#8 - Tomb Raider 2013, Episode 5 "Woman versus Wild"

No, this is not a video of "Lara Gone Wild", like on spring break, but rather, Lara is finally about to branch out (see what I did there?) and start working on her own, starting with finding some food, which means killing game, which means finding something to kill with...

Episode 5 "Woman vs Wild"

#7 - Tomb Raider 2013, Episode 4 "Signs of Survivors"

So, Lara has spent an exciting time navigating the underground passages of the "Scavenger's Den", attempting to avoid crushing boulders (whoops), jumping across gaps, and scrambling up an ascending path with boulders rolling down it. Having narrowly escaped death (well, a second death anyway), and concluding the introduction to the game (marked by the big "TOMB RAIDER" words that suddenly appear in the sky) Lara gets a moment to catch her breath. Wow, that last segment was exciting wasn't it? It certainly got my blood pumping. Hmmm, yes, well just wait. Plenty more where that came from, in...

Episode 4 "Signs of Survivors"

 

#6 - Tomb Raider 2013, Episode 3 "Force of Will"

In episode 2 (a rather short episode), Lara has escaped from her cocoon, and made her way along a passage, obtaining and lighting a torch along the way. She is about to face her first real puzzle in order to continue on her way and hopefully, out of the underground maze of passages. She is able to figure it out without too much backtracking.

In future episodes, I will try to keep death related re-loads to a minimum as I will some of the more boring or repetitive parts of a quest.

Tomb Raider Playthrough - E03 "Force of Will"

 

#5 - Tomb Raider 2013, Episode 2 "Scavenger's Den"

Okay, so whether you knew it or not, you didn't see any actual gameplay in Episode 1. Hah! Well, ok, maybe the last few seconds where she's hanging upside down but even then I hadn't pressed any keys. Now, on to episode 2 where I have to actually press some keys when prompted.

By the way, these episodes roughly correspond to the "quests" in the game to start with. I may split up future quests into multiple episodes if they get too long. It will also remain to be seen whether I record through the entire game, but that will be mostly determined by 1) you the viewer, and 2)... SQUIRREL!

You will note in Episode 2 some minor enhancements to the video (transitions and fade out). Still don't have voiceover, although honestly, I'm not sure my comments will add that much. Maybe let me know what your thoughts on the matter are. We'll see. Oh, one more thing... Spoiler Alert!!! If you plan on playing this game, you may not want to watch too many of these episodes as they provide a walkthrough of the game. On the other hand, if you're not, the experience will allow you to play "vicariously".

In the first episode, we saw Lara leave port for some grand adventure on the ship "Endurance" (hah). Little does she know what the adventure has in store for her. In the "Dragon's Triangle", the ship hits a sudden storm and an Island, breaks apart and sinks. So does Lara, as she gets separated from the rest of the surviving crew. She is knocked out (by "someone"), and we left Lara hanging upside down in the "Scavenger's Den". Let's see how Lara get's out of her cocoon in...

Tomb Raider Playthrough - E02 "Scavenger's Den"

 

#4 - Tomb Raider 2013, Episode 1 "Intro"

Tomb Raider. The iconic Lara Croft. What video gamer hasn't heard of her and the game series.

I've played a couple of the first Tomb Raider games, and they were quite a bit of fun despite the blocky graphics (which all the games of the day had anyway), and the prevelent bugs. The game has certaily evevolved over the years as has Lara Croft herself.

The newest Tomb Raider takes Lara back to the beginning, before she was the fearless, experienced (and underdressed) adventurer that she is now (or then, errr, whenever).

So I was curious and excited when I heard about the new TR game coming out, along with its new storyline. Kind of a 'Lara Begins' kind of theme. Surely the new graphics couldn't hurt either ;).

Now, I'm going to do something a little different with these Tomb Raider posts. I'm going to be including video. Whoa, you say. Yes. Not only that, but these are videos that I've made myself! Crap, you say. Well, hopefully not. These videos will consist of actual gameplay footage whilst I am playing through the game. The first few videos won't have voiceover (which you may actually appreciate) as I am brand new to the tools and techniques of this process. Speaking of which, the first (4 1/2 minute) video took me numerous hours and about a dozen and a half 'takes' before I was able to produce what you are about to see. Now, I know that there are hundreds of other people doing the same thing on Youtube, but hey, they mostly have moronic and/or swear laden commentaries and besides, I just wanted to have a go myself.

Let me set the scene as told by the game developers...

"At the beginning of the story, we experience [21 year old] Lara embarking on her first job after graduating from University. She shows fear in the face of danger, initially lacking confidence in her own abilities and judgment. Still, we can see the seeds of what Lara will eventually become. She possesses a powerful sense of moral courage. She is clever, resourceful and determined."

