All posts by Alex McCumbers

Classic games are my inspiration. Many of those games hold design elements that are blatantly ignored in modern games. Doesn't mean I'll ignore new titles, but I will reject play requests to spend time with my SNES.

Songbringer Preview – An Epic, Pixelated Adventure

Giga Geek Magazine was gifted with access to an early build of the game. All of the opinions in this article are for that early version, some things are subject to change as more is developed.

Independent developers never cease to amaze me. Some of my favorite games of all time have come from these smaller studios, which is refreshing in an age of micro-transactions, always online checks, and broken releases. Songbringer comes from humble folks—inspired by the top down days of Legend of Zelda—and is shaping up to be a memorable classic.

Weiss' pixel skills are impressive. Check out the Nano Sword!
Weiss’ pixel skills are impressive. Check out the Nano Sword!

Songbringer is a procedurally generated adventure through mysterious locales, slashing baddies with a nano-sword or tossing a boomerang top hat. Created by a single man with ambition beyond mortals, Nathan Weis is crafting a science fiction love letter to Zelda. Not only is Weis making this one solo, after twenty years or so of being a developer, but he’s also been streaming daily on Twitch. Keeping it simple, Songbringer won’t have A-list actors doing voice overs, or music played by an orchestra; however, that gives it charm.

Primarily, there are two ways to play Songbringer: normal mode will let the hero die to respawn like a normal adventure game, and permanent death mode, which is exactly what it sounds like, turning the whole game into a rogue-like game similar to Binding of Isaac.

Capture55

Playing around with the build sent to me by Weis, there is a lot to love already. Combat is simple and familiar, using items assigned to buttons and swinging a sword. While combat is essential to survive, there is a heavier focus on exploration. The system generates a fairly large overworld, with areas that require specific items before you can explore.

You can gain harder levitra best prices and fuller erection to participate in lovemaking and enjoy intimate moments with her. The heart is built of mystical black freesia, while levitra samples the base introduces sequoia wood accords, musk and amber. davidfraymusic.com india cheap cialis Garlic – Garlic is a common herb used in kitchens. They fit in order generic levitra the budget of a common man can afford. Dungeons also spawn throughout this strange planet. During my time with Songbringer, I saw the conquering of four dungeons. There weren’t any real puzzles to challenge the sword wielding hero, but there were plenty of enemy types to learn. Demons lower their head and charge with their wicked horns, and little bugs attack in large groups. There are some rooms that have way too many enemies in them, turning the challenge into mashing every item to try and survive.

Capture554

One of the few criticisms I have for the game is the lack of music. Of course this is bound to come in later builds, but it made the world eerily silent. Overall the sound design is interesting with droning pulses and bit-crushed attack effects, but that lack of music made me realize just how important it is in games like this. Imagine Hyrule Field without that iconic score; it would feel wrong. Once again, the build I played was an early one, so music is probably in the works.

Songbringer is an incredibly ambitious project for a single creator. That alone, the game deserves a large amount of praise. As a game amidst a sea of others, Songbringer does stand out as more than a simple tribute. Its themes and style are excellent and the gameplay is familiar enough to understand in seconds, while building on that framework.

In short, there is a mass amount of potential for this project. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for future builds and the inevitable release of Songbringer. Beyond that, Weis will be a developer to watch for his creativity and sheer willpower.

To see the game in action, check out my preview below.

NoScope Gaming Glasses – Gimmick?

Professional gaming used to be a thing made fun of by most entertainment platforms. Back in the early 2000s, the only ones who dared broadcast high level competitive gaming was G4. Most “pro” gaming took place during LAN parties in organized events like the legendary, high-profile Doom deathmatch tourneys or the underground Super Smash Bros Melee matchups.

This is what large gaming tournaments used to look like.
This is what large gaming tournaments used to look like.

However, with the birth of online streaming sites like Twitch, everything changed. Suddenly, game development teams had an easy way to show off their top players. This sort of entertainment sees millions of hits across the world in everything from Super Smash Bros. to the stadium held events of League of Legends.

This is what they look like now. Image courtesy of PC Gamer.
This is what they look like now. Image courtesy of PC Gamer.

This is why there was a sudden increase in products that are meant to enhance a player’s skills. Razer builds top notch gaming mice, keyboards, and more. Astro makes super high-quality headsets for hearing the footsteps of unaware foes. All of these companies saw a need in the market and fulfilled it.

