Minecraft Screen Shots!!

The Minecraft server that I build on is getting a reset. So I decided to take some screen shots to commemorate my awesome house.

Gears of Contra Update.

Lately I've added some art to the opening section of my level to get a feel for what I want to use for the remainder of it.  Most of the assets from Gears of War are destroyed objects and buildings.  Finding pristine static meshes has been a daunting task.

Bioshock 2: Final Thoughts

We’re once again thrusted into the world of Rapture, but this time around we play the role of a Big Daddy prototype.  Being a sequel to  Bioshock we expect to see elements of the original game come back better than before. I feel like most of these expectations are fulfilled, but I also feel like there were a few key moments and gameplay elements that could have contributed more to gameplay.

·         Environment- The environment is a key gameplay component that drives character interaction.  There are a few additions to Bioshock 2 could've been capitalized on.  The underwater sequences were underwhelming.  They did add a bit to the aesthetic appeal of Bioshock 2, but ultimately added nothing to gameplay besides a minor Adam boosts if the player was motivated enough to search for them.  The underwater areas did invoke feelings of peacefulness within the ocean depths. But often times peaceful doesn’t equate to fun.  Turning the ocean depths into a hostile environment would have kept the player on their toes, turning an uneventful section of the game into something to be feared.  

Another aspect of the game I thought could have improved gameplay was the locale.  Personally the allure and mystery surrounding Rapture had faded away after completing the first Bioshock.  Outside of the underwater sequences and the Little Sister POV mission. I wasn't presented with anything new within the world of Rapture.  While enjoyable, I did have that aching “been here done that” feeling deep down in the depths of my mind. 

One of the gameplay techniques that I thought worked well in this title were the optional Adam gathering missions.  It gave time to think about and prepare strategies against the incoming waves of enemy Splicers and to a lesser extent the Big Sisters.   Setting up traps and seeing how well different setups pan out was gratifying, but still had room for improvement.   There were a wealth of traps and defensive plasmids, but I also thought to myself, What if I could alter the environment to suit my needs...  Like giving the player the ability to flood a room or knock over oil drums in key locations?

·         Combat- The Progression plateaus a bit early in the game after the first Big Sister fight.  The player becomes stronger without being met with an adequate challenge.  Halfway through the game I often felt unmatched and overpowered. I was also disappointed with the lack of boss battles. 

The Sinclair fight was a letdown.  I was hyped into thinking that maybe I’d experience something new and interesting, but was then presented with a fleeing Alpha Series Big Daddy posed as Sinclair.  Another letdown was the final encounter.  I had been waiting for a flooding event that would kill everything in sight but the challenge preceding the event   wasn’t up to par.  Bioshock 2's answer to ramping up difficulty is throwing more enemies at you instead of delivering stronger adversaries. I genuinely missed the fear that a Big Daddy instilled within the player from Bioshock 1.  Even towards the end of the game, Big Daddies still pose a threat.

Another issue I had was with the console control scheme.  There were so many Weapons/Ammo types/Plasmids that I had a problems switching between them in a pinch.  Using weapons and Plasmids creatively would often pause combat, slowing the pace of the action.  A quick switch button would have been a great solution for toggling between my 2 favorite guns or plasmids.

·         Hacking - The change in the hacking interface while not necessarily an improvement did focus on a different player skill set.  Physically testing a player’s reaction time has its pros and cons depending on tension.  Hacking a vending machine during a lull in action seems like a somewhat mundane task, but hacking a turret in the heat of battle puts the pressure on, and that’s when the most mistakes are made.  Under these circumstances a successful hacking attempt can become extremely gratifying.    

Bioshock 2 doesn’t innovate or change the face of gaming, but it’s an overall solid experience.  If someone asked me if they had to play Bioshock 1 before part 2 I would say yes.  Bioshock 2 is a sequel but not a successor.