And from the Strategy Guide...

“Lara sets out on her first adventure to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai aboard the research vessel, Endurance. Inside the dangerous area of sea known as the Dragon’s Triangle, a freak storm grips the ship and the crew ends up on a mysterious island. Beset by the harsh environment and hidden dangers, even if she manages to uncover the island’s dark history and escape its relentless hold, Lara will never be the same.” 

Excerpt From: Games, Brady. “Tomb Raider Signature Series Guide.” v1.0. DK Publishing, 2013. iBooks.This material may be protected by copyright.Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tomb-raider-signature-series/id609781799?mt=11

So, without further ado...

Tomb Raider Playthrough - E01 "Intro"

#3 - State of the MMO, Part II

So, MMO Payment models. Varied. Sometimes confusing. And evolving.

Basically, there are two components involved in the cost of an MMO (and I'm not talking about Trials here). The initial upfront cost, if any, of the game itself, that is, the boxed copy or digital download. Then there is the ongoing subscription cost, if any. Here is how they sort out...

Scenario 1

• Upfront Cost: $X (i.e. not free, you must pay some amount)
• Subscription Cost: $X (again, you must pay some amount on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or even annual)
• Examples: World of Warcraft

Scenario 2

• Upfront Cost: $X
• Subscription Cost: Free
• Examples: Guild Wars 2

Scenario 3

• Upfront Cost: Free Download OR $X (An account based on the free download is usually the most limited in terms of perks such as Character Slots, Inventory Slots, etc.)
• Subscription Cost: Free OR $X (Paying subscribers are deemed as 'Premium' accounts and get the maximum perks)
• Examples: Rift, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Scenario 4

• Upfront Cost: Free Download
• Subscription Cost: Free OR $X (Paying subscribers are deemed as 'Premium' accounts and get the maximum perks)
• Examples: Lord of the Rings Online, DC Universe Online, Runescape & dozens of others

Note that ALL MMOs support micro-transactions (the purchase of in-game perks, merchandise, etc. for real money) to one extent or another.

As mentioned earlier, I am not currently playing an MMO. I have cancelled my WoW subscription, but do still have accounts for Rift, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, Lord of the Rings Online, Runescape, DCUO (which currently aren't costing me anything)... What? I have to do research for this blog, right? Have I ever mentioned that I have an addiction? Now, I know, you're thinking, wow, he must play games every minute that he's not at work! Well, no, it's just that I have an addiction to sampling every halfway decent game that comes out. I typically get about 10 hours (or less) into a game and then... SQUIRREL! This may actually work to your advantage based on the upcoming posts.

My next post is going to take a bit of a different direction. I will be discussing a single player game that I have been toying with. Along with that, there is a (hopefully) pleasant surprise in store for you, a new feature that I believe you'll enjoy.

Ciao.

#2 - State of the MMO, Part I

So, MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games have become immensely popular over the past 10 years. They've been around even longer, but they have really started to blossom and evolve more recently. Most notably of course, is Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft released in November of 2004. Response to this particular MMO was immediate and absolutely mind blowing in terms of popularity (not to mention cash generation). You purchased the game and then paid $15 per month to subscribe. At it's peak in 2010, it had over 12 million subscribers (generating ~$180,000,000+ per month!!!). Even now, after almost 10 years, and the release of other highly competitive MMOs (e.g. Rift, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Guild Wars 2) it retains over 8 million subscribers.

You can see why other game production studios got dollar signs in their eyes and decided they wanted (and could get) a piece of the pie. Well, so far, no one has come close, and frankly, it's possible that no one ever will, including Blizzard Entertainment. At the very least, it has given Blizzard (and the rest of the field) some good competition, and we, the players, win.

Here's a list of what I would consider the current 'AAA' MMOs (IMHO anyway) in reverse order of release date:

• World of Warcraft (11/2004)
• Rift (3/2011)
• Star Wars: The Old Republic (12/2011)
• Guild Wars 2 (8/2012)

Got any others you think should be included? Let me know and I'll tell  you why not.

I'll be looking at payment models in the next post.

Ciao.

#1 - Welcome

Hey!

Welcome to my new blog, the one where I blog on a regular basis for a couple of months and then abandon it, lol. Ok, seriously, I hope to make this a little more longer lasting, and here's why.

It's a general blog, not dedicated to one game or theme or whatnot.

If you want to know a little more about me, then check out my Guild Wars 2 related blog: Sigurd Bjornson, Smith. The first couple of posts relate to my gaming prowess (or lack thereof).

So what should I talk about first? Leave a comment or stay tuned and find out.

Ciao.