Category Archives: Indie Pennant

Indie Alert: Trippy RPG – Y2K

Ackk Studios is working on a 3D, turn-based, Japanese-style RPG: Y2K—that takes me back, I’m old. Players control an unemployed college graduate, Alex. Alex is on a quest to find answers behind the death of a young woman: her life is claimed by an erratically behaving elevator.  During his search through ’90s message boards, Alex learns about a “Death Cab” roaming the city and countryside and the death toll surrounding it.

Alex Eggleston
Alex Eggleston

I love the look of this game. The art style is what really caught my attention. It’s bright, fun and unique: a psychedelic, trippy trip.

Battle scene in Y2K
Battle scene in Y2K

Enemy encounters are much like any other RPG, except when you kill an enemy it’s gone forever. Most of your grinding will take place in Mind Dungeons, where you will find chest that contain special moves you can’t find outside the dungeon. Defeating enemies and talking to NPCs will unlock keys to the Mind Dungeons.
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Players will have control over how quickly the battles move. Speeding up battles will make inputting dodge and combo attacks in real time a little difficult.  When you take damage, a meter will start to fill up. Once the meter is full, players can slow the battle down and pull off dodges and attacks more easily.

I'm assuming this is part of the Mind Dungeon
I’m assuming this is part of the Mind Dungeon

I’m excited about this game. The story sounds crazy, but I’m intrigued. Ackk Studios promises a story-heavy, “gripping narrative, an expansive world, memorable characters and an emotionally moving score.” I can’t wait.

Ackk Studios is shooting for a late 2015 or early 2016 release on the PS4, PS Vita, PC and Wii U.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth – A Must Play Game

It takes guts to make a game based on a story from the Bible. Just based on that, I commend the efforts of Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl for exploring a realm video games rarely visit. What is astounding is just how well the game came out. The original Binding of Isaac was one of the first indie games I bought after I built my PC. I loved the macabre themes roped together by the desire to escape the dark dungeon. Many hours were spent crying at the decrepit creatures, a few of which deeply disturbed me. Yet, despite the dark themes, religious tone, and staggering difficulty, I considered Binding of Isaac to be a masterpiece that all gamers should try. It actually led me down the path of playing other rogue-like games, quickly becoming one of my favorite genres.

This devilishly simple flash game quickly became one of the most popular indie titles of the past few years. Then, a twisted video with puppets revealed something amazing, Isaac was getting an upgrade.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2kCvXuxkJA&w=560&h=315]

Binding of Isaac: Rebirth expands the original game in staggering ways. Before, Isaac was stuck to exploring simple square rooms; Rebirth can now generate larger rooms. This opens up the game tremendously since the camera, instead of being fixed, has to follow Isaac around. Another impressive change is how smooth the game runs in the new engine. Pixels take over where Flash drawings had been. This change seemed like an obvious choice, knowing how much the indie scene loves pixel animations. It gives the world a bit more depth. Nothing has really changed as far as how the game plays; however, I did find the job to be an easier task with the PS4 controller, especially while using both analog sticks. Of course, the game has also gained more unlockable content, items, trinkets, and challenges. It will take a long time to get everything, so completionists beware.

Everything I loved in the original has become even better. The simple but layered story gives players a reason to keep trying. Death is permanent in rogue-like games, which if not pulled off correctly, can be frustrating; I never felt that way with Isaac. The mechanics are responsive, simple, and if players die, it’s their fault. Sure, sometimes the item drops lack the power Isaac needs to feel safe, but I rarely blamed the items for my death. After dying, starting up a new run takes seconds, unlike another game I played last month.

Occasionally, Isaac can find friends in the Basement. Like Franco here.
Occasionally, Isaac can find friends in the Basement. Like Franco here.

Basically, gamers who love the 2D Zelda games will feel right at home. It is a challenging and rewarding experience right from the beginning.

What fascinates me even more than the gameplay is the layers of narrative at work. One can spend years just taking apart the various symbols, creatures, and items in an academic sense. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve done a little of that while I was in college. While I won’t touch on everything I’ve come up with, due to the nature of this article, I will briefly mention the feelings I had when beating the game for the first time.

For starters, I’ve never beat the original. In fact, I don’t think I made it to level five. In Rebirth, however, I was able to defeat Mother in my first attempt. I don’t know if it’s because I was given amazing items or my skills have improved since the original. One thing has stuck with me: all of the creatures Isaac faces are twisted things, many reveling in their own sins and filth. Even Mother has been affected by her pursuit of Isaac, becoming one of the most grotesque final bosses in gaming history. I felt sorry for this woman, blinded by faith. What’s even more tragic is what Isaac has to become to defeat her.
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Isaac starts out as an innocent child, naked and afraid of the darkness around him. As more items are acquired, his physical appearance changes so drastically that by the end, Isaac barely resembles what he used to be. That’s what shocked me the most about Rebirth. I had to become monstrous to defeat the monsters of the basement. What does that leave for Isaac upon his return to the world? Would he instead just roam the halls and the darkness? Needless to say my initial victory cry and excitement was plowed over with sadness and remorse.

