Glory of Heracles
Likes:
- Another solid RPG on the DS
- By integrating Greek mythology into the story, Glory of Heracles sets itself apart from other RPGs
- There's a great deal of strategy involved in the complex battle system
Dislikes:
- Outside of the Greek mythology, this RPG is excruciatingly formulaic
- Characters are less than memorable
- Most music within the game is watered down despite a few unforgettable songs
Review Score
/ 
The review scale at LevelFortyTwo is between 1 and 5. A score of 5 is considered an amazing game, 4 is a well-done game with only minor issues, 3 is in the middle; not great, but not bad, 2 is a very problematic game, and 1 is absolutely terrible.
A Geek’s Guide to Brainwashing Your Friends & Family: Video Games Edition
Geeks are passionate by definition. Whether it’s regarding a sweet kill/death ratio, the most OP deck possible, getting that super leet gear, or a detailed knowledge of every word Tolkien ever wrote, we take our interests to a level bordering on zealous obsession. All this comes with the natural desire to share our interests with friends and family. Unfortunately, we tend to find that your wife doesn't necessarily want to spend Friday night inside raiding dungeons ‘til the sun comes up, or your boyfriend would rather watch the game than hit up that 12-hour Magic tournament, or your kids or parents don’t really want to spend school nights reading 400 page books full of nothing but rules regarding spells and Prestige classes. Alas, we’re here to lay those problems to rest. Here’s a guide to bring out the geek in that special someone (hereafter: the target), so you can finally have someone nearby (the interweb doesn't count) to talk to about the craziness that just went down in the last issue of Green Lantern.
Them There Vidja Games… In this current console generation, many areas of gaming are losing the stigma of being exclusive to the elite underground geeks. Advances in motion technology have generally taken away the need for skill to really enjoy such games; thus, the number of people who would enjoy gaming in general increases exponentially. Up until the past few console generations, the large majority of video games prevented all but the few and the leet from enjoying them because of their general difficulty. Even today, many games assume from the player quite a bit of previous knowledge about how video games work and play. However, there are many ways to break these misconceptions and give any family member or friend the gift of geek.
Geeks have certain tastes in gaming, and as it turns out, these targets or “normal people” do too. The most important factor in brainwashing the target is to make sure they are having fun at all times. Show mom how glorious this bloody, slo-mo headshot looks in Fallout 3 and it can be a quick turn off. Instead, take the target’s tastes into consideration. Any collector (a nerdy endeavor as it is) would fit perfectly into a Pokémon, Harvest Moon, Eye of Judgement, or any MMO, while a car or gun nut would not have as much interest there. A simple way to go is in the very universal genre of Wii gaming. The learning curve there is as low as it gets, and getting to make your Mii and watch it play tennis or go bowling is a good way to show the target that truly anyone can play video games. Once they realize it doesn't take years of training to play a video game, they’re bound to be open to a plethora of new gaming experiences. If your boyfriend or brother can't see an interest in spending hours on end catching all those Pokémon or Piñatas, consider what their other hobbies are. With dozens of new games out every month, there's bound to be a game that relates to their interests. Check out our Holiday Gift Guide for more tips on what games can best fit what kind of person!
Choose their first game wisely. If the target’s never played a shooter before and you want to have them enjoy that genre with you, do not ask that person if they want to play Counter Strike together. You can expect a short and infuriating session, and that person will be much more reluctant to pick up a controller in the future. Instead, play one-on-one or with a few friends in a simple, fun or (relatively) light-hearted shooter like Team Fortress 2, Halo, Quake or Timesplitters. Older shooters tend to have simpler mechanics, so play something classic like Jet Force Gemini, Goldeneye or even Faceball 2000. Break that misconception in their minds that all video games require a huge time investment and unique skills akin to playing a musical instrument. Take your time with them so they can learn the mechanics and how the game works, but don't overdo it, as most people don't enjoy it when you "go easy on them". If you want them to play an RPG, understand that experience points, critical hits, HP, mana, and spell and inventory management are an entirely different language, so start simple with a game like Paper Mario, Pokémon or Sonic Chronicles. Then, over time, the target may find themselves having a good time and looking for more similar experiences with more frequency.
