Contrast - Review (Final Thoughts)

Having played the Portal series and Trine, I realized I quite enjoy playing puzzle based games. Not to mention those that were on the DS like Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright (although Phoenix Wright was not really puzzle solving so I ended up not finishing it) But the pure satisfaction of you solving an impossibly hard puzzle was too much a drug for me, I found myself playing portal over and over, especially those puzzles that were particularly tricky.

This is pure gold, couldn't pass up the perfect moment to post it =)

So imagine my delight when my brother showed me a game made by Compulsion Games,

CONTRAST!!! Wait that's not right...

CONTRAST!!! No, I mean

CONTRAST!!! (The right one)

One of the highlights of the game was the fact that although this game is played in a 3D environment, the game incorporates 2D platform like puzzles ,by use of shadows, into the mix giving the game a new dynamic that is almost unique to any other game. I could say no other game has done that before and I was intrigued. (Naturally) Here's the trailer:

When they started showing how you can jump in and out of shadows, that's when I was hooked, so now on to the review.

Storyline
The game begins with you standing in the room of Didi, a little girl that happens to be friends with you. And just like that the use of shadows is already introduced to you. The story revolves around Didi and how she strives to repair her parents' broken relationship. It also shows us the tough decisions adults have to make for the betterment of their children.

Here's Didi!

The story is fine, simple to pick up but at the same time keeps you hooked on the game. The only problem is, you don't control Didi, you control Dawn, a perceived imaginary friend of Didi with the ability to meld into shadows. And that's the problem, you don't feel immersed in the story because it's not your story, you are a bystander (and most of the time also assistant) to Didi and her life. Which kind of detracts from that experience. Another thing is that since you'll be assisting Didi through whatever puzzle, it seems more like babysitting than puzzle solving. It doesn't help that Didi can sometimes come off as obnoxious and annoying but adorable and funny other times. (much like a real child if they're going for that) And you're also playing catch up most of the time, Didi always getting ahead because she can squeeze into small spaces and you having to find your way around that.

Didi wants to get into the factory, and you're the one that has to do it

Despite the fact that the game had excellent storytelling, beautiful cutscenes and gorgeous visuals, being an observer instead of a main character in the game actually stopped me from being immersed in the story. And that's what I find a bit disappointing.

Art Direction and Soundtrack
The art of this game was spot on, the team having a very focused and well defined direction to how they wanted to portray the game. And all that hard work did well in their favour, the cut scenes and scenery all giving you a feel of the ambience and atmosphere in that world. This carried on to even small minute details like loading scenes and minor puzzles you encounter throughout the game.

The world, as I said, takes place in around the 1920s, with a old noir kind of setting. The streets being in the darker side of town, with burlesques and shady characters all around. Not the kind of place for a child to be roaming around in. The contrast (no pun intended) making you worry for Didi's safety as she goes roaming around unattended. The game makes excellent use of shadows (since shadows play a huge role in the game mechanics) as well, displaying how something two dimensional can still be visually appealing. And the soundtrack is awesome really bringing you into the world. Here are some pictures~

Sadly, there's no official soundtrack on their YouTube page, so you'll have to play the game for the full experience.

Gameplay and Mechanics

The fact that you could meld into shadows was the main attraction for this game, and thankfully I wasn't disappointed. (by the shadow part, others, we'll get to that) Just like how in Portal, you have to start thinking with portals, in Contrast, everything will make sense when you start thinking with shadows. The game introduces you to the mechanic at the start, and slowly adds new abilities as you progress.

Look ma! I'm standing on a bicycle to get to a ledge!

Other aspects come into play as well, like rearranging furniture to cast bigger shadows and shining light on different objects  to cast the perfect shadow. Once you get the hang of it, you'll really start having fun.

Nothing is exempted, any shadow counts as a platform

The freedom you have to use whatever it is for shadows is amazing and the fact that it's all up to your creativity means there are several ways you can solve puzzles.

Haha, look! I'm standing on a head!