This pile of flesh and nightmares is Gurdy, a girl...
This pile of flesh and nightmares is Gurdy, a girl…

This type of game design is rare, a true gem in an ever-growing sea of titles.

All in all, everyone should try this game. Okay, maybe not children, but all gamers should give it a try. The game is cheap compared to the shooters that will soon flood the market and is free this month if you have PS Plus and a PS4. Everyone else that owns a Windows PC, Mac, Linux machine or PS Vita will have to pay $14.99.

Also, in honor of the game’s release, I also made a quick commentary video over on Forever Classic.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVRAcTKYrIY&w=560&h=315]

 

 

Whaaaaaaaaat? Two Female Main Characters? A quick look at Redux Ark

On October 29, Hyper Games announced its new exploration, survival adventure called Redux Ark.

Redux Ark takes place  in the year 2039. The last bee on Earth—yea they’re important—died 200 years ago, which started a domino effect of doom on Earth. After discovering a twin planet, Genema, the people of Earth made one last attempt to survive by building a ship called the Redux Ark. The plan was to travel to the twin planet; collect plants, animals and any other organic matter; then take it back to Earth.

Unfortunately, as the Redux Ark closed in on Gemena’s atmosphere, the crew lost control of the ship and crash landed on Gemena. Only three people survived the crash: a scientist, a soldier and a pathfinder. Now, along with collecting plants and animals, the survivors must also collect all the pieces of their ship and fix it, while fighting off the unknown dangers on Gemena.

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Even though the announcement was paired with only a concept teaser trail, I’m excited. This game has a lot of potential, and knowing so little about the game keeps my imagination going. I’m also excited about  the three main characters because two of them are women. It feels weird to get excited about something that should be a normal occurrence, but that’s where gaming is right now.

Usually the cast is dominated by men (e.g. Assassins Creed Unity, GTA V, Left 4 Dead 1 & 2 etc.), and female gamers (if they care) have to settle for the one and only woman on the team—even the female choices in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare are slim compared to the male options. Luckily, Hyper Games has decided not to take the typical route.

The estimated time of arrival is 2016. I can’t wait to see what the people of Hyper Games come up with!

Suicide 5: A Dark Tale with a Scary Comment

Last month I learned of a comic book convention happening in Morgantown, WV. Needless to say, I’m always psyched about these sorts of things being close to home, so I paid the ten dollars to attend WV Pop Culture Con 2014. There were tons of awesome comic book writers and artists—over the next few months I’ll be digging through my spoils—but a few of these folks decided to give me some free comics. Most of these artists and writers are obscure or just starting out in an industry that’s dominated by Marvel, so I hope to give them some much needed spotlight. Granted, I was given these gracious gifts a month ago, but sometimes I have to stew on my thoughts before I can process them into words. The first comic I pulled off my shelf was an indie comic funded by KickstarterSuicide 5, written by Jason Pell and illustrated by Ryan Howe.

Even though I read this a while back, I’m still deeply disturbed by this comic in the best possible way. Honestly, the day I started it, I couldn’t put it down until I was done. From the first couple pages, it felt like I had been grabbed into the story and the conflict. It’s like a good horror novel: the goal isn’t to make you feel bad or scared; it’s to make you think about a serious issue. Just how Frankenstein is partly about fearing electricity, Suicide 5 is about the fear of Youtube.

Maybe that’s oversimplifying things. The plot is about a group of friends who discover another friend has killed himself during a social gathering, while filming on YouTube. No one in the room notices for hours, while the video continues to broadcast. The friends are of course distraught, but the fact that he streamed it for people to watch interested them even more.

This moment ignites the events of Suicide 5.
This moment ignites the events of Suicide 5.

This group then decides that they can do better. They make a pact to kill themselves with the last person giving each of them a score based on certain parameters. What unfolds is a drama with a ticking clock in the background and the sadness of having to witness these terrible deaths. The characters continue their lives, but their imminent suicide is always right around the corner.

On the surface, the story is deranged and deeply terrifying. Unfortunately, many will avoid this comic due to its harsh themes. Yes, suicide is a hard subject to talk about let alone to have in entertainment; however, just as Dante had to do, one must go through Hell to get to Heaven. We have to experience the darkness before we can be enlightened.

The language of the comic is also interesting. Characters casually talk about killing themselves. They design elaborate ways for them to die to an artistic level while sharing coffee. Each of them boasts that they will have the higher score. This combined with the art style, gives Suicide 5 an eerie level of familiarity and depth.

Beneath the surface, though, is a darker demon.
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Immortal, internet fame is what these kids seek. It drives them to levels of insanity that ignores their self-preservation. With the popularity of YouTube, everyone has a chance to become know globally. The drive for channel owners to get views, subscribers, and comments can be a consuming phenomenon. Believe me, I sometimes feel myself getting a little crazy with my small gaming channel. Pewdiepie, the most subscribed to person of YouTube ever, actually disabled comments because they were a constant problem and started to consume him.

