Deus Ex: Sonic Augmentation Review

• Name: Deus Ex: Sonic Augmentation
• Label: OCRemix
• Composer(s): Various
• Number of Tracks: 8

It’s pretty rare to see a games developer promote an album containing VGM remixes but that’s exactly what happened recently with Eidos Montreal, developer of the most recent Deus Ex game, Human Revolution, promoting a free album in collaboration with OCRemix, one of the major VGM remix community websites. The album is a short one, containing only 8 tracks yet it has a remix based on every Deus Ex game in the series, with the original one taking the lion’s share.

Most of these tracks are quite good, all of them carry their own weight, but the real standouts are the ones performed by Jimmy Hinson and none other than the original composer himself, Alexander Brandon. I’ve already mentioned how awesome Siren Synapse is quite awhile ago now. It’s definitely my favourite Deus Ex remix – especially considering it’s remixing my favourite track from the game too (Hong Kong Streets aka The Synapse). Another entry that I've come to love is the new take on DuClare Chateau, Ma Cherie Nicolette. There are only subtle yet tasteful changes to this track but it's still pretty choice. It even has a rockin' guitar riff based on the Main Theme towards the end.

The surprise favourite for me though is Vig’s the God Machine. It starts off a bit weird, sounding like a skipping CD but it eventually goes into a nostalgia trip of awesomeness, with NYC Streets, UNATCO, DuClare Chateau and UNATCO Return: Enemy Within all making funky appearances.

The only criticisms I’d make is that there is so much more source material to base remixes on - not only from Invisible War and Human Revolution (that only get one entry each) but from the original Deus Ex. Also, while there are two remixes on the UNATCO theme, both are simply "good" to me, but not fantastic. I probably would’ve preferred a more subtle take on the theme instead of the re-inventions that occur in both.

Score - 8/10

A short but sweet nostalgia trip for the Deus Ex fans. Alexander Brandon even gets in on some of the remix action and best of all it’s free.

If you wish to download this remix album you can do so via OCRemix.

Which Battlefield game is the best?

The Battlefield 4 thread on the Whirlpool forums has become a battlefield in itself with several debating on which direction the Battlefield series should head with its next game (scheduled for release at the end of this year). So far I've managed to identify a few types, and this (lengthy) forum post helps to identify these generalisations (and also provide additional background):

1. Battlefield veterans – those who started playing the Battlefield series pre-Bad Company (EA's first console-only Battlefield release and a turning point for the series – BF2: Modern Combat doesn't count ;)) and who keep regaling stories of the old days. They often whinge about how the game is becoming more like COD and thinks DICE/EA was crazy to remove Commander Mode
2. Battlefield newcomers – these are the ones who started playing Battlefield after Bad Company 2. They tend to appreciate the squad and class-based gameplay that the series brings along with the vehicles, but they've never experienced the strategy and meta-game evident in earlier releases. Some are disenfranchised COD players who didn't like the direction the most recent COD games took and have found a new home with the Battlefield series. Often think the old codgers that ask for retired features, such as Commander Mode, are lunatics as it looks boring and it's prone to abuse.
3. Fatalists – Those who believe it's just fate that Battlefield is becoming something that none of the fans want, because DICE/EA are in it to make money and that no matter what the fans say, ultimately doesn't matter. They believe that 98% of the Battlefield population are only playing it for the flashy single-player campaign anyway.
4. The rest – those who don't fit into these stereotypes

It was a comment by one of the "fatalists" on the forum that got me thinking – is it true that Battlefield veterans account for less than 1% of the population? Is it true that most people play Battlefield for the single-player rather than the multi-player?

I've created a basic SurveyMonkey survey asking what is everyone's favourite Battlefield game. Since I only have a basic account it'll only capture the first 100 responses so it's definitely not an exhaustive study, just something for a bit of fun.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PFLS3GQ

This survey won't really answer the questions I'm looking for – only DICE or EA perhaps could answer that question. However I thought it'd be an interesting exercise regardless to see what a sample set of fans thought.

So what do you think? Which Battlefield game is your favourite and why?