This does not come with its fair share of glitches and bugs, however, and this is where the lack of game testers really show (it is a small game company to be fair). There were several inconsistent instances in the game which confused me a bit and made it harder to solve a puzzle. Like you instantly phasing out of the shadows when you pass through a window but other times moving along with no problem. Or instances where at some points in the game, there were minor indeliberate shadows that made certain areas impassable even though that shouldn't be the case. And just a heads up, should Dawn get stuck in between shadows and would be otherwise crushed if she stayed any longer, you'd be immediately phased out. You can dash through thin shadows as well later on, but with glitchy results in some cases.

Shadows are captivating and wonderful mediums for storytelling, as shown by Contrast

Another gripe I had with the game was there are quick time events without queueing you what will happen. So a huge part of the game was trial and error as well, if I was given enough hints and queues it would be fine but it was mostly experimentation.

One of my favourite puzzles, the Carousel!

The beauty and simplicity of shadows, Dawn jumping from horse to horse

Mostly set in black and white, it's amazing how much life they brought to the game

One last thing, the game doesn't make full use of the mechanics they have put in, as soon as a new one is introduced, they older mechanics fall off. This coupled with the fact that I started really getting into the game was when it ended. There weren't enough puzzles in my opinion, if they had taken those previous mechanics and made just three more puzzles with all the mechanics implemented my view of the game would be much more different.

All in all, the game did everything right except for being a game, the story simple to pick up with depth when played further, the characters appealing and memorable, the premise exciting (puzzle solving with shadows), and the art and soundtrack captivating and beautiful. The minor gripe I had with you not being the main character was not much of a problem with the game but a complaint actually. What really disappointed me was the lack of puzzles, and I feel if they had added a few more it would be a much better game. Contrast fails at being a game first while getting everything else right. But at the end of the day, a game is something people play, in this case I want puzzles to solve, the story, art and soundtrack all help to bring the game to life but are not what ultimately make a game, a game.

That being said, I would still recommend this game if you want a new experience, just like how Transistor was a unique game compared to the rest, so too was this one, just don't expect to be playing it very long. And not to end on a bad note:

Arghhh, I hurt my leg! (See how a caption can change your perspective, she was actually singing, and performing, haha =D)

As always, have fun playing games and you can give this one a try!

The Supposed Break but not yet Apparently and Whatever

First of all, what's up with the title? (You all ask graciously) It clearly explains what's actually going on (points for attempt at justification~). A little backstory? Sure, lend me an ear. In September I started my practical training in an architecture firm, the period was supposed to be 14 weeks or around 3 months or so, and it was supposed to end on the 4th of December. I really feel for you working folk, waking up everyday at the same time, burning out 8 hours a day and 2 days a week being your only time to rest, it really takes a toll on you. It did me, anyways. And as do all careers involving content creation, you really have to put up with a lot of criticism, everything you do questionable, only to be justified by who else but yours truly. So when you come up with something less than what is expected of you, prepare to face the music. I can't really say much to the way you will be criticized, for before it was the same cycle for your boss, and his boss before that and her boss before that and you get the picture. That same vicious cycle continues on and you merely another part of it. What I did not expect was the fact that there was not really any form of relief that would intervene those horrid sessions.

A pose I find myself doing a lot lately

And that's where it differs from student life, as a student you have classes to attend, yes, but you are rapidly shifting from one subject to another based on your timetable (if not at least here in Malaysia) And, believe it or not, those actually help a lot at relieving stress. At least after a horrendous critique session, you get to go back, take a nap, eat and take some time to digest the advice before returning to rectifying your design. At work? Fat chance. if you are given the dreaded lecture in the morning, your boss would want to see it again in the afternoon. So like it or not, you're gonna have to cough something up and if that still isn't up to standard, you get the lecture again, albeit a bit toned down or even worse than before, depending on your state of management. (mine thankfully was the first not the latter). The next day, you still have to continue doing it, and that snowball is torturous. After a week or two of your endeavors, you might be rewarded with that "eureka" moment you've been hoping for, or your boss walking you through the process step by step (at that point, however, I thought if it were anywhere else, I would have been taken off of the project entirely) giving you the answer you've been looking for all along with a generous helping of disappointment, free of charge.

