The Cave

Double Fine’s latest puzzler pits three checkered characters against a talking cavern

Release: January 22, 2013 (Playstation Network)
              January 23, 2013 (OS X, Windows, Xbox LIVE Arcade)

By Ian Coppock

            Portal fans, listen up! I have a new puzzle game for you, one that combines unbeatable wit with a little sadness and some challenging puzzles: The Cave.

            Designed by veteran game builder Ron Gilbert, The Cave is a side-scrolling puzzler that conceals a somewhat bleak theme with bright, pastel-like graphics. Make no mistake, this isn’t exactly a kids’ game. In the story, players select three characters from a pool of seven people who have all been drawn to a mysterious cave (the game’s namesake; who’d have guessed). Characters include a hillbilly, a heroic knight, a scientist, and a brave adventurer. Once the player has made their choices, the trio descends into the Cave to “learn something about themselves and who they might become,” according to Gilbert. The characters you pick determine what puzzles you'll face, but since you have no clue what those are at that point, it doesn't really matter.

The Story

            So what does this have to do with Portal? The Cave is far more than a day spent spelunking, just like the “Cave” is no ordinary cavern. The entire cave is an all-knowing, sentient being that comments on the characters’ progress, much like GlaDOS in Portal. The Cave character is less a sadist and more a comedian, who dryly points out the characters’ mistakes and flaws as they progress further into it. The cavern contains entire worlds beneath its walls, including a castle, a futuristic museum, and a Himalayan temple.

Each of these areas contains various puzzles that explore the pasts of the three characters, and it becomes clear that these curious explorers are far from innocent. This is also made prevalent in the gameplay; when I gave this game a go, I picked the Knight character. In his quest to win the amulet of a princess, the knight allowed her to be eaten by a dragon, which then spat out the amulet. Quite a twist from the conventional Shrek-style action rescue.

Controlling a trio of mischievous backstabbers (even the stoic Chinese monk was not above suspicion) changed my relationship to the story and characters significantly. I found myself hoping that my trio (the Monk, the Knight, and the Time Traveler) would fail, as their past wrongs were not exactly pleasant. Cave paintings located throughout the game revealed small pieces of the characters’ pasts; their triumphs, their failures, and what led them to journey here. The characters themselves are completely silent save for grunts and shrugging. Allowing the gameplay and artwork to tell the story helped make this game that much more contemplative.

This tension drove me to continue playing, to see how the Cave would react if these three were victorious. The characters also interact with various NPCs who are seeking fortunes of their own, and with whom I had to team up frequently to advance further. As my trio advanced towards the enlightenment that the Cave had promised, the story filled me with anticipation, in the same sense that watching an escaping movie villain did. In the end, what the story had to offer was not unexpected, but the way that ending was delivered makes the game very story-worthy.

The Artwork

The Cave’s art and graphics evoke the spirit of 3D cartoons, such as Jimmy Neutron. The fuzzy, colorful environments are anything but bleak, as one might expect from a cave. Warm, glowing plants, fleshed-out buildings, and huge backdrops round out The Cave’s sense of epic. I loved the environments, especially the well-lit medieval castle and the submerged treasure caverns. The game has its own flora and fauna including massive, spiky cave dragons, entire forests, and fish-filled oceans lit through cracks in the cavern ceiling miles above. This sense of scale represents a near-perfect balance between backdrop and foreground artwork, which, especially for a side-scrolling game, is crucial.

           Though the characters, story, and environments are a win, my favorite feature was the Cave character. As I mentioned up top, the cave is very much alive, a sentient spirit who also narrates the story. Through narration, he is able to offer hints and foreshadowing, and is quick to point out the flaws of the characters you choose. He keeps the game’s mood light with a variety of jokes, most of which aren’t black comedy, like GlaDOS. Instead, he pokes fun at the game’s premise and his own occasional shortcomings (“is Zen-ness a word? I don’t know, I never passed Comparative Religions”). He’s also quick to break the fourth wall and engage you, the player, with jokes, thoughts, and the advocacy of laughing evilly.

Should I get it?

            The Cave does have a few flaws, as all games do. The game’s length is relatively short; I beat it in about 4-5 hours (and trust me, if I can beat a puzzle game that fast, you can probably do better). Some of the puzzles were a little ridiculous as well, with repetitive gameplay elements and stroke-of-luck-style problem-solving. I know my premise is to not talk about gameplay so much, but I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t highlight the flaws. Some of the most beautiful games in the world had crappy gameplay, so if I find something about that that bugs me, I’ll let you know.

            My recommendation? If you’ve got $15 and some time to blow, buy The Cave. It’s a challenging puzzler that keeps both a light mood and a heavy heart, all against a plethora of fun art. Who knows? It might make you think about your own past. As the Cave is quick to point out, “You might learn a lesson, even if these three do not.”