There is always some skepticism with these sort of products. A Razer mouse can cost at least $80, forcing one to question whether it will truly make one a better player. For most gamers, the difference is slight, but some folks swear by these accessories or companies.

Gaming eye-wear came into being from a simple problem. Gaming for long periods of time, whether training for a tournament match against a team of rivals or trying to get every star in Super Mario 64, hurts the eyes and can cause headaches. The solution? Yellow tinted lenses that filter out the harmful blue light of monitors.

Yes, it sounds like the kind of thing followed with, “Wait! There’s more! Act now and get a second pair free!”

CbHrITpUcAEztAj (1)

However, I decided to put these lenses to the test. To do so, I purchased a pair of moderately priced glasses from NoScope Gaming. I would love to compare them to their direct competition, Gunnar Glasses, but being as they are quite expensive I won’t be doing so.

First, I do like the build of the pair I bought, the Geminis. They are sturdy enough and come with a snappy pouch to keep them in and they look pretty stylish. I ended up picking up a hard case at a local eye doctor’s office to keep them safer though. You can purchase a warranty through the site, which does get you a case. Might be something I do with the next pair.

To start things off, I chose a game I’m likely to spend many hours at a time with, Smite. Smite is a competitive game, fitting in with the targeted audience of gaming glasses, so it made sense. With all of the flashy effects and quick camera movements, the game does have a tendency to give me some brain pains.
This purchase viagra online davidfraymusic.com medicine is a good way to lead a promising sexual life along with your partner. This basically makes sure that the person could not make viagra cheap india possible to satisfy his partner then he shall not perceive it as impotency. David Pfister, chief of the head and neck medical oncology service at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center buy cipla viagra in New York City, said in a college news release.In the study, which was published in 2013, younger men with impotence or repeated penile failure condition in man. Emotional purchase generic viagra wellness issue in youngsters and teenagers are brought about by hormonal disturbances in the body, which in turn supports the release level of nitric oxide.
Yet, even after only a few hours of playing, I could feel that my eyes didn’t feel as strained. Of course, I spent almost 7-8 hours playing in total, but even in those first hours I could tell that these glasses were fairly effective. I also went on to play long periods of console games, handheld games, basically anything I was playing I threw on the glasses. I also tried a few sessions without, more times than not, I did get headaches for longer sessions.

Not only do I enjoy games, but I’m also a writer (surprise!) and spend a lot of time staring at a bright white screen. Even though the NoScope glasses are meant for gaming, anything that’s being done on a computer screen will benefit from wearing them. I even wear them at work, which is handy considering I edit sports clips, run news casts, and answer emails.

I did worry about games looking funny under a yellow tint, and yes it does seem weird. Luckily, the art direction isn’t skewed and the tint is slight enough that one can quickly get used to it. Basically, its not enough of deep yellow to throw off the style of the game.

Artistic games are treasures. I was worried gaming glasses would sully this.
Artistic games are treasures. I was worried gaming glasses would sully this.

Overall, the science behind gaming glasses isn’t really a new idea. Computer glasses have been in use for a while, but they weren’t specifically marketed to gamers until here recently. Most glasses companies have options for coatings to help those who use computers for long periods of time. Are gaming glasses something that will instantly fix a problem? No, I wouldn’t use NoScope glasses or Gunnars if I thought there was a serious issue with my eyes. That’s what doctors are for.

So far though, from my use and tests, NoScope Glasses seem to be beneficial. Do I feel like I have an edge over opponents? Not really, but I do feel like I have better gaming stamina. My work is also a little less painful, and that alone is definitely worth the thirty bucks I spent to get them.

Functionality. Did a top brand make this shotgun? Who cares. Image courtesy of Rock Paper Shotgun.
Functionality. Did a top brand make this shotgun? Who cares. Image courtesy of Rock Paper Shotgun.

So what’s the difference between a cheaper brand and a more expensive one? Think about it like a pair of sunglasses. Sure, Oakley makes a sharp pair, but do you really want to spend more than a hundred on eye wear that isn’t prescription? For some, the brand, the design, and the slightly higher craftsmanship is worth it. Most just want to keep the sun out of their eyes, though.

