With the near ubiquitous nature of broadband-enabled video game consoles, we've seen an increase in games that are intended primarily for online cooperative play. Games such as Left 4 Dead and the new Borderlands have basic single-player functionality, but are clearly intended for multiplayer sessions with friends.
The social utility of this type of cooperative gameplay is an especially important point of differentiation after a season of single-player hits, from Batman: Arkham Asylum to Uncharted 2.
Jeff, Scott, and Dan took the game for a spin to see if it's worth a spot on your holiday wish list.
Dan:
Mixing elements of pop-culture touchstones from Mad Max to Diablo, Borderlands stands out from the crowd with its graphics, done in a faux hand-drawn style vaguely reminiscent of French comic book artist Jean Giraud.
The razor-thin (even for a video game) plot about mercenaries on a semi-deserted planet searching for a treasure trove of alien artifacts is merely a deus ex machine to give players assignments to carry out -- usually involving a delivery boy style run through the badlands, killing bandits or hunting for a missing item. The handful of characters you meet are essentially cardboard standees, who act as vending machines to pick up new aissgnments, and to return to after to claim a reward.
In practice, the single-player game is a grim trek through the desert -- good if you're into endless shootouts, and fighting your way through the same stretch of road over and over again -- but it left us cold.
The real appeal is the up-to-four-player multiplayer version of the game -- which friends (and we guess strangers as well) can band together, much as one would in a massively multiplayer online game. The mechanic for linking up online is brilliantly integrated -- invite a friend who is also playing (something easy to see through the in-game friends list), and they can instantly beam into your version of the game world. Their personal games are automatically saved, and they pop up next to you with all their skills and equipment, can stay as long as they like.
Hooking up with others online instantly changed the game into a social event, with gunplay. By bringing in higher-level players, seemingly insurmountable enemies became easy to beat, and the game's mostly barren landscape now felt like it was teaming with activity.
Another key selling point is the semi-random nature of the weapons and equipment one finds -- they're mostly created on the fly by the game, allowing for nearly limitless variations. In practice, most of the guns look and feel the same, and you'll spend far too much time comparing stats and modifiers trying to figure out which gear to keep and which to ditch. Some may find this fun, we found it to be the video game equivalent of busy work.
The bottom line is that Borderlands works best when you and your friends all agree to get the game for the same console, and can work out your schedules to sync up for online play.
Scott:
Last year, Fallout 3 brought an incredible level of detail and world-building to a post-apocalyptic wasteland video game. Borderlands does not, but it's not trying to.
With a more ridiculous fun-loving Tarantino-like attitude, the game's gun battles and missions unfold with a sense of randomness--which is because a lot of the loot and weapons you collect are in fact generated randomly. That's the idea. Play for the ridiculous assortment of treasures, and for the anything-goes wild atmosphere.
Single-player gameplay felt thin and too full of do-this-do-that missions, but adding players for online co-op makes it more like Left 4 Dead, but with more story. The incredibly deep catalog of items and weapons reminded me of old PC games from the '80s and '90s, where you'd spend five hours questing for a better set of leg armor. But if you want a role playing game that's light on the RPG and heavy on the kick-butt, give it a try--especially if you like playing online.
Jeff:
Borderlands is an impressive hybrid, successfully combining role-playing and first-person-shooter elements. Come to think of it, it's surprising that these two don't join up more often in games. We saw this effort in Fallout 3, but the first-person-shooting mechanic in Borderlands is much more satisfying, while the story in Borderlands doesn't come close to that in Fallout. Looking past the mostly forgettable plot, the unique art style, and seemingly endless array of discoverable weapons, are the true stars here.
The game is set up on a mission-to-mission basis and for the most part, you'll have your hand held as to what you're supposed to accomplish. And while the single-player experience is mostly running around to the next mission start point, the online co-op definitely makes things a bit more interesting, but ultimately leaves you reliant on whether or not your friends own the game. Teaming up with online random players can be enjoyable, but it's not always ideal.
Your school of thought will ultimately decide whether or not Borderlands is a must-play. If you think online co-op should be just as engaging as a single player experience, then this is probably the title for you. However if you're like me, and you still look at co-op as an added bonus, you may want to give Borderlands a rent. That said, if you're open-minded, Borderlands may just be the title to change the way you think about online co-op.
(Credit:
Kim Graham)
The notion of horse legs for humans just seemed strange to me--until I saw longshot Mine That Bird's gorgeously graceful sprint to the finish in Saturday's Run for the Roses. Now I sort of get why a human would want to approximate equine movement. Such strength, such speed, such hooves.
Seattle artist Kim Graham says her Digitigrade Leg Extensions "give a person the uncanny and graceful appearance of an animal." Granted, they don't look all that comfortable, though the artist insists it takes just 10 to 15 minutes of walking to get used to them. They're made of steel, cable, foam, and rigid plastic and add 14 inches of height to the wearer--kind of like stilts with an animal twist.
Graham--a fine-art sculptor who has dabbled in special effects and fantasy-based mold-making--says the leg extensions work well on level surfaces, while sharp inclines are difficult and stairs are downright risky. Walking briskly is the best way to get around in these attachments, she says. Galloping, not so much.