 The Launch Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRdl5EY3hIQ 

Assassin's Creed III

Ubisoft’s flagship project concludes the story of Desmond Miles

Release: October 30, 2012 (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
              November 20, 2012 (Windows)

By Ian Coppock

            As a general rule, game series deliver satisfying conclusions, yet leave players with a trail of bread crumbs to speculate upon. Assassin’s Creed III has accomplished this in the most spectacular fashion I've yet seen, and with 200+ games under my belt, that’s no small feat. As promised, Assassin’s Creed III finishes the story of Desmond Miles, an unwilling savior of mankind who uses a machine, the Animus, to unlock memories passed down from his ancestors via DNA. It’s an interesting concept. I’ve often wanted to do such a thing to witness my great-grandfather’s moonshine business firsthand.

The Story

            For those of you unfamiliar with the Assassin’s Creed mythos, the series envisions a world contested by two similar, yet vastly different, secret organizations. On one side stands the Templars, who believe strongly in order and purpose. Their sworn enemies, the Assassins, dedicate themselves to the defense of mankind’s freewill, and as their name implies, kill any who would threaten it. The two factions commit to a millennia-long underground war, and by the time Assassin’s Creed arrives, it’s 2012, and the Assassins are losing the fight. Desmond became embroiled in this war because of his ancestors’ exploits, and uses the Animus to explore them, so that he might end the Templar-Assassin war and save humanity from the Templars.

            Without divulging too many details, the story of Assassin’s Creed III is the richest of the series. The bulk of the game takes place in North America, before and during the American Revolution. Players assume the role of Ratonhnhake:ton (I’ve beaten the game and still can’t pronounce that), a Native American Assassin who (thankfully) also goes by the name of Connor. It’s here that Ubisoft committed a great deal of character development.

            After losing his mother to a Templar-ordered attack on his village, Connor grows into a quiet, contemplative man who becomes fiercely dedicated to justice. I’d be lying if I said he didn’t also want revenge on the Templars for killing his mom. Throughout the story, Connor’s character develops markedly. He sheds the cynicism left behind by his mother’s death and takes to the Assassin cause with passion, helping anyone, colonist or British, should they require it of him (at one point, he climbs a cliff and risks being killed by wolves to help his friend score a date. If that’s not being a great wingman, I don’t know what is).

            Connor also breaks heavily from most video game character tropes in that he feels remorse over his work. As he kills Templars scheming to control the New World, he laments taking lives, and the guilt steadily changes him over time. This is a refreshing break from, say, Call of Duty, where the badass commando will mow down a roomful of Russians and respond only with a request for more ammo. Connor’s firm belief in redemption and the potential of mankind is exuded through his dialogue as well as his actions.

            The other characters of the game are similarly well-developed. Achilles Davenport, Connor’s master, is a black Assassin whose cynicism clashes delightfully with Connor’s naiveté. The two also share a few humorous moments when Connor tries, with moderate success, to understand the colonial world into which he’s suddenly thrust (what is this “buying” you speak of?). The game also casts color onto well-known historical figures, such as Samuel Adams, Israel Putnam, and George Washington (none of whom are portrayed as divine fatherly figures, just people. I was eternally grateful for this).

            The game’s story was a win, too, juggling several interlocking subplots and storylines. Even as Connor kills Templars and redcoats alike, he also interacts with the inhabitants of Achilles’ village, Davenport. It was strange and fun to juggle bloody battles with helping a goofy Frenchman find the girl of his dreams, but hey, what’s a game without some variety? Numerous side-missions add depth to the main storyline, rounding out the Assassin-Templar war’s spill onto American shores. Connor must also navigate the American Revolution, and in this way, the game explores war and its effects on human lives, pulling no punches when it comes to gore, lives lost, and sacrificing for the cause. The game doesn’t dance around war being hell.

The Artwork

            The world of Assassin’s Creed III is breathtaking.

            Ubisoft took a magnanimous approach to rendering 18^th-century New England. Deer quietly stalk multicolored woods, while the massive and beautifully-done cities of Boston and New York teem with life and activity. As with a real city, people argue, steal things, converse amongst themselves, read books, and board ships. Painstaking attention to detail, such as window framing, the satisfyingly crunchy sound of sails unfurling, and the locking of muskets basically sealed me into the game. Personally, my favorite thing in the world was the ability to pet cats. I feel like Ubisoft put that one in there just for me.

Should I Get It?

            Above all else, Assassin’s Creed III is a composite of attention to detail, and if you’re OCD like me, it’s so much more satisfying. Ubisoft skillfully wove a tale of historical fiction that would impress Dan Brown, and set pieces that would put Hollywood to shame. When the game ended, I was satisfied, but yearning for much more. If it takes a character-rich, story-driven world of wild colors and sounds to get you to that ending, then I cannot recommend this game highly enough.

The Launch Trailer

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAb-Joqhrz8

Welcome to Belltow3r Gaming! A review will be put up in the next few days :D