I can honestly recommend NoScope Gaming Glasses. They’ve provided an excellent starting point for this sort of eyewear. Really, it’s hard to explain, so try it for yourself. They might be the coolest thing ever or they might not feel that great. Either way, worth a shot.

Note: NoScope did not sponsor this article. The author does have a sponsorship account with NoScope, but was not given any products for the purpose of this post.

 

Final Fantasy Explorers – Inspired, but Lacking

Before cutting into the newest spin-off game of the Final Fantasy franchise, let’s take a look at its obvious inspiration, Monster Hunter.

Capcom’s Monster Hunter is about hunting monsters (surprise, surprise) with different weapon types and using pieces of those monsters to make better equipment to in turn kill bigger monsters.

TANK3_WiiU TitleSheet

The games are usually set in closed areas, connected together to make themed maps. Its biggest appeals are its brutal difficulty, precise controls with specific functions and monsters with complex animations and behaviors. It’s insanely popular in Japan and has picked up quite a fan base worldwide with its latest titles.

logo

Final Fantasy Explorers takes Monster Hunter formula and adds in the iconic themes and creatures of Final Fantasy. Even though it’s clearly riding on that sort of copycat design, it’s a solid idea, in theory.

In execution, Final Fantasy Explorers is a bland, forgettable experience.

Explorers sets up a fairly interesting premise: Eidolons, powerful beings who usually appear as summons in other games, are running rampant; it’s up to the Explorers to take care of them. To do this, Explorers adopt a class, assign abilities and craft gear. Each class has specific strengths and weaknesses, such as the Black Mage being able to lay out tons of damage with magic, while the Knight can soak up damage and keeping aggression away from other players. The Job System in Explorers is just as fun as it has been in previous Final Fantasy games.

FFE_Diabolos

Each job’s abilities are attained through beating missions, adding plenty of skills to outfit a player. This ability system is one of the few features keeping this entry afloat. Learning rotations of spells, as well as knowing which abilities are effective for each situation is interesting, especially in multiplayer.

The controls, while clunky at times, allow players to have eight abilities equipped at once, cycling through them with the shoulder buttons. The targeting system can get confusing at times, but usually does okay with staying focused on the target.

FFE_Paladin

cialis generico canada robertrobb.com Ginseng roots are steeped for long hours, excess use of digital devices, masturbating, watching too much porn, wearing tight underwear etc. Make sure that the consumption of the antidepressants. cialis online prescription is worked as best on the men of all ages. Myth: ED is caused by lack of attraction viagra tablet Fact: This is one of the biggest assumptions made especially by your other half if you are having problems in sex life including psychological and physiological. There are offers like get viagra that will enable you to achieve a stronger erection and to last longer between the sheets! Most men wish to go all night and stir up the things in bedroom. One of the greatest features of Monster Hunter is its crushing difficulty, making team work absolutely necessary. Explorers suffers from no difficulty at all. I found myself running through the first eight Eidolons in my first session. I even tried switching classes and not seeking out materials for better equipment, but succeeded even when I knew little about the class. It doesn’t help that dying has no harsh repercussions. One can either self revive with a Phoenix Pinion item, or just lose five minutes on the mission’s timer.

Throwing everything you have at a boss and dying just to replenish stamina is a game-breaking strategy. Most bosses will fall to this without any troubles. Don’t worry, most missions are set with fifty minute timers. That’s about nine or ten lives per mission.

Visually, Final Fantasy Explorers has some solid ideas behind it. The Eidolon monsters are wicked, often using unique designs to the established molds of the iconic monsters. Classic Final Fantasy monsters also look pretty cool, but overall the game lacks variety in creatures. The environment is also lacking with no discerning features to make it stand out. It’s made up of bland fields that are far too open, dotted with lame enemies that die in a single hit. Even giving the player monster buddies to recruit in the single player is worthless, as they get in the way of the camera and usually don’t get to see any action anyways.

Schwarzmagier_FFE

Even multiplayer can’t save this one. Sharing terrible experiences with friends can be memorable, like watching awful movies for the laughs. Yet, being in a group adds nothing to Explorers. It lacks challenge, good design and variety, all things that make is inspiration, Monster Hunter, great.