The extensions are custom-fitted and hand-fabricated, and they'll cost you between $750 and $780, or $1,000 with the optional spring-loaded hooves. If you're really set on fitting in at the stable and want a fur costume built around your leg extensions, that could cost you extra. Plus, Graham says it takes an additional three minutes to get into and out of the extensions when they're fur-enhanced.
Currently, you're most likely to see actors and other performers in these odd contraptions, but who's to say they won't ultimately have wider appeal? Maybe we'll see a Kentucky Derby for humans one day.
Crave contributor Matt Hickey (who, by the way, is afraid of horses) plans to step into a pair of these next week, so stay tuned for a live demo of him trotting around the streets of Seattle.
(Via Boing Boing)
A half episode of random talking that's longer than any full episode. First, Eric passionately brags about this enormous thingy of his, but it just bores Dong. Then, Dong talks about his failure to pick up ladies in uniform and how you can't mess with people with guns. No business talk at all. The best part is the very end where you'll get a bonus track.
Enjoy!
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What kind of Crave editor would I be if I didn't spend my entire flight (OK, it was only an hour long) scouring SkyMall for Crave-tastic gadgets? The catalog doesn't always feature the newest of the new, but it still provides great sky-high skimming for gadget hounds--or those who just want to keep their mind off the turbulence.
Just a handful that caught my eye this go-round:
(Credit:
SkyMall)
· The $49.95 Peaceful Progression Wake Up Clock is the anti-Clocky: 30 minutes before wake-up time, an ambient light glows softly, brightening over the next half hour while faint aromatherapy scents fill the air. The alarm can also be used to waken the drowsy using only sounds with names like Nightfall, Thunder Storm, Zen Melody, and Mountain Stream. It's all so civilized!
(Credit:
SkyMall)
· This giant crossword puzzle--which claims to be the world's largest--ought to keep hard-core wordsmiths busy for an afternoon or two. It's 7x7 feet and has 28,000 clues for more than 91,000 squares. It folds up for lap or tabletop solving, which might be the best way to go. Hang it on your wall, after all, and you just know those unsolved words are going to taunt you to the point of insanity. It's printed on sturdy paper stock and goes for $29.95.
(Credit:
SkyMall)
· We still have more than a month of summer left--plenty of time to splash around in the pool with a floating wireless speaker providing the soundtrack. The 3-inch, 5-watt speaker communicates wirelessly with a transmitter connected to any audio source (MP3 players, radio) up to 150 feet away. It's housed in a weatherproof rubber case and is said to be fully submersible. Still, we wouldn't recommend using this $179.95 baby for water polo.
(Credit:
SkyMall)
· These animated hitch critters attach to your trailer hitch to add a third brake light for added traffic safety and protect your ball hitches from corrosion--all while allegedly displaying your wacky sense of humor. Choose from $25 critters including a waving deer, motorcycle-riding hog, flapping duck, and more. We're not sure if these are adorkable or just plain dorky, but they definitely highlight the awesome silliness of some SkyMall offerings.
Since the rise of the iPod as a cultural icon, writers and music fans have written countless tributes to the random shuffle function. The argument goes that human curators are no longer needed, the random switches of style to style are bracing and interesting, and albums are absolutely a thing of the past.
Will the most devoted iPod users be the first to tire of the random shuffle feature?
(Credit: Apple)Today at the barbershop, the house sound system played "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson, followed by some unrecognizable metal, followed by Alicia Keys, followed by some female-fronted punk that sounded a little like X but wasn't, followed by "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin. I commented to the heavily tattooed guy cutting my hair that this was the most random shuffle assortment I'd heard in a long time.
His whispered confession: he had grown to hate the shuffle feature, and the fact that the employees running the sound system were using it was driving him crazy. "It's either black or white, there's nothing in between." He claimed he never used it anymore on his own iPod, preferring to pick songs or albums by hand.
I still enjoy the shuffle technique--including on my iPod Shuffle, which I set to suck a random assortment from all my music, rather than creating specific playlists or sub-categories of music for it to select from. But occasionally I do get a jarring transition from loud to soft or from favorite song to barely-makes-the-cut. Skipping the offending song usually gets me back in the groove, but sometimes it takes two or three skips to get another one I like. I can imagine that over time this might grow tiresome. Especially if I didn't take the time to sit in front of my stereo every weekend for at least a little while and listen to an album the old-fashioned way.
I wonder, is this the beginning of a backlash? Will longtime MP3 player fanatics tire of random shuffle first? Will they soon be preaching the joys of listening to albums straight through? Or was this a mere isolated incident? Let me know in the comments....
As much fun as it is to grumble at the scheduled sentimentality of the most schlocky of Hallmark holidays while shaking your fist at the spiraling costs of demonstrating said socialization, why not try a new approach to challenging the rose brigade's status quo?
