A Month in Gaming
The problem I find with monthly gaming articles is that they tend to cover ground that I’ve already written about over the last 4 weeks in other blog posts, only in less detail. So here is the brief version of my gaming activities throughout February. I played through the entirety of the Star Trek Online 10th Anniversary event and received the new hybrid Tier 6 ship. I enjoyed the new 2 part feature episode and have managed to maintain a schedule of doing “odds and sods” to keep myself busy. STO is currently my primary game. I’ve ground to a halt in The Lord of the Rings Online, as soon as I start questing in Minas Morgul itself. It is simply too uninspiring and grindy an area. So I’ve focused on completing deeds for virtue experience and daily repeatable quests for Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment. Due to constraints upon my schedule, I decided to temporarily stop my subscription to ESO Plus, as I simply do not have the time to invest in The Elder Scrolls Online at present. ESO is a good game and deserves attention when played. Committing to multiple MMOs at once is always a mistake.
The problem I find with monthly gaming articles is that they tend to cover ground that I’ve already written about over the last 4 weeks in other blog posts, only in less detail. So here is the brief version of my gaming activities throughout February. I played through the entirety of the Star Trek Online 10th Anniversary event and received the new hybrid Tier 6 ship. I enjoyed the new 2 part feature episode and have managed to maintain a schedule of doing “odds and sods” to keep myself busy. STO is currently my primary game. I’ve ground to a halt in The Lord of the Rings Online, as soon as I start questing in Minas Morgul itself. It is simply too uninspiring and grindy an area. So I’ve focused on completing deeds for virtue experience and daily repeatable quests for Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment. Due to constraints upon my schedule, I decided to temporarily stop my subscription to ESO Plus, as I simply do not have the time to invest in The Elder Scrolls Online at present. ESO is a good game and deserves attention when played. Committing to multiple MMOs at once is always a mistake.
I tried to return to Red Dead Redemption 2, which I believe I’m currently halfway through. Sadly, again this is a game that you have to apply yourself to if you wish to get the most from it. The quests need to be read and savoured, rather than rushed through. So I’ve put this game on hold as well, although I do intend to finish it as I have a lot to say about its complex and challenging narrative structure. I bought two other games in February. Deathtrap Dungeon and Gang Beasts. The former is a wonderful old school adventure game, told as a narrative story. I’ve written a more comprehensive post already about this title, so if you’re interested at all, I would urge you to read my thoughts there. And I purchased Gang Beasts in a Steam sale. Sadly, I neglected to read a comprehensive breakdown of the game specifications and discovered that there is no single player mode at present. This silly physics driven comedy fighting game is great fun when played competitively with others but I was expecting a single player versus bots mode. This was entirely my own fault and stands as a reminder that you should always to do your research thoroughly first before buying a new game.
I’ve been using GoG Galaxy as a one stop game launcher for a while now and I must admit it saves a lot of hassle and seems to be working well. I have it launch by default upon Windows startup and it allows me to fire up any title I have installed from one location and avoid trawling through multiple launchers to find what I want to play. It’s also very convenient to import all your game libraries into one place, so you actually have a fighting chance of seeing what you’ve purchased over the years. I have dozens of obscure titles from bundles and giveaways that are just gathering virtual dust. If it wasn’t for GoG Galaxy, I wouldn’t even know about half of these. I am hoping to install and play some of them over Easter as part of a new ongoing recurring blog post series. GoG Galaxy also does a pretty good job of collating all my social and friends list so I can see who is online. With further functionality under development, I see no reason at present to stop using this product.
I suspect that March will be more of the same for me, with regard to my gaming activities. I shall continue with one predominant MMO and possible experiment with another single player game. Beyond that I have no immediate gaming goals at present, apart from the fact that it’s better to be playing something rather than nothing. I’ll report back in April.
Deathtrap Dungeon: The Interactive Adventure
I watched Welsh Troll stream Deathtrap Dungeon: The Interactive Adventure this morning and was instantly hooked by this bold new adaptation of a much beloved adventure gamebook. So I subsequently purchased the game via Steam for £7.99 which is a very reasonable price. Despite being in early access, this game’s old school appeal is instantly apparent. Based upon the 1984 book by Ian Livingstone, it perfectly captures the tone and spirit of source text. Rather than providing a visual depiction of navigating a dungeon as previous video game adaptations have done, the developers, Branching Narrative, have opted for a minimalist narrative interpretation. Hence we have actor Eddie Marsan sitting in a battered leather chair, telling the story of Baron Sukumvit's "Trial of Champions” and how those who undertake the challenge must traverse a dangerous subterranean labyrinth, from which none have ever returned. There are occasional illustrations to orientate the player but overall this is an intimate experience between the player and narrator, without an excess of visual distractions. It focuses on the power of imagination and storytelling.
I watched Welsh Troll stream Deathtrap Dungeon: The Interactive Adventure this morning and was instantly hooked by this bold new adaptation of a much beloved adventure gamebook. So I subsequently purchased the game via Steam for £7.99 which is a very reasonable price. Despite being in early access, this game’s old school appeal is instantly apparent. Based upon the 1984 book by Ian Livingstone, it perfectly captures the tone and spirit of source text. Rather than providing a visual depiction of navigating a dungeon as previous video game adaptations have done, the developers, Branching Narrative, have opted for a minimalist narrative interpretation. Hence we have actor Eddie Marsan sitting in a battered leather chair, telling the story of Baron Sukumvit's "Trial of Champions” and how those who undertake the challenge must traverse a dangerous subterranean labyrinth, from which none have ever returned. There are occasional illustrations to orientate the player but overall this is an intimate experience between the player and narrator, without an excess of visual distractions. It focuses on the power of imagination and storytelling.
When first published, books with branching narratives were quite a novelty. However, despite the innovation of the format they are essentially a linear experience. Therefore, simply duplicating that structure visually, may not necessarily make for a “good” gaming experience. Hence developers Branching Narrative have decided to add additional mechanics, so that the player has more involvement in the unfolding story and a degree of control over their character’s performance. As a result, there are battles where the players statistics are combined with the score from the roll of a pair of dice. There are also the option to use consumables to heal or to boost stamina. The player can also tactically withdraw if they see fit to do so, although that too comes with a penalty. Then there’s an inventory system for storing items that you find along the way. These further add an element of interaction, affording the player more than just a series of binary choices. Furthermore, fights can potentially be avoided if a door can be opened and an obstacle bypassed. But such a choice may again have consequences. All these decisions impact on the story’s outcome, making it more like a video game without compromising the original narrative format
I grew up in the seventies and eighties when adventure gamebooks and Dungeons and Dragons were commonplace aspects of a child’s entertainment (or at least within the social circles that I moved in). Deathtrap Dungeon: The Interactive Adventure immediately taps into this sense of nostalgia and also references wider aspects of pop culture from those decades. Seeing Eddie Marsan so eloquently narrate this dungeon adventure, made me reflect upon such TV shows as Jim Henson’s The Storyteller and the BBC’s Jackanory. The additional game mechanics that Branching Narrative have added ensure that this is more than just a story with multiple endings. The player has more agency over their character's fate and the save feature even allows you to “correct” a mistake or poor decision if you wish to. Overall, Deathtrap Dungeon: The Interactive Adventure is a very intelligent and immensely enjoyable adaptation of an old classic. It is a great contrast to the overblown visuals of many contemporary, so-called Triple A video games. For the best results, play at a time when you won’t be disturbed and at a measured pace, in an environment without any additional distractions. That way you can savour the game’s atmosphere and Eddie Marsan’s dramatic narration.
