ass off, I can say it's a pretty good game. This is actually a prequel to the comic series known as "Fables" which depicts fairytale characters living in the real world. It's more or less like the TV shows Grimm and Once Upon a Time, but interactive and with a heavy dose of profanity. You assume the role of Bigby Wolf who is the sheriff of Fabletown, and is more commonly known as the Big Bad Wolf. The game plays out like a typical crime/detective drama, but with a magical twist. These episodic games are like those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, in that the choices you make will give you different results every time you play it. Telltale has done a great job with expanding the universe of titles such as Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and The Walking Dead and I certainly recommend giving this entry a good rogering. If you're a fan of the Borderlands franchise be on the lookout for Telltale's upcoming episodic series Tales from the Borderlands. Also, they're developing a game adaptation to the popular TV series Game of Thrones.

The Elder Scrolls

Since the ass end of 2011, there has been one game that I find myself continuously going back to play. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. For well over the course of two years I've created at least five characters, mastered nearly all skill trees, and in all honesty wasted hundreds of hours of my life in Nord country. Though the last statement sounds pathetic and sad, it's all true. It's a great experience to venture through tombs and ancient ruins, so what can I say? Oh.. fuck you, I'm Dragonborn!
   
    So the big question on the minds of Elder Scrolls fans is what's next? Oh, that pay to play Elder Scrolls Online? Fuck you, I'm Dragonborn! Lets leave that MMORPGDICKTWATS to the byrds and discuss Elder Scrolls VI.

    What improvements do you want to see? There are many elements surrounding gameplay mechanics and combat that need to be refined, but it's a double edged sword. You can spend your skill points on sneak and archery in order to become almost completely invisible to an enemy, but in doing so, you're not getting the full experience that the Elder Scrolls is encouraging you to achieve. On many websites this topic is exhausted, but really, it's your game and you should play it however you want. Plus it's fun to sneak up on a bandit and shoot him in the dick. As far as combat is concerned, perhaps there should be more options to enhance the action. Not to bite off Dark Souls (fuck that game) maybe they should add rolling as a function or a race specific power attack. Combat has never been a strong point in the Elder Scrolls series, but I'm sure that the next installment will feature more moves than the current whack-a-mole system.

    Where will the next location be? That is the biggest question of all. The continent of Tamriel is quite a large one, but most places have been featured in previous games. It's likely that Bethesda will set the next game where it hasn't been before, so lets try to narrow down the options.

   The Summerset Isles are home to the powerful magic honed Altmer, also known as the High Elves. While they're a prominent part of the history of Tamriel, there's so much of their culture and native land that's shrouded in mystery. While this would be a great province to explore, there would be some issues to basing an Elder Scrolls setting here. For one, it's nowhere near as large and expansive as Skyrim is, and two, it's not a place where many outsiders are welcome to. Assuming the next game is set after the events of Skyrim, there would have to be a serious change in political events between the Thalmor and the Imperials for this to become a place where all races could visit. Next is Valenwood, home to the Bosmer or as most know as the Wood Elves. Valenwood is a tropical locale full of large migratory trees where the Wood Elves have built their sprawling cities. This could be a very interesting prospect, because it could add a much more rich and vibrant palette of color with lush quantities of vegetation, in contrast to the grey jagged landscape found in Skyrim. Next is Black Marsh, which is ruled by the reptilian humanoids known as the Argonians. Black Marsh is more or less a humongous swamp full of mangroves and thickets of vegetation in brackish waters. The areas within the perimeter of Black Marsh are virtually inhospitable to all other races other than the Argonians. With this being said, Black Marsh isn't really an ideal setting to base the next Elder Scrolls. On the other hand, there is so little known about the Argonians throughout the history of Tamriel, that it would be a great opportunity to open the floodgates of lore that has surrounded this enigmatic race. Finally we're left with Elsweyr, land of the cat people known as the khajit. This is an ideal setting for an Elder Scrolls game in regard to the variety of mountain, desert, and tropical landscapes. Much like the Argonians, there is plenty of things unknown to the other citizens of Tamriel that would be interesting to learn through dialogue and lore. Although I like the idea of basing a game in a province inhabited by beast folk, I recognize it may be a bit of a strain to solely focus on one particular race.

    Given that Skyrim was such a large land to traverse, it seems only appropriate that the next game is even bigger. Since none of these areas are close to the size of Skyrim, I feel the best option would be to combine Valenwood, Elsweyr, and Black Marsh in order to make the setting larger and also create a sort of balance between races. It's almost a guarantee Bethesda will pick one or more of these provinces, so why not combine them to create one of the biggest open world fantasy games ever? The Elder Scrolls world (Nirn) isn't without other continents, but Tamriel has been the focus for the series from the very beginning. Akavir is as big (if not bigger) than Tamriel, and is inhabited by some very different races. I'd Much rather see this come to light, but I don't believe this will happen until at least the following entry to the series.

    When will the game be released? Who the fuck knows... Really! Bethesda is most likely working on Fallout 4. So if Fallout is released (guessing) 2015, and a core team is in pre-production for the Elder Scrolls 6 right now, it could be released anywhere from 2016-2018. That may seem like a long time to wait, but it's a realistic guesstimate. I hope it's sooner than later though.

    I think that's the longest post I've ever written! If you read the whole thing and enjoyed my thoughts on this topic, congratulations! You're probably just as sad and awesome as yours truly! As the saying goes, "Everything's true. God's an astronaut. Oz is over the rainbow. And Midian is where the monsters live."