This week, two thirds of The Podcastle's cast will be race traitors, as Wardrox is currently festering in New York. Only Atheistium is keeping the British end up for this episode, but luckily we should have plenty to talk about.
Among other things, Wardrox went to see Evasive Space, and a writer from The Guardian personally called me out. Also, Atheistium has probably been playing Fable III, so we'll be talking about that.
As always, we need questions and comments from our loyal listeners, but since we don't have any loyal listeners, you lot will have to do. The show records tomorrow at the usual time, so fire away!
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
Likes
PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3
Meet the rest of the team
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Contest:
2:20 PM on 12.16.2008
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"Jim Sterling at Destructoid has written a truly heartfelt piece claiming that the survival horror genre has evolved itself into distinction."
I've already got TvC ordered from Play Asia and the wait is fucking killing me. It's been said to be better than Street Fighter IV so you can imagine the sheer anticipation spasms some people must be having...
Why are you such a bitch on Xbox Live?
Jim: Fix your smoke alarm yet, or must we continue to fear for your safety? :(
Athiestium: Tomb Raider Underworld: buy, or just rent over the holidays? Keep in mind what I thought of Legend.
Atheistium: woot for the homeland
Dim the lights and start the game
What comes next will cause me shame
"Save file corrupted"
My fears erupted
Next to this Resi is tame
And my question: What moment in a survival horror game scared you the most? It can be a pure "Boo!" moment like the Zombie Dog in resi, or more psychological like the prison in Silent Hill 2, or some combination of the two, like the aforementioned fake memory card corruption in Eternal Darkness.
Also Wardrox, Dinosaur King Papercraft?
Do any of you care about Madworld/have a Wii? Speculation on it from you lot would be pretty cool.
Jim: Since you've moved to the states have you gotten to see any crazy southern Christians? (Speaking in tongues type stuff)
Wardrox: Just want to let you know that I am actually considering picking up Dinosaur King...
Atheistium: I noticed in a past podcast that said something about wishing you were asian, is that because you like the asian people as a whole or is it to explain all of the spunk on your face?
And now for the serious question...
All: Somehow out of all of the gaming sites that I visit I have somehow decided that you three are the most reliable reviewers/ have opinions that are closest to mine. Currently I own a Wii, a Xbob360 and a 37' HDTV. I've been trying to decide whether or not a PS3 seems like a wise investment. I watch a lot of movies (I have about 300 DVDs) and I don't currently have a blu-ray player. So the main question is "Does the PS3 have a strong enough games library to make me want to pay $400" and also on a side note "Do you ever see Sony releasing a firmware update that will somehow put backwards compatibility into newer consoles, I have 2 PS2s and I am disgusted by how they look on a HDTV"
Thanks for any suggestions
Or at least the memory of it. I don't know how well it plays now-a-days. Thoughts?
Q:
When you play horror video game does it actually scare you?
I'm sort of ish trying to get into game development, so I need some feedback on my ideas. First off, would any of you be interested in an FPS called "TriMangle"? The name struck me in a boring maths class about a year back and a tale of epic proportions unfolded before my eyes. It features triangular robots. Opinions would be helpful.
Fighting dirty is encouraged (no biting though).
Also, can you answer the question your picture has posed? Where, exactly, did the hole go?
Also, since this will likely be the last Podcastke of the year, can we get your Games of the Year?
here is my question: jim, do you not see this as an inevitable step forward (and not the final step) in the survival horror genre? you may argue that it is not a step forward due to the lack of effectiveness of the game based on the intent of the game (to scare people), but in my opinion it is a necessary progression of the genre. sure it is a turning point (and might even be a hiccup in the effectiveness of the gameplay), but for every genre of every medium of art, each advancement, while it does limit the medium in some ways, eventually results in new and creative ways to reinterpret the medium.
for example: sound design is one huge door that i believe will be opened in the coming years in terms of the survival horror genre, and could be a substitution for restrictive camera angles. also, lighting has been a big part of the development of re5 (according to the devs). do you think that such advances are the possible substitutes for the old-school techniques, or do you think that such techniques are irreplaceable?
sorry for the long post.
Such as, Rule of Rose, Haunting Ground, Clock Tower, ect.
Atheistium: What two weapons would you choose to carry during a zombie crisis? I'd go for the old pump action shotgun and sniper rifle routine.
Wardrox: Is Resistance 2 your game of the year? If not, what is?
Jim: What is the local drinking scene like over there?
Love ya
When I invite the ability to punch through the internet, you will be the first victim Mr. Sterling.
also negative gamer is an awesome site!
If you don't fix your smoke detector. :)
The gameplay is aged and archaic, and frustrating.
I understand the argument that James Sunderland is NOT an NRA-card-holding-rocket-launcher-wielding action hero, and I am very happy he isn't. But the gameplay, you know, the part you actually play, is centered around 2 aspects; exploration, and combat. Those are your only 2 interactions with the environment, aside from some random mind teaser. Exploration is relatively easy, but can get frustrating. It retains that Resident Evil "tank" movement.
I would strongly argue that the game puts you in more combat than most people say. Pretty much any enemy will become enough of a nuisance every time you backtrack through the room, you end up fighting the damn thing anyways.
The combat is a joke. It isn't scary, it never was scary. You press the button until it dies. Thats IT. With the numerous forced boss battles, your only interaction with them is run run run shoot/stab run run run shoot/stab. I understand the horror and tension in being a realistic, fighting human being (aka, not Rambo) , but in all reality, clunky and annoying controls are a poor way to create this effect!
The story is amazing, but if silent hill 2 is just gonna be rewarded on great narrative, it has no business being a video game. Make it a brilliant CG movie, a fantastic graphic novel, or a great book!
With that said, I have to appreciate what the new team tried with the franchise. Every game up until Homecoming was essentially the same gameplay mechanic, but with different (good) stories. Like I said, if your not gonna try to improve the actual gameplay part, don't bother making it a video game in the first place! All the new team was trying to do was actually elaborate and create a gameplay experience that was just as polished as the story it tried to tell. While it may not of been perfect, It was a respectable effort, and hopefully they can learn from there mistakes if they make another entry in the series.
In conclusion, it isn't that technology has killed survival horror. Its just that as we refine and deepen the mechanics of what makes a "video game", we have to rediscover what works. Many of the "horror elements" that made games scary are more or less products of their current limitations, and creating a game around them would be a step back in my opinion. We just need patience and tolerance, until we find what makes games scary NOW, and create a truly horrifying experience in the forward movement of the medium.
Also did anybody of you play Siren:Blood Curse or its PS2 prequels?
Im a Manc and I would happily join that mob.
Dear Lord Jim, save this man please, only you can help him!!!
I can provide you with links if you want.