Like cooking a cold blooded animal; turn up the heat in these digital depths slowly. Wanna make her a fan of WoW? Don't ask your girlfriend if she wants to use your level 80 shadow priest to run Ulduar with your raiding guild 'til 3am. Do ask her if she wants to design her own character who can brew potions, engineer mechanical chickens, collect a wide range of pets and rid the world of those slimy Murlocs. Over time, the target will develop an attachment or investment in the game that will get them to play more frequently for themselves. While things like Wii Sports have taken steps to make gaming accessible to everyone, the majority of it still requires a fairly large investment and varying amounts of skill. A key is allowing yourself the right amount of participation in the game being played. Despite what the game may be, don’t play for them. But at the same time don’t make them figure out everything themselves, as you’re privy to years of experience with gaming that will make things far easier for you. This probably won't work in most multiplayer environments where the other team is out for blood, but easily can be found in a slower paced game on an easy setting so they can take their time and screw around if they want. As their skill and knowledge increases, so will their ability to enjoy the finer points of the game's intricacies. Should they still seem unwilling to take that leap, take yourself to their level of gaming. Whether people realize it or not, everyone plays games. Facebook has plenty of games with varying depth that can be the perfect place to start. Anyone who plays Farmville can easily find a comfortable experience in a Harvest Moon, Viva Piñata or Animal Crossing. Eventually, once they find themselves invested in a game, whatever the genre, you’ll wake up to find that they’ve surpassed you and have caught every single Pokémon twice over.
Your target is always going to be unique, so take into consideration that while everybody loves to have fun, the definition of fun will mean a million different things to a million different people. With the gaming market doing their best to turn everyone from grandpas to sorority girls into gamers, your job is made that much easier. Show them that there are developers out there making games specifically for their interests, whatever they may be, and that hardcore gamers are people too… just people with way better gear than you. Keep an eye out next week for our second Brainwashing Guide: Comics Edition!
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins is Bioware's latest addition to their stockpile of epic storylines and fully fleshed out worlds. Set in a roughly standard fantasy setting, the game feels both very familiar and ahead of the curve. Its base is easily placed in a Baldur's Gate environment, with the three main classes being Warrior, Mage, and Rogue; the three playable races Human, Elf, and Dwarf.
After a satisfying character creator, the game starts you off in an Origin story. This is where, depending on your race and class, you lay the background to your character's arrival with the Grey Wardens. Each Origin story takes about an hour or more to complete, and there are six different ones. Your story, while not totally unique from someone else's, really feels like you get to know your in-game persona. Characters will also react differently to who you are and what your race is or what you've trained yourself as: elves have only recently been freed from slavery under the humans, so many are regarded with open contempt and hostility. Mages, on the other hand, are almost universally feared by other non-mages, seeing as so many go rogue and are destructive, naturally making normal citizens wary of them.
Dragon Age shines best in its story and world. Ferelden feels like a living, breathing environment, with its own history and politics, you as the player feel very much a part of it. Combined with a solid story and tense moral choices, each action you make feels like it can have ripples everywhere. These choices are very gripping to be a part of (except for maybe that everyone seems okay with only you deciding, but we'll leave that alone); should you sacrifice a mother to enter a spirit world to kill a demon, or kill her child that is possessing it? Remember, you are trying to enter into the good graces of the father and husband. Or another, which successor to the dwarven throne do you support?
Alongside the story, the game is well done visually. It's not truly perfect, but for a game that can be played top down or over the shoulder, it handles the load quite well. Fights have plenty of blood splatter and the occasional decapitation, but otherwise look and feel very visceral. The sound is spot on, with music working well but not in your way. Voice acting is very well done, which really comes out in the more cinematic style of dialog conversations than other RPGs.
Battles themselves are also very fun and rarely repetitive. Since action can be paused to administer orders and with an overhead view of your area, tactics become important, and vital in the higher difficulties. Your party members need to be properly positioned in order to be effective, and even in simpler battles carelessness will cost you your life. Several times I breezed though a previously tough situation just by pausing the action, examining my enemies, and employing some simple tactics. This keeps each fight alive and stops things from feeling like a hack and slash.
Your party members can also be customized to a staggering degree. There are dozens of different events (along the lines of “Surrounded by two or more enemies” or “Health below 75%”), and you can set multitudes of reactions to those events (“Activate Skill X” or “Use Health Poultice”). This allows for a great degree of customization for your party members and yourself, if you aren't controlling your character.
If you've ever expressed any interest in fantasy RPGs, Dragon Age is instantly among the best the genre has to offer. Everything works together to pull you into a deep and immersive world. The replay value is obviously quite high, and the longevity is extended with DLC already out and more to come. It is absolutely worth getting, regardless if you're a die hard fan of the genre or just starting out.
Likes:
- Well developed party members that chat amongst themselves and have lives of their own
- Open ended world with plenty of reward for exploration
- Intricate and enjoyable storyline
Dislikes:
- Silent Player Character; after Mass Effect, this feels like a step backwards
- Camera can be a bit tough to handle occasionally
Review Score
/
The review scale at LevelFortyTwo is between 1 and 5. A score of 5 is considered an amazing game, 4 is a well-done game with only minor issues, 3 is in the middle; not great, but not bad, 2 is a very problematic game, and 1 is absolutely terrible.