The thing that hits you more than work is disappointing nice people, and I've managed to do just that, a few times. For which I am at the complete mercy of my boss' goodwill, oh the hilarity of things.

Wait, what was this post supposed to be about? Oh yea, so after some talking with my parents, they thought it would be better for me to continue working even after the period has ended (much to my disappointment yet completely unsurprising) Because apparently I have nothing to do at home and I do not have to go back to studying in March and because apparently this semester is not like other semesters where I deserve that semester end break. Fight I did, and triumph, I did not. Not without a few minor victories though, I got to shorten that period to just the end of December.

Right? C'mon I need justification

Plus, if I had not done so, I wouldn't be able to complete my logbook (which is my fault) and I wouldn't be able to finish this:

A little project I'm working on hehe

The project that brought me so much heartache and suffering I thought about quiting a few times. Yet it's the only project I can truly call my own since I've worked on it from start to finish. With the input from several people including my boss, of course. I'm quite happy with it (or else you wouldn't be seeing this), though I wish the hall could be different but a deadline's a deadline. What is this? I'm not sure I can tell so this is the most I can show while still keeping things confidential. It's a community center of sorts, which explains the hall (on the right) and the office building (on the left). At the back there's a futsal court. I wanted to go for a tropical design, considering it's built in a tropical country. But there was a lot more I wanted done but I couldn't because of financial considerations.

The thing about anything that involves creation, you can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment after completing a tough project. Which is understandable since you've wasted a month of your life building it from the ground up. And that feeling is your reward, the most sincere one, you can give yourself after all you've been through. A silver lining for you, and your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Something I could have never done if I had stopped working on the 4th. So for that I am thankful. Alhamdulillah! I look forward to my holiday at the end of December, the working experience is really something everyone should go through, mine made better surrounded by wonderful people. I'm also looking forward to being able to publish posts with more content as those do take more time. (although take this with a grain of salt, my previous posts a testament to how well I can keep my blog going)

The reason I'm writing this post is not to complain or show off, my first intention was to immortalize my experiences, the internet the best for that, an open diary that can never be lost for my future self, but also as a way to share what I have experienced, so that some may understand or so that some feel understood, having known someone has gone through what they are currently going through. And if you're that someone, this post my gift to you =) 

Sorry if this post was a bit too touchy feely for your taste. I appreciate you reading my blog and I promise I'll do my best to keep pushing out content!

Have fun and continue working! (heh, maybe not)

New Dream Laptops

It's close to 2016 now and I can't help but feel envious of the new laptops that have and will be coming out. I bought my laptop back at the end of 2012 and at that time, I really liked the idea of backlit keyboards, which only the macbooks had. So I instantly fell in love with two laptops that so happened to feature backlit keyboards.

The Asus N550 Multimedia Series

The Lenovo Y480

Another thing that was all the rage as well was sound systems, Dell had a laptop with Skullcandy, Msi with DynaAudio, Asus with Bang and Olufsen, Lenovo with JBL and HP with BeatsAudio. So I had a lot of choices to choose from, but when you add in backlit keyboards, the only two that remained were the ones shown above and I decided to go with the larger Y580 from Lenovo.

Lenovo Y580

Why? Because it had a stronger graphics card compared to the N550 (an Nvidia GTX660M over the GT650) and because at RM3000, it gave me an i7 processor whereas the Asus was RM3500. It's still the laptop I'm using today and for more than 2 years already, I'm glad its still holding up well. (almost, a story for next time perhaps) The backlit keyboard a welcome addition, especially when I type or play games at night, its speakers lack bass but trebles sound very realistic and true to life.