The things people will do for this sort of attention is astounding. That’s why we constantly stumble upon videos of people getting hurt, girls shaking their booties, or cats being cats.

Suicide 5 merely extends the idea.

Probably a good way to start wrapping up my thoughts...
Probably a good way to start wrapping up my thoughts…

At the end of the day, I’m a huge fan of this comic. It’s engaging throughout and self-contained. It resonates with the reader, long after the last page is turned. The art style is solid and the plot moves quickly enough to keep one engrossed in every word. Honestly, it made me take a slightly different approach to my online endeavors.

Hopefully, Jason Pell and Ryan Howe will continue this sort of work.

Suicide 5 is an excellent addition to any comic collection and can be the subject of scholarly thought. It left an impression on me that I doubt I’ll forget.

The Future of Storytelling: A Response to the Thoughts of Chris Charla and Benedetto Vigna

Being a writer and literature enthusiast, I’m obsessed with narrative. Through words, we can transport ourselves into other peoples’ lives and experience their worlds. We can visit the abstract and experience impossible things to reach deeper understanding. Because I love stories, I’ve always gravitated towards video games with powerful—or at the very least, central—narratives. Games like Zelda, Legend of Dragoon, and Final Fantasy top my list of favorite games, not because their gameplay is the best or they have the best design or the best graphics, but because I like the stories.

This was one of the first RPGs I ever played. The story is fantastic and the art style is amazing.
This was one of the first RPGs I ever played. The story is fantastic and the art style is amazing.

In the past six or seven years, the gaming industry has evolved. Gamers have always heard about the success of game developers creating something awesome in a basement and it exploding in popularity, but the ease of which that can happen today is astounding. There are hundreds of game development tools that are easily accessible. Some programs don’t even need coding or knowledge of complex computing languages. In the past, game design was more of a labor of love, but now it’s more of a love of labor. All one really needs for game design is to have an idea and time to bring it to life.

One of the first decisions of Black and White 2.
One of the first decisions of Black and White 2.

I’ve always been a console gamer. Sure, I had a few PC games that my poor Dell could barely run, like Mech Warrior and Black and White, but none of those games really stood out or held my attention for long. The story wasn’t as important on the PC, so I gravitated to the PlayStation and Nintendo systems.

Last year, my laptop finally went kaput, even after I had pulled a Frankenstein and truly performed repair miracles. After that, I set out to build my own PC: for me, made by me. After all was said and done, I had a computer capable of all my creative outlets: writing, video editing, etc., but I also ended up with a gaming machine. I was pumped to play games like Skyrim, using mods. Instead, my Steam account slowly filled up with indie games. Now, I scour the internet in search of these brave and new ideas. My machine can play things with superb graphics, but I always end up playing simple indie games, mainly because they often explore new ideas.

Risk of Rain is one of my favorite PC games.
Risk of Rain is one of my favorite PC games.

The gaming market is now filled to the brim with exciting new ways to tell a story and for others to experience it. Plus, most of these games are much cheaper than a new game for consoles. Luckily, services like the Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, and the E-Shop are bringing these games to life on each console. Those without a decent PC can enjoy many of these fantastic games. With these games being easily presented to a hungry consumer base, better games are making more money. That kicks off the chain reaction of the right designers having creative freedom and in turn making more games.

Chris Charla
Chris Charla applauds the indie movement in his video.

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Motion controls are all thanks to that tiny speck in between his fingers.
Motion controls are all thanks to that tiny speck in between his fingers.

Aside from just the ease of which games can be made, the way we play games has also changed. Even though I’ll never fully support motion controlled gaming, I will say that the possibilities that have opened because of it is amazing. Think about someone who can’t or has difficulty using a controller. Think about an older person who didn’t play Nintendo or Atari. The concept of a controller probably goes as far as a remote for the TV. What if people could play the same game or a different game in a way that’s accessible and fun for them? Do you know what we have now? A broader pool of people playing games.

Doom was one of the main reasons work was stalled in offices around the world.
Doom was one of the main reasons work was stalled in offices around the world.

Unfortunately, through the majority of my life, gaming has always been frowned upon by society as a whole, especially with stories that connected specific games to terrible tragedies. The industry was crippled when Doom was blamed for the deaths of innocents.  Its a shame that such an impressive medium can be set back by simple media connections. Although, coupled with the negativity is the joy video games can bring. The popular charity Child’s Play has raised over seven million dollars this year. Minecraft is being used in classrooms by educators around the world, myself included at one point.

In twenty years, I’ve been hundreds of heroes, slain thousands of monsters, and saved millions of worlds. What other medium connects the experience with the one experiencing it? Gaming has for a while now.

Journey Sunset by Sawuinhaff
Journey Sunset by Sawuinhaff

As a medium, let’s explore what’s never been considered. Let’s see what’s never been seen. Let’s play what’s never been played.

For more on these thoughts, check out the Future of Storytelling’s Video Series.