Analogue: A Hate Story Review

Yes you'll be doing a lot of that in this game.

• Developer: Christine Love
• Publisher: Christine Love
• Release Date:27 April 2012

I've been interested in getting back into game development again so naturally I checked what tools and authorware was available (I used to dabble quite a bit with Adventure Game Studio, if anyone is curious). Ren'Py a Japanese-style Visual Novel engine seemed like a good starting point to me as it requires minimal coding for story-driven games and even allows you to port games onto mobile devices. I soon discovered that there were a combination of commercial and critical successes out there, all made with Ren'Py. I decided to take a closer look at some of these and one of the major players is Christine Love. When Analogue: A Hate Story (ZOMG I just realised the title is a joke as one of her earlier games is Digital: A Love Story – get it?) was on sale on Steam for a matter of dollars, I just had to try the game out for myself.

Occasionally you'll answer some yes/no questions

Plot (4/5)
The game is set in the distant future and places you in the role of an investigator discovering what happened to a Korean generation ship that has mysteriously appeared in local space. Your job is to access the ship's computer and download any relevant information. Along the way you will encounter the ship's AIs (there are two of them) who aid you in recovering the data in the form of logs or emails.

While I like the science-fiction setting and the mystery surrounding the generation ship, it's sometimes hard to take the game seriously with the cutesy anime style and childish talk from the AIs. I know this is actually typical for a majority of Japanese visual novels (even though this is technically Korean) but it's also something that puts me off playing these games, even if the plot is pretty good (as is the case).

Gameplay (3/5)
The gameplay is okay as far as visual novels or interactive fiction goes. I'm used to playing visual novels with more focus on visuals, conversations and puzzle-solving (such as the old Legend Entertainment games), so this one is a bit different in that there is a larger focus on reading emails, which is pretty much what this game is all about: reading emails. Having the AIs to converse with and ask of your opinions however turns what is normally a chore into a game (as the AIs do remember what you say!).

Also there is the challenge for the completionists amongst us to decrypt every single log (which I believe is the point of the game). I actually managed to get lost in the reading of emails and forgot the whole reason I was on the ship in the first place. I vaguely recalled something about downloading the logs which is what I ended up doing – however this triggered the premature ending of the game, resulting in what I believe was the “bad” ending. Maybe a checklist or a plea from the AIs would've been in order to prevent dunces like myself inadvertently finishing the game too early!

Besides the GUI with avatars you get to play with this old-school console

Sound (5/5)
No problems with the minimal audio that is used.

Music (4/5)
The music in the game is a subdued, ambient affair but it complements the game nicely.

Graphics (3/5)
Graphics are minimal, consisting only of the AI avatars, the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the console. However these elements are drawn and animated well so while there's not much to see, what you do see looks great.

Replay (3/5)
Visual novels/interactive fiction can vary greatly in terms of replay. Analogue: A Hate Story tends to be one of the better ones where you are able to achieve different endings depending on how your responses and how thorough you are. The game even has Steam achievements (another carrot for the completionists out there).

However, if like me you inadvertently ended the game early, you have to trawl through a lot of reading to alter the ending or unlock an achievement (since I believe some are dependent on the choices you make).

Polish (5/5)
No bugs and the interface is intentionally clunky since it's simulating a console (and the fact the AI can only ask yes/no questions)

This pretty much sums up the whole plot.

Score – 7/10

Analogue: A Hate Story definitely has one of the most unique settings to be explored in a game; not many games have you playing an investigator of the future, visiting an abandoned generation spaceship, and learning about the patriarchal society of Medieval Korea. While the plot is well written, you will be reading a lot about scandals and romantic affairs, which will have you wondering: am I reading a romance novel or playing a computer game? Maybe it's a bit of both? If that thought bothers you, you may want to give this a miss – otherwise, considering how cheap it is, it's worth a look. Maybe you'll enjoy it.

If you want to get the game, you can get it on Steam.

If you like this game, you might like...

• Frederick Pohl's Gateway (1992)
• Companions of Xanth (1993)
• Digital: A Love Story (2010)