The sad part was after I had bought the laptop, 2013 came and along with it a new set of laptops emerged... all with RED BACKLIT KEYBOARD.

Lenovo Y500

Lenovo Y50

whyyyyyyyyyy

Hp Omen

Acer V Nitro

Asus ROG G551JK

nngggghhhhh

I mean, if I had waited just 3 months I would have gotten a completely different laptop, not to mention they all came with the GTX7++, a generation newer than my laptop's graphics card. But sure it gets you feeling like you should have waited, should have been more patient but I thoroughly enjoyed my laptop so it wasn't like I absolutely had to have those laptops. Another silver lining was the Y500 and Y400 series did not come with intel integrated graphics so its battery life was always less than an hour, the other laptops were too expensive so I wouldn't have gotten them anyways. See, sometimes you just have to appreciate what you have and don't go chasing after every next new thing. (A reminder to myself apparently)

I dreamt of having those but not as strongly as after I borrowed my sister's laptop to read through notes and do reports (my laptop was being repaired since the RAM was faulty). Her laptop being an extreme petite one, with a touch screen but still surprisingly smooth thanks to its i3 processor, I began to appreciate what small lightweight workstations are really there to promote, productivity on the go. Not to mention its battery life was far superior to my 2-3 hours of screen on time, hers could last 6-8 hours on a single charge.

Asus Vivobook S200e

It was also then that I really appreciated the inclusion of touch screen support with Windows 8, I know a lot of you don't like Windows 8 but with touch screen it made more sense and I got the hang of it after playing around for a few minutes. So my dream laptops became more of one that could do both, play demanding games yet still manage to be lightweight and portable. 2014 didn't show much progress, Ultrabooks emerged but always with reduced specifications compared to the full sized laptops. Late 2015 was when the fun really started, THE MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK!!!

It combines the tablet experience but still allows for heavy loads with the added graphics card and keyboard. I'm excited but I know this will just be another laptop to add to my wishlist. Also~

Dell XPS 15

dat screen, dat infinity bezel

dat backlit keyboard and glass trackpad

dat carbon fibre texture

dat 4k resolution though

all in a slim laptop with a 14 in footprint thanks to that bezel

So, you know, my birthday's coming up and I can bet you'll know what to get me ;)

Have a nice time and window shop a bit more~

Transistor - Review (Final Thoughts)

Having played this game in 2014, I considered playing it again this year since I had such an enjoyable time playing the game. A game developed by Supergiant Games, this game got everything right, sure there were some areas it could have done better or improve, but everything it tries to do, it delivers in a beautiful, captivating game that is both easy to play, yet lets you have tons of fun when you master it. The design and concept of this game catches the eye, the scenery and art style very refreshing and new, making you want to explore more of the world, it keeps you playing.

Its premise? You play as a woman named Red and she has people coming after her, thankfully she has with her a sword, that also happens to be her lover (whose name was never mentioned), to help her fend off any harm.

The people causing her harm and killing her lover? That's what you'll have to find out in the game. As you go through the story, you'll discover the reason behind the attack, how the sword (which is called the Transistor) works and explore the beautiful world Supergiant Games has made for you. It may seem a bit difficult to swallow, but the game eases you into the story as you go through the it. 

Game Mechanics

The game mechanics are extremely easy to pick up, and thankfully there isn't an extremely long tutorial you have to complete before you start playing the game, they are explained to you as you go on. Controlled by mouse and keyboard, you can have a total of 4 attacks, shown in slots at the bottom center of your screen. Point and click allows you to move around, the numbers 1-4 allow you to use your attacks (also known as functions in the game) and these are the primary controls you use to navigate Red in the isometric landscape. (all drawn, mind you) The game initially plays in real time (by initially I mean the first one minute or so) then introduces you to its turn based aspect, which is done brilliantly I must say.