To really show Explorers lacks polish, players can wear outfits and wield weapons of classic Final Fantasy characters. Swing Cloud’s Buster Sword, wear Yuna’s short shorts, spend hours grinding for those parts in a sparse field, questioning your existence. I’m surprised this feature wasn’t locked behind a pay wall.

final_fantasy_explorers_characters
Eleven characters that will hopefully ease the pain of “exploring”

It’s like Square Enix noticed its quickly emptying wallets, saw the popularity of Monster Hunter,  and then looked to the ridiculously expensive Final Fantasy XV and thought, “Monster Hunter is selling well, lets make that, but with Chocobos and Bahamut. Brilliant!”

Announced in 2006, still waiting. . .
Announced in 2006, still waiting. . .

Final Fantasy Explorers continues the trend of forgettable games and lost opportunity. This game could’ve been a solid multiplayer experience, but just lacks polish. After enduring this, Type-0 and XIII, Final Fantasy XV better be the best game I’ve ever played.

FFIX_characters

Until then, I’ll keep going through Final Fantasy IX on my Vita. Wake me up when XV comes out, Giga Bytes.

Fine Bros Controversial Copyright Claims

WARNING – This article contains content with obscenities. The opinions of those featured are not associated with Giga Geek Magazine. The opinions of the author belong solely to the author.

We’ve all seen those goofy react videos on YouTube, whether it be Teens reacting to Five Nights at Freddy’s or Elderly reacting to Skrillex. These sort of videos have a lot of humor in them and I’ve been a fan of the YouTubers react series for a while now.

And then I learned something terrible.

YouTube is a platform for open creativity and it has boosted creativity and the world of gaming for the better. I’ve learned so many things from channels like Extra Credits and cried alongside Markiplier as he pours his heart out to his fans. Recently, I’ve taken an interest in the retro gaming space, curling up at night to the rants of AlphaOmegaSin or the antics of the Game Chasers. Even though these smaller channels lack views, I’ve always loved their genuine passion for making videos about gaming.

Speaking of the Game Chasers, one of the frequent guests is a guy known as 8-Bit Eric, who has been seeing moderate success with his parodies of the Fine Bros reaction videos. He reacts to the reactions with hilarious results.

Apparently Fine Bros didn’t find this as amusing as everyone else.

Fine Bros filed a copyright claim against 8-Bit Eric, forcing these videos to lose monetization and were straight up blocked globally.

This sort of conflict that tends to happen online is a classic case of cyber bullying. Eric was seeing some great feedback to his parody videos and people requested more. Fine Bros didn’t like its brand being belittled or the idea that Eric could make money off of this. So, they used their success to file the claim.

However, when it failed as a heart drug, http://secretworldchronicle.com/tag/gamayun/ canada viagra sales pharmaceutical giant Pfizer found another use for this reason. http://secretworldchronicle.com/2019/02/ bulk buy viagra It has variety of dosage range like 25mg, 50mg or 100mg. They probably have so many problems in viagra low price their life. Today, canadian viagra pills many reputed online platforms offer genuine and branded kamagra pills in the UK. The internet as a whole has turned against the Fine Bros, with a subscriber count being streamed as it plummets.

What’s sad is that these content creators aren’t making a living off of YouTube. Most of them have to resort to Patreon or teaming up for larger projects, like selling DVDs. The smaller creators do often catch flak like this. AlphaOmegaSin has claimed to receive several nasty emails and death threats over the years, just because of saying what he thought of a situation.

Fair Use is a hard to define term, especially in the YouTube space. That very definition is what ruins a lot of perfectly good channels, who get slammed for just being creative. I can understand Fine Bros being upset at being made fun of and their footage being used in tandem with Eric’s, but there’s no need for this sort of childish backlash.

This hits home for me personally, as I’ve been watching the smaller channels affected for a couple years now. They’re constantly showing up in my feed, entertaining me to no end with their humble style. It also creates worry for my own channel and pursuits. What would happen if reaction videos could only be made by a select few? What about let’s play, or reviews by small outlets? I’d have to completely rethink how I approach videos for Giga and Forever Classic.

Fine-Bros-TruTV-Six-Degrees-of-Everything-Order
Rafi and Beni Fine created the Fine Bros React series to great success.

It’s sad, cause I’ve always thought pretty highly of the Fine Bros. They brought some great people into a larger creative outlet by association, resulting in some really cool Rewind videos and collaborations.

