Rockstar Realism: Key to Great Games

Its been a whole 12 months of pain and suffering since I completed Red Dead Redemption 2 for the first time on console. Ive been wanting to replay it recently so I purchased it on steam, read reviews and impressions while generally getting very excited about finally playing it on PC.

Since then I have begun playing and it’s a blast as ever helping the Van de-generate gang flee from the law.  When researching the game a few weeks earlier; amidst a plethora of highly complementary reviews & impressions I found a worrying undercurrent of apparent tedium being voiced by some of the gaming community. It regards some aspects of gameplay that were less than ideal in the eyes of these gamers and seen as a waste of time. Some of their complaints included having to cock your weapon before shooting; as per real life. A fast travel system that works to connect the world while simultaneously encouraging exploring it and many other ‘menial’ but very believable tasks such as cleaning, leading or hitching horses, bathing, purchasing items in real time, keeping your weapons tied to your horse. I could go on.

Secretly I harbour a dislike for these people and I believe they are wrong. They are those that Amazon Prime and online food shopping have destroyed. Their attention spans unable to stretch beyond the length of a Tik Tok video; they are left seemingly unable to enjoy any cultural phenomena at all.

That sounds like an extreme condemnation; and it is. But it is unbelievable to me that a company as influential as Rockstar Games are not being praised for their commitment to realism. Which in turn creates a palpable sense of place, presence and identity in their games. Every iteration from Rockstar pushes the world which the game inhabits to sell a place and frequently to resounding success. I believe this is due to a reluctance to remove features unless justified. Focusing instead building on what came before; it sounds obvious but the lessons learned in prior games are always expanded on by Rockstar. Large companies are much less willing to put this kind of effort into selling places these days. It’s much easier selling haircuts, weapon skins and other shit.

For comparison Bethesda who are an equally successful company have spent the last 12 years removing any semblance of identity from their games; at a rate that would make any plastic surgeon blush. The Elder Scrolls for example (a series I loved) under the watchful eye of Godd Howard is a victim of their worrying commitment to streamlining experiences. One so strong that pretty soon you’re Argonian mage will kill the final boss when he/she is birthed by it.

Challenging Change 

I challenge anyone to find a fun or immersive feature in the first Red Dead game that isn’t present in Red Dead Redemption 2. Then go download Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall and compare it to Skyrim in the same way; the problem with the industry is very evident.

In my opinion Rockstar Games deserve great credit for how they make games; they take on board what works and what doesn’t. They never remove features without serious consideration. And their games are better for it.

Ports to PC’s could use occasional work though 😉 

Thanks Rockstar Games; awesome work.

A Recommendation- Total War Warhammer 1 & 2

It’s 2003 and I’m wrapping up my career as a horrible child to embark on my adventure as a horrible teenager. Upon arrival home one day I switch on teatime television. Against my wishes the clever TV boffins grab me with ‘Time Commanders’. An analytical show on the strategies used on real battlefields throughout history. Although the show was very historical in nature it wasn’t this that grabbed my attention; what did was a battle simulation program in which the show acted out hypothetical battles using computers. This blew my tiny child mind. Even more so when I realised this ‘simulation’ was Rome: Total War- a game I could actually buy; and would, in ASDA (other stores are available) sometime after.

Years of playing on very low settings on a bulky, broken desktop eventually faded away. I stopped playing Rome and PC games in general for years for lack of money. But then the advent of YouTube and my employment. This would lead to accessing games coverage at any time where previously I was used to trawling barren TV schedules for information or expensive magazines (three weeks pocket money). I would watch hours of lets plays; in particular battles in the numerous games in the total war series. After months I decided to build a PC in order to play the newest total war game; Shogun 2. And here I am. I’m as awful as ever at games and if anything, less capable of commanding armies with a PC that can run these games no problem. But I’m here to tell you that Total War + Warhammer = many happiness points. 

Deep Seeded Winds of Magic 

In case you’ve returned to living under that filthy rock of yours; the total war games are split down the middle. Half grand strategy half battle simulation. You take command of a faction with unique units and cities and try to last longer than the rest. In the Total War Warhammer games specifically, you’re flung into a richly detailed and nuanced map based off of the world created by Games Workshop. You know that shop you wish you could go into but can’t for lack of a Slipknot t-shirt. In Warhammer 2 the firsts games map was available to play in the Mortal Empire’s mode; this involves several factions fighting for dominance of the new and old world. Each faction is genuinely unique to play; some prefer certain terrain, or have a strength in their army such as artillery. Some others play differently with the introduction of horde factions.   These are the bane of the world; walking the wilds destroying and pillaging; its very fun. The DLC factions also add spins on the formula to amass a plethora of options for different experiences when playing.

On the campaign map you will use power and influence to make allies and move on enemies all before you are either crowned king of the world or stabbed in the ribs by a humanoid rat. It is very satisfying to see the map turn your colour; and you feel like your fronting a crusade and eradicating the lesser races from the world; erm yeah so, the Scaven aren’t my favourite faction.

The campaign – particularly mortal empires will hold your attention for weeks and you will have a truly unique experience each time.  

Totally Fantastic Battle Simulator

For me however the battles are what makes total war. Since Shogun 2 I’ve played hours of online battles and I have even regularly watched replays just for fun. Both are even more enjoyable in the new fantasy setting. I swear watching lowly peasants unwillingly act in the next Jurassic park movie never gets boring. The UI has been overhauled and is intuitive beyond any previous game; it makes for an easy time organising your ranks and carrying out battle plans. The detailing on the units, landscapes and castles is fantastic; it really sells the scale of the world your fighting over and allows for the impressive unit limit to shine. You can have hundreds of individual soldiers on screen at any one time. You will indefinitely be neglecting your responsibilities as a commander just to watch catapulted goblins soar through the sky to smash onto the unsuspecting head of a frankly careless zombie. The battles are a perfect mixture of absolute chaos and player limited strategy; your as good at these battles as you allow yourself to be; use spears for horses; swords for spears until your enemy has nothing to do except buy his own Slipknot shirt and make the shameful wander back to the home of Warhammer itself.

Playing good commanders shows one how to play this game; the skill ceiling is limitless so long as you get your men into the right battles on a large scale. Pick your fights and know when to sprint for a terrain advantage; or when offense is the best form of defence. Online can be hard but it is endlessly rewarding. The campaign battles are a fun time too for those who are more casual with their engagements.

Conclusion

Both of the Warhammer Total War games are fantastic and are worth buying together for Mortal empires mode; you will genuinely have a blast with these games. If the choice is forced upon you however; by way of not being allotted bags and bags of money each month then buy Warhammer 2 first.

Go Buy them now !!!