"Not good for your knees, but I guess it gets the job done," - Transistor

You can attack enemies in real time, using your mouse to fire, and pressing the 1-4 buttons select your attacks and right click to use them when already selected. You can go through most of the game this way if you favour a more real time experience. However, doing so means you're wasting a very powerful mechanic given to you, Turn()

"Ok Red, don't panic... or you could just do that"

By pressing the space bar, you activate Turn() which stops time in the game, allowing you to plan your attacks and moves, to a certain limit shown by a gauge at the top of your screen. Pressing space bar again ends Turn() and Red unleashes those commands given at hyper speed (which is Faruq jargon for you move around really fast and watch her smash enemies to pieces).

Also for those who: enjoy destruction, smashing things, and whacking the life out of stuff

For one, IT'S SUPER AWESOME TO LOOK AT and also allows you to chain together attacks. If you chain Crash() (which allows you to stun enemies) and follow that up with another attack, you can deal more damage. The same goes when you attack an enemy from the back, which gives you backstab damage. Like I said, once you get the hang of the mechanics, its simplicity and depth make Transistor really exciting to play and it keeps you thinking of new ways to attack and plan attacks.

Another aspect of combat I like is how you can augment your various attacks by adding unused functions to them. Doing so applies effects of the otherwise, unused function to enhance the functions you want to use. With over 20 functions at your disposal, the combinations are endless.

You can mix and match, discover wonderful combinations and even produce effects that would be so overpowered it shouldn't be in the game. The choices available to you are really what make the combat so enjoyable and it should be staple for every game.

Visuals and Soundtrack

Never have I played a game in which the soundtrack and art actually added another layer of comprehension to the game. The music not only captivates but also acts as an audible queue to your actions. Take for instance when activating Turn(), the music changes to a version of her humming the tune, which makes me imagine she's taking her sweet time, planning out her actions.

Here's the normal one

And here's the one playing when she activates Turn()

The soundtrack is also used to tell the story, several have vocals sung by the very talented singer, Ashley Barrett and the music direction by Darren Korb is very unique, the vocals are sung in style of old music, yet the music itself from electronic and digitally produced instruments. Supergiant Games has graciously added the whole soundtrack to YouTube so if you want you can check it out, but be warned, there are spoilers.

Red, herself, is a singer, so it makes sense that she would sing along as she travels through the game. The art and concept are very unique but I can't explain much (as it is visual information) so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Again, this is all drawn and not rendered by 3D software

Both work in tandem, really bringing the world of Heightmap to life and I am happy I got to explore it!

Storyline

There is a reason I chose to talk about the story last, it's fairly straight forward, the key aspect of her journey explained to you as you move through the paces, but there are a few things left unexplained, or in this case, a conscious choice to leave the rest to the imagination. The game also explores various methods of explaining itself to you, from the sword narrating and giving you advice along the way, to the various OVC terminals spread throughout the game, to the backstories of the people you take along with you as you progress, to even the conversations you have with the antagonists. This indirect approach allows you to piece together what you know and also invites you to play the game a few more times so you can finally grasp its whole premise. I understand the decision but I would like more explained, haha, especially with the ending =,=

The story does not hold much, but the characters are definitely endearing, you sympathize with Red through her endeavor, you sympathize with the sword as he tries to make light of his situation to cheer Red up and you can see that Red is distressed but refuses to show how fragile she is in order to defeat the villains. Which brings me to another point, the sword is the only thing that is entertaining about this game, contrasting greatly with the melancholy the game portrays. Both admirable how they've managed to make you feel that way yet frustrating because they made you feel that way. Confusing? Exactly. play the game, it will all make sense.

All in all, I really enjoyed the game, the soundtrack I still listen to and sometimes I go for a quick run through the game to enjoy its excellently put together combat system, trying to find a new combination that would work. If you're a casual gamer, I'd suggest you play this game, if you're a pro gamer, you should try this game. And if that's not enough to tell you how I feel about this game, IT'S A REALLY GOOD GAME!!!

That's all and have a nice time playing games, especially this one, you should play it, don't have it? Buy it. If not, you know there are other ways (not that I'm saying you should but you know...)