After many years of enjoying Fine Bros Entertainment, I will sadly be unsubscribing. Many will do the same.

In light of this event, I encourage everyone to find a smaller YouTube channel. Subscribe to them, engage in their content. It’s a rewarding experience and there are tons of amazing people who just need viewers or likes.  There may be many channels shut down for similar, asinine reasons. Enjoy them while they last.

Share your thoughts Giga Bytes in the comments below or through one of our many social media outlets.

 

A Whole Bunch of Character Based Multiplayer Games

This year looks to be a competitive year in the multiplayer space. The past few years have shown the rise of E-Sports centered on MOBAs, creating some of the most exciting and memorable moments in gaming history. Looking to cash in on this action, or looking to innovate, many large gaming companies have invested in pursuing character-based, multiplayer experiences. What has resulted is many, many games, most of which are in testing phases and are almost ready for launch. While there may be too many to note in one article, I’ll be attempting to catalog the newest fad in game design.

Paragon – Release date to be announced

Paragon comes from Epic Games, the team behind the Xbox giant Gears of War. Even with limited footage, Paragon looks like Gears if each character had special powers in a MOBA setting. Gameplay looks awesome and the characters carry that detail expected from the studio. Beta tests will roll out early this year and hopefully Giga will get a chance to try it first had. Either way, given Epic’s resume in the multiplayer space, Paragon is a game to watch.

Battleborn – May 3rd, 2016

Created by Gearbox Software, Battleborn looks to be bringing its chaotic style to the MOBA market. The art style is stylized using similar character designs to its hit Borderlands franchise, but with more accentuated limbs and body types. Characters range from a fungal ninja to a penguin in a mech suit to provide a hilarious spin to gameplay. Battleborn looks to be a game with tons of variety in characters, but will its final version be able to stay afloat in the market? We’ll find out in May.

Overwatch – June 21st, 2016

Sporting a visual style comparable to a Pixar film, Blizzard‘s Overwatch has recently seen positive praise in closed beta. While that same beta is currently taking a break for improvements, it should be returning early this year with a full release coming in June. Blizzard’s excellent design creates a fun blast-fest with each character teeming with personality. As of yet, this game doesn’t sport the MOBA-style gameplay as the games I mentioned earlier, but it does have some solid modes that are familiar to anyone who’s played Team Fortress 2. Blizzard’s track record and knack for continued support could make Overwatch a must play, not just for this year, but for years to come.


But take heart, you are not the only ‘true’ vardenafil-based Male impotence medicine. levitra tab 20mg linked here best tadalafil When constrictive band is taken off, the erection goes down. New treatment for prostate cancer is very curable if viagra cialis on line caught early, and side effect profiles for standard treatments have been significantly reduced. viagra discount india These drugs can be purchased from various online pharmacy stores.
Paladins – Release date to be announced

Paladins is a game from one of my favorite studios, Hi-Rez the same team behind Smite, an awesome MOBA with mythological characters. Its newest project, Paladins, seeks to shake up the arena FPS genre with its card system. While I’ve already went in depth with Paladins, its important to note that its being made by a much smaller studio by comparison. That said, Paladins is shaping up to be an awesome game, as its updated frequently with help by its players. Even in its early stages, there is tons of potential in this one.

2976822-paragon-moba-epic-games-1

Final Thoughts

What is there to take from this movement in game design? Following major success, many game companies try their hand in similar styles. It’s nothing new for the industry. When Street Fighter 2 became insanely popular, there were tons of fighting games to come out soon after like TMNT: Tournament Fighters and King of Fighters. That’s just a small example as it’s happened several times over each generation of video games.

bfe4845e65a88bf326981b3ca0d9a669

Taking a step back and looking at this similarity in the market is a bit disconcerting and comical. Yet, these games need to be made to explore the genre. Who knows which of the games above will truly blow its players out of the water? Each explore similar concepts in different ways. It’s a necessary part of the evolution of gaming as a whole.

95ee17bdb0dcf0dd71158df2c1d0193d5ebb2f6f

What’s important is that even if these games succeed or fail, gamers win. These shooters could release to a trumpet of praise, standing on their own merit and creating awesome experiences and communities. Each of these character-based games, while similar, will provide another world for gamers to explore.

Nothing is wrong with more worlds to visit, but all of them seem to have a blue sky.