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ArmA II: Craziest Of All The Games

Written by Alec Meer on May 26, 2009.

Up now on Eurogamer (yes, you’re allowed to read it even if you’re not a Europerson) are the word-fruits of my recent hands-on time with a near-finished version of ArmA II. It’s the second spiritual sequel to Operation Flashpoint, nasty old Codemasters having nicked the name from original developers Bohemia Interactive Software, but reportedly it’s the first true sequel – the first ArmA having been something of a stopgap release primarily aimed up updating the tech available for the enthusiastic community to tinker with. Arma II, though – that’s definitely a whole new game. And an incredibly ambitious one too, as you’ll read in my EG piece. I’m massively excited about it, even if I am a bit frightened by the obtuse controls and punishing difficulty – but unlike ArmA 1, I reckon I will get into this. Read why here.

We’ll also have some bespoke RPS coverage on ArmA II soon – Jim and I are going to sit down and have a chat about our individual impressions of what might be a landmark videogame. Beneath the digi-hurdle, you can find some recent footage of this huge, strange thing.
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Eurogamer: Thief Retrospective

Written by John Walker on May 17, 2009.

With the announcement of Thief 4 (Thifourth) this week, it seemed an apposite time to go back to the very beginning and remember why this series was so special. Armed with a commission from Eurogamer, I snuck back to 1998 to play Thief: The Dark Project once again. It begins:

“This is a game where turning the difficulty up reduces the number of enemies you have to kill. Certainly it also increases the number of guards (but slightly and smartly, never feeling unfair or unrealistic), and repositions them into more strategic patrol routes. But it doesn’t make your weapons less effective, or raise enemy hit-points, or artificially hinder you in any ‘gamey’ way. It simply asks you to be a better, subtler, smarter thief.”

You can read the rest here.

Bastard Of The Old Republic: Part Three

Written by John Walker on April 26, 2009.

I’ve been playing Knights of the Old Republic making all the most evil choices possible. Like you do. Written up in three parts, the final chapter of Simon Evil’s wrongdoings has now appeared on Eurogamer. You can read parts one and two by clicking on these cleverly placed links. Here’s an excerpt:

“It’s interesting how picking the evil choice that destroys a woman’s life, or kills an innocent, or sees families slaughter each other, has a very different emotional effect than aiding the enslavement of an innocent tribal race. All are obviously deeply evil, but I think I’m able to compartmentalise the more individual actions more easily, mentally filing them under “terrible thing I did in a game”. Even though polluting the Kolto would have devastating effects across the entire galaxy, I think it’s still pretend enough to laugh off. Oppression struck deeper. I was still delighting in making the evil choices, but here on Kashyyyk I was feeling those familiar pangs from the first third of the game again.”

Carries on here.

EG’s Retro Sunday: Mafia

Written by John Walker on April 19, 2009.

With Mafia II news due to break any moment, this week seemed a sensible time to go back and play the 2002 original. Which is what I did, and is now up to read on Eurogamer.

“Mafia is still a radical game. In 2002, just a year after Grand Theft Auto III had shaken up everyone’s expectations of sandbox gaming, Illusion Softworks’ open city went deeply against the grain. Rather than embracing the freedom of choice a living city offers, it chose to make a tightly scripted, extremely linear story with little else to do. And thank goodness, because seven years on, Mafia is still compelling despite its aging technology.”

It carries on here.

Tonight we will have the very latest information on Mafia II right here on RPS. Be here.

OpFlash: Dragon Rising Preview On EG

Written by John Walker on April 16, 2009.

I had a look at Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising the other day, and then happened upon the notion of writing down what I saw and publishing it on an international gaming website. And so it came to be that Eurogamer has a couple of thousand words of details as well as interviewy gobbets with lead AI man, Clive Lindop. It goes,

“First and foremost, the scale of the game needs to be expressed. Dragon Rising presents a 135 square mile island, with an engine offering a draw distance of up to 35km. This isn’t an exaggeration – we’ve seen it with our own eyes as a Cobra helicopter rises above the hills to reveal the extraordinary vista. The new engine is designed to allow a great deal of stuff on screen at any one time, which is essential for one of the game’s most distinctive features: shooting people from miles away.”

And carries on over here.

Bastard Of The Old Republic: Part Two

Written by John Walker on March 22, 2009.

Talking of Knights of the Old Republic, part two of my adventures as Simon Evil, the galaxies most evil Jedi, is up on Eurogamer today. After the squirm-inducing antics of Part One, Simon Evil’s continuing douchebagging his way around the planets seemed to become slightly easier. Perhaps too easy…

“Get over it,” I told Mission, the 14-year-old Twi’lek who had joined my party. She was confiding in me about the horror of her home planet being utterly destroyed. The Sith had completely obliterated the population of Taris, countless millions had been slaughtered, and everything she had ever known or loved, beyond one Wookiee, was gone. Move on, whiny child.

It continues here.

Bastard Of The Old Republic, On Eurogamer

Written by John Walker on February 22, 2009.

As mentioned in the last podcast, for Eurogamer I decided to perform the horrendous task of playing the original Knights of the Old Republic, making all the most awful dialogue and action choices available. The first part of this story, covering Simon Evil’s actions on Taris, is now up. It begins like this.

“There’s something you need to know about me. I’m a good guy. I’m a generally decent person. I have my many faults, and certainly my large share of means to be irritating, rude, and bothersome. But ultimately, it’s fair to say I’m a kind, reasonable individual. I’m not the sort of person who, for instance, would usually be found mocking victims of bullying, endorsing racism, or murdering victims of sexual assault.”

And continues here.

2D BOY Talk Goo

Written by John Walker on January 15, 2009.

Just a quickie – my interview with the lovely chaps at 2D BOY is up on Eurogamer today. We discuss how the game got made, the reasons behind some of the more esoteric decisions, and learn some important facts about the mysterious Allan Blomquist. It’s a fun time.

Eve, Embedded Jim & Human Interaction

Written by Jim Rossignol on January 13, 2009.

With the news that Eve Online is to be re-released by Atari as a retail box, along with a major new expansion named Apocrypha, I thought it might be timely to point out some of the extra-curricula Eve Online writing I’ve been doing. Then I go on after that to rant about Eve’s principles of human interaction.
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Chet-Chat On Eurogamer

Written by John Walker on November 21, 2008.

You know what’s quite good? That Left 4 Dead game. I quite like it. Also, you know who’s a nice guy? That Chet Faliszek – you know, the one that isn’t Erik Wolpaw (he loves it when people say that!) off of Old Man Murray. Apparently he had something to do with Left 4 Dead. I imagine he wrote a joke for it or something. There’s probably a joke in it somewhere.

Eurogamer are having a live chitchat with him today at 5pm. You’ll be able to submit questions and everything.

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