Cryostasis first look!

First off, let me say that Amazon.com has amazing customer service. They really get the product to you fast and in the same condition it is advertised.

Ok, I was roaming around the internet a couple of days ago and I went over to Destructoid to check out the news and they had an article on how Amazon.com was having a super sale on the new game Cryostasis. So, Me being a sucker for sales I checked it out. It seems to be a $39.99 game and it was on sale for $12.99. I said sign me up! So I purchased it and it got to my house yesterday.

Now when I finally got into the game play I had this old familiar feeling. I couldn't place it until I got my first weapon (A heavy lock) which my character used as brass knuckles. Right then I new exactly what game I was dealing with. It seems to be a more detailed clone of Sega's Condemned: Criminal Origins. If you haven't played a game like this the way to describe it is that its not solely based on long range combat like many other FPS's, its more of a down and dirty, in your face, first person brawler. Like Condemned. At least in the beginning.

They did inject something new into this tired old genre. As you progress throughout the game you will come upon corpses that blink red. Kind of like if they had one of those lights that the cyclists use clipped on to them. Its funny the first time you see it because the corpses are lit up and blinking like Christmas trees in all these strange positions. So, you go over to them and right click and instantaneously you are transported into their past, playing as them, trying to change the events that led up to their demise.

For example: I found one dead body huddled up (blinking of course) by a door. When you click on him you are brought back to the situation that killed him and you have to run to the right, lock the door so that water doesn't flood the chamber and then use the broken handle from that same door you just came from to fit into the other door that is missing a handle. Then you open all the locks by using all the handles and you move through the door and its over. His soul is saved!

I like the mix of puzzle, creepiness, and action. Good stuff all around!

But Beware of the dreading SYSTEM REQUIRMENTS!......This PC game is for those who have tricked out their PC's. Don't get this if your computer has trouble running Pac-Man emulators.

What's the deal with Retro-Gaming?

So, I've been noticing a very interesting trends these past few years regarding the Retro-Gaming Scene.

What it looks like to me is that all the gamers of my generation AKA The Cool generation have rejected the new games that are out today. Now your probably going to say "What you talking about Willis? People be buying games like day be hot cakes" and Yes, I know that sales are always good but people have been complaining constantly about the quality and style in which gaming has ......errr....evolved. And I'm being nice here.

Lets just go down the check list shall we of what genre's have been destroyed in the pursuit of quick cash for horribly developed software.

FPS - The First person Shooter Genre has been completely and utterly destroyed by a steady stream of mediocre titles and sequels. Every time you look over your shoulder you see another FPS coming out of the birthing chambers ready to snatch the money from your hand. I will say however that there has been small victories here and there.

Honorable Mentions: BioShock, Call of Duty: World at War

Real Time Strategy - Remember the times playing Command & Conquer: Red Alert over your 56k modem? Remember the wonderful campaign battles you used to have playing Starcraft and Warcraft? Well, Those days are over and they have been over for a long while. The only thing that saved this generations Real Time Strategy fans was Warcraft III and even that got stale "DAM NOOB TEAMMATES!" "STOP HIDING IN YOUR BASE YOU TURTLES!".

We need something new.

Will Starcraft II be our saving grace since the Command and Conquers have gotten so played out that even Jenny McCarthy couldn't save them?

Platformers - Is it me or is Sonic the Hedgehog the last platformer mascot alive? Even with Sega's constant milking of their kiddy cash cow we need a little more variety and I don't mean WereHogs. Give us something new, brightly colored , and simple and give it to us NOW!

Sorry, I just had a Veruca Salt moment.

Survival Horror - back in the good old days you used to be able to be spooked out by one Resident evil game after another. Now a days when you play a surival horror its more like an episode of the A-Team! Whats the deal? Where is the spooky atmosphere? Where is the horrifying enemies? Where is the shock value? Where is the parts in the game where you look at the door your suppose to go through and say to yourself "Man.......I really don't wanna know whats behind there.....Did I save?. .....Oh, boy....here we go"

Now its like.....whos got the grenades.....hey man did you see me totally use the chain gun on those slow moving almost identical enemies....ya that was sweet.

NO, ITS NOT SWEET. Its LAME!

We want little or no ammo, a knife that is strictly for decoration and to take up one spot in your very low inventory, Bad guys jumping out of windows, bad guys jumping at you threw walls, impossible bosses, impossible puzzles, cut scenes that make you want to yell "Heck ya!".

Not this RE: 4 clones all over the place. Yes, RE: 4 was great but its over. Time to move on or get back to your roots.

Anyway. My examples are somewhat weak but I'm winging it. It still doesn't change the fact that people in hordes have completely lost all interest in the gaming market. Its almost like they buy a new console now just to have it other than to play the games on it. I mean most of the stuff you can download on XBOXLA and Wii: VC you probably already own and if you don't its your own fault for trading in all your games for the newest system.

Your probably asking yourself. "OK, So? Ya, People like retro games, can't they just buy them on EBAY for a marked up price that will make you have to take out a loan on your house?"

No! There are numerous affordable new and old retro games on the market.

Sega has just officially licensed three new hardware items that are coming out for sale this month!

Sega FireBox - New Sega Genesis console that has 20 games already installed and a new port for downloadable content.

RetroGen - A Nomad clone that is able to play old school Genesis cartridges and downloadable content. May have 20 games included.

Hand Held Plug and play Megadrive - 20 games, can support downloadable content

Amazing right? This is what we call in the industry "blowback" meaning that when you dish out bad quality products (AKA Present day games / consoles) and you receive a backlash from the public.

We see a retreat back into the good old days when games were games and skills were skills. Not a $60 dollar half made movie where you get to play another guy with the over the shoulder view.