Polka Networks offers lovebirds a chance to show true heart by customizing an e-card that makes a charitable promise in lieu of a gift. Instead of buying electronics for your mate, pledge to purchase an acre of rain forest, salaries for nannies in Chinese orphanages, or a handmade necklace that helps trafficked children in Ghanaian fishing villages (links to organizations included). Or simply commit to planting sustainable flowers, baking cupcakes, or tucking the kids into bed for a week.
Romantics can choose from four layouts on the prehistoric Web 1.0 site for the Random Acts of Love service, plus a quote and almost 50 gift selections. All e-cards ship on the 14th, so hurry--it's all too likely the site's visitors will overpower its servers.
For pure camp, JibJab features amusing stripteases for him and her that are just passable for the office, though eyebrows may rise a notch or two higher for "his" mating dance. You may want to include a warning. It's not hard to see why recipients of the lady-tease get a better deal, and men, I hope you know better than to do this at home. Or this. But learn this number, and I'm yours forever.
He wants to beat you to a bloody pulp.
(Credit: NBC)This post has been corrected to provide the correct URL for Red Line Films.
If you thought Kid Nation was pushing the envelope, wait till you hear about this one. Production company Redline Films has just announced that you can now audition for its latest creative masterpiece, Office Fight. It's exactly what you think it is: it'll take co-workers who don't like each other and make them go face-to-face in a boxing ring.
Do you find this as supremely awesome as I do? Of course! To make it even awesomer, getting involved with Office Fight is easy and you can totally be part of it too! Just e-mail Redline, tell them who you want to pummel and why ("Jason smells like rotten cheese," or "Sean totally meant to let his pet python loose in my cube," or the serious stuff, like "Andrew cheated me out of a promotion and then ran off with my wife"), and if you have a valid claim, you're in like Flint.
The production company will then come to your office to shoot some spicy B-roll of how much you and what's-his-name hate each other, and then they'll train you for two weeks. Then you fight. If there's enough space in your office, they'll set it up right there, but otherwise, they'll hold the event in a local gym. The judges, fittingly, will be your other co-workers, and you'll have to wager bets in which the currency is pure unadulterated shame. ("If you lose, you have to wear a chicken suit to the office for the next week.")
Declan, you're on.
(Via Thrillist)
(Credit:
The Directors' Bureau)
Ever wish you could come up with the next big thing? The Directors' Bureau's Idea Generator can help you out. It's a Flash app that will tell you how to make a million dollars by randomly choosing a set of words that comprise a potential "idea."
Let's overlook the fact that I wound up with "erotic rubber appliance." Then I re-spun and was given "scary paper book." Okay, now I think we're getting somewhere.
(Via Core77)
Does this look like a booze cruise on wheels to you?
(Credit: Amtrak)Riding on a sleeper train for several thousand miles seems a bit silly sometimes when you can just hop a plane for a couple of hours and get to the same destination in a fraction of the time, especially when it's often cheaper to fly anyway. Amtrak, however, is attempting to counter that image by promoting its train service as the landlubber's equivalent of a luxury cruise--a booze cruise, that is. According to an Associated Press article, the passenger rail service is trying to "gin up new business" (Ha, ha! You slay me, AP!) by offering a complimentary $100 worth of alcoholic beverages to passengers who cough up the cash for first-class seating.
Kind of. If you're a member of Amtrak's guest rewards program and you book a ticket that's part of its GrandLuxe offerings (be prepared to pay somewhere between $800 and $1600) between November and January, you'll be given a hundred bucks' worth of credit toward libations en route. Considering a glass of house wine costs $6 and a fine scotch costs about $7, it'll be enough to keep your cheeks nice and pink for the entire journey.
The AP article quotes an Amtrak representative as saying that it's a test move as part of a greater plan to revive rail travel's vintage image as a classy way to get from coast to coast. It could equally, however, turn Amtrak into a hot destination for traveling bachelor parties or fraternity spring break trips. ("Cancun? No way, dude, we're doing the Amtrak thing!")
Unfortunately, the Amtrak party-train service won't extend beyond a few overnight routes: the California Zephyr between Chicago and San Francisco, the Southwest Chief between Chicago and L.A., and the Silver Meteor between the District of Columbia and several Florida cities. That means it won't be valid on my beloved Acela Express that runs from D.C. to Boston, but then again, I don't think the BlackBerry-and-business-casual crowd that rides the Acela needs to be given any top-shelf scotch anyway.
Some advocacy groups have already voiced concern that people will get a little too sloshed on board and then stagger right behind the drivers' seats of their cars upon reaching their final destination. Makes you wonder whether Amtrak will have to breathalyze its passengers when they debark...
(Credit:
Spring Design & Art)
Want a conversation starter? Just toss a pillow that lists off terms like "Orlando Bloom," "podcasting," and "bankruptcy" onto your couch, and your guests du jour will likely be so curious that they won't even notice you forgot to dust the top of your TiVo box.
This is, for the record, the Google News Cushion from Spring Design & Art. Those seemingly mismatched list items are, in fact, the top ten Google News searches of 2006. The company also sells a few other years' worth, too. (What do you want to bet the '07 version will include Ron Paul?)
It will, unfortunately, cost you $120, but consider it a premium for a cure to all awkward silences.
(Via Notcot.org)
