Game-a-Day Journal 2011

[Arphahat]

It's the new year and time to start new things! Or, restart old things. With my old thread, I was having a good time playing through my huge collection of games on Steam, and I know there were at least a couple of you that enjoyed it, so I figured it might be worth revisiting my Game-a-Day Journal.

This time, I think I will alter the "rules" a little. Since my main intent of doing this is as a fun thing, instead of limiting myself to just one day, I might extend it for a number of fun-increasing reasons. Those include:

1. After playing, it seems likely that I will be able to complete the game in one or two more days.
2. When choosing the game, I know it is a sandbox game that might be better enjoyed through multiple sittings.
3. It is a complicated game that cannot easily be understood and enjoyed in a day.

As last time, everyone is invited to join me in my daily pursuit. Suggest games from my list and / or play along. Think of this as a book club for games, at an accelerated pace.

To make things more accessible, I'll experiment with selecting several games at a time to see if there is more interest that way. I have a head start on this and have recently played both Zeno Clash and the Ball to completion so I'll open those up for play this week, in addition to the sandbox game, Just Cause 2. And, because I know that there is a lot of interest in it, Everyday Genius: SquareLogic.

That should be a good start. Any opinions / requests / suggestions for future games and time frames are welcome.

[MagGnome]

I am so glad to see this return. Wasn't this originally my idea anyway?

I'll definitely play along more often with you this year, I promise!

Everyday Genius is a lot of fun, and very addictive. I haven't played Just Cause 2, although I picked it up during the Steam sale.

[Arphahat]

I am so glad to see this return. Wasn't this originally my idea anyway?

I'll definitely play along more often with you this year, I promise!

Everyday Genius is a lot of fun, and very addictive. I haven't played Just Cause 2, although I picked it up during the Steam sale.

Both you and one of my other pals both expressed interest in me getting this going again. I sure hope you play along more, this time, but I almost didn't start back up because of both Minecraft and the recent re-interest in Dwarf Fortress! Hopefully I will be able t spare some time from those to try out the rest of my collection. At least with my "No New Games this Year" resolution, I should have a decent shot at reducing my backlog.

I think I also saw that you recently got a xbox for pc controller? That will be helpful for Just Cause 2.

Later on today, I'll do a little write-up on "the Ball."

[MagGnome]

Yes, I picked up a 360 wired pad, so I can finally play some of the games that really need one in my Steam list.

I'm addicted to Dwarf Fortress as well, and I'm also starting to get in to EVE Online. It would be nice to have the impetus to play some of the other games in my backlog that I might not get around to for a long time otherwise.

I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions of The Ball. I haven't heard much about that game.

[Arphahat]

"The Ball" was a game I had never heard about. Well, after I played for a little, it did seem a little familiar, like maybe I had heard about it awhile back. But, the point is, it wasn't something I was looking forward to or knew anything about.

There was one thing I did know: it was on sale for $5 and had a picture of a huge zombie gorilla. How could it be bad? Answer: it wasn't.

The Ball takes place at an archeological site in Mexico when one man gets separated from the rest of the site crew. As this man is an archeologist, you know adventure will ensue. Soon after entering the temple, you find a large, metal ball that you can pull toward you using a gravity-gun type weapon. You push it away using the primary "hammer" ability of the gun. The game consists of navigating this ball through series of puzzles by hammering or pulling the ball.

The game was short and not really very difficult, yet it was extraordinarily satisfying. The pleasure I had from smacking the hell outta that ball, running over monkeys and zombies and exploring the environment was well worth the $5. It also has Steam achievements and a survival mode that can extend the playtime as well.

Anyone else play the Ball? Or, have it? Or, even heard of it? It was a great purchase and either the first or second game I finished in 2011. Any comments you have about the ball go here.

[MagGnome]

I haven't played The Ball. I saw it on Steam, but I recall someone saying it was terrible, so I avoided it. It was probably Savok, come to think of it, so perhaps I should take that opinion with a grain of salt.

[Arphahat]

I haven't played The Ball. I saw it on Steam, but I recall someone saying it was terrible, so I avoided it. It was probably Savok, come to think of it, so perhaps I should take that opinion with a grain of salt.

Huh... I wonder what he didn't like about it? People who don't like the game are always welcome to post a counterpoint.

Will do a post on Zeno Clash later.

[Arphahat]

Imagine a crazy world, where animals walk as people and the darkness can spawn evil. Now, throw that image away because it is probably nowhere near the crazy that is Zeno Clash.

Zeno Clash is a short, fun, frustrating, first-person fighting game. You have a block, weak and strong attacks, dodge and some other moves that can be used when an opponent is stunned or you are running. There are bludgeon type weapons that you can pick up and beat your enemies with, as well as the occasional gun with unlimited rounds (that takes long enough to reload that you might need to resort to fisticuffs if the enemies are too close.

The controls are fine, with my only complaint being that it is sometimes hard to tell if you are still within striking distance of an opponent. The frustration comes in from this NOT being a button-masher, AT ALL. You need to pay attention to what the other fighters are doing and be prepared to counter accordingly at all times. If you lose concentration, it is easy for it to go south quick. Winning fights, however, is very rewarding.

These fights occur as you are running through the world as a story is being told. It is a very bizarre, but interesting, story, so I won't go into any details so as to not spoil it.

The story is fairly short and I was able to get through the game in a day or two of playing, this being either the first or second game I finished in 2011. Short though it may be, there are Steam achievements that add replayability to the main game, as well as timed challenge fights you can do.

I grabbed this cheap and give it a thumbs up if you can find it cheap, too. Though, you might want to try the demo, since it is representative of the game as a whole.

Thoughts?

[Purple Santa]

I wished I had grabbed The Ball when it was on sale. I have non-buyer's remorse now

[Arphahat]

Originally Posted by Purple Santa

I wished I had grabbed The Ball when it was on sale. I have non-buyer's remorse now

Well, the happy news is that Steam loves to repeat sales, so you should have another shot in a couple months.