multiverseAE

Black Mesa sets the bar for single player mods. Black Mesa also sets the bar for HD remakes of classic games by which I will be judging all others. Right of the bat, developers Crowbar Collective had some big shoes to fill, creating a fully modernized version of one of the most beloved and influential first person shooters of all time is no small task. The half-life community eagerly awaited the finished mod for years, and hardly anyone was disappointed with what we got. What we got was an insanely polished, technically solid, beautifully updated and crazy fun game which boasts just as much fun as the 1999 classic. Upon my first playthrough, I was absolutely assured that not a second of the 8 years it took to make this mod was not wasted. The nostalgic moments are redone with delicate care and a real attention to detail, and the levels are tweaked just enough to keep the game fresh for even the most seasoned half-life veteran. A must play for any FPS fan.

Consortium is a game that fails to live up to the sum of its parts. Inter dimensional Games has created a game made up of two basic systems: a fairly complex set of first person shooter mechanics and a fairly complex branching dialogue based RPG. The game simply does not seem to have had enough time or money to fully realize the potential of either system. The combat is utilized all of 3 times in the game, 2 of which take place in a virtual reality training simulation complete with wireframe environments. Though there is a complicated limb and vital organ damage system, it doesn't play much of a factor in actual combat. It's over-designed. The dialogue system is where the games true potential comes to fruition, more than serviceable indie voice acting combines with a well thought out dialogue system with about as many options as a fallout game, along with an alignment system that promised future consequences. Unfortunately the story was so incredibly short, (it only took me 3 hours on my first try) that there is no payoff at all, the game ends on a cliffhanger setting up for a direct sequel. Consortium was a nice dialogue driven ARPG which showed narrative promise, but its short length and overly complex combat system holds it back from being anything other than an average and fairly unrewarding experience.

Firewatch is essentially an evolution of the point and click narrative game, though it falls far short of the greatness displayed in say, the Lucas Arts adventure games. The gameplay consists of making your way through a beautifully crafted Wyoming wilderness from points A to B while talking to a fellow Park employee. The best part of this game is its dialogue, the voice acting is top notch and realistic, it really feels like two adults conversing with one another. You can shape your own character through dialog choices, but it is severly limited, as this genre tends to be. Where the game falls apart is in its narrative. At a measly 4 hours, one can easily finish and be done with it in one sitting. The ending will leave you unsatisfied, its anticlimactic to say the least. I get why Campo Santo chose the ending they did, but they tripped up with the games length. To create something that truly resonated with me at least, they should have extended the games length, giving more time and dialogue to truly flesh out the games two main characters, as it stands, the game was so short that I did not even have the time to become invested in either of their lives. Firewatch is a game which shows potential, but ultimately falls flat due to a seeming lack of ambition.