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Saturday, July 5, 2008

VHEL - Update

We have some new info for VHEL fans!
Van Bush is getting ready to post a new in game screen shot by the end of this month, and then possible game play videos by the end of the summer.
Along with that, we have more info about the gameplay mechanics. Here's Van Bush with the latest info.

With in the gameplay in general, it's been divided down to 3 specific parts, including the controls. You can perform Sympathetic, Aggressive, and Stealth actions, and the buttons are named as so.

Sympathetic actions are nonaggressive actions that allow you to interact with your environment, allies, and enemies in a very peace loving way. VHEL is a stealth/ action adventure game, after all, so you'll begin to see this button's value once I get those videos up.

Aggressive actions, as you can imagine, are all very harmful. This action ISN'T restricted to just using it on the enemy. You can also be aggressive towards your allies as well. This mechanic in itself goes way deeper than just your "attack" button.

Finally, there's your Stealth actions, or what I like to call, your "hide and go seek" actions. Press this button in context to a certain environment object, and your allowed to hide behind it. Near some grass? Well hide in the grass. See a bush you think you can hide behind? Well go right ahead and hide in it. But of course hiding isn't JUST about getting behind something and praying no one will find you. It's about becoming the very environment your traversing in. As so, there are many non-traditional stealth manuevers you can perform.
One of them include intentionally acting like lubbby-dubby couple with your partner. Yes, in plain sight, you can act like a couple with your partner kissing on you to make it seem like your just some random group hanging around. Where you'll do this, I won't say for now.

Now, these 3 actions are tied to something very fundamental to the overall foundation of the game. I call this master all of systems "Stress". Stress is, well, stress. We deal with stress on a daily bases and it basically works on an emotional and physical level. When we're hurt, that's physical stress. When we're "hurt", as in emotionally, that's emotional stress. However, stress as a whole is defined not by the types your taking, but rather, it's defined as you as a whole.
What's my point, your wondering? Well the whole idea behind being in a stressful situation and a situation that inflicts pain on you therefore creates stress within a character. Stress affects their intuition, their ability to rationalize the world around them, and their general sense of being. Say for example that someone like Khana hides in some tall grass after seeing a Ragnic pass nearby... Well instantly, her stress is going to increase. It's going to continually increase until the threat is out of the way. The the closer the Ragnic gets, however, the more tense things are going to get. Her heart will start to beat faster and faster, her ability to see will start to stagnate under the pressures of the situation...
Now that's just one example of how stress works, but that's just showing how it works in a general fashion. Everyone has stress and everyone deals with stress -- even Ragnic, so there are going to be alot of moments where you'll be thinking about their mindset, yours, and your allies. Your allie MIGHT be a situation where the pressures of traversal through the wastelands are too much. They might have a nervous breakdown, one of the conditions you can have within the game. Without spoiling much, conditions are basically mental and physical disorders, or aliments.
You see it, and you deal with it the best you can, otherwise, be prepared for some disturbing sights.
Also, the game isn't randomly generating these conditions. All conditions have to be inflicted onto you.

Simple example: If your in the rain too long, you'll get the common cold. If you have the cold, you'll sneeze. That won't help you much if your trying to hide from the enemy, now will it?
Another example is when or after you take down a ragnic...the hard way. Their guts will be all over the place in a very maddening manner. If you "look" at the guts, Khana or her allies can and will get sick from the sight. Their stress will increase until it reaches a breaking point. Well what happens then? ...They throw up.

Come back soon and we will have the latest on the screenshots and videos of VHEL. Remember you heard it here first, at Game Maker Reviews!

We are Back!

GMR is back! I will be posting a bundle of reviews this month, and previews.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Ow! We've been poked by an interview with game design mastermind, Cactus.

I contacted Cactus about a week ago about an interview and I was hard pressed to think up questions, a result of that is only two questions with really amazing answers on Cactus's side.
So, welcome one of the most famous Game Makers to the weeks GMR Interview,
Jonatan "Cactus" Söderström.


GMR:
So, Cactus.
You are a very famous user of Game Maker, mostly for your style of games and ability to release games pretty quick one after the other. I guess most people would like to know first how you can make a quality game in a day and then move onto the next without any trouble... are there any tricks involved on how you spend your time making the game?


Cactus: Well, I don't know quite how to put it. The key is to work your ass off while you've still got the hots for the project you're working on. After you lose your inspiration it's really hard to keep going. Build up a concept that you know will work even if you don't flesh it out or polish the hell out of it. When the game starts feeling like a chore, then you should consider if it's A: Already fun enough to be released B: Worth the pain involved in developing it further. Hopefully you will settle with A and then you'll have somewhere between a few hours to a few days to finish it off (or else there's quite a risk you'd put it on ice and leave it like that for way too long).
If you're like me, you've probably already got a ton of other projects you want to start with, so don't feel bad if the game didn't turn out as good as you wanted it to. Main thing is that it's fun to play and that there is something interesting about the game that will make people like it. If your game turns out to be a complete failure, then you can always make another one. However if you've spent a long time making the game, then the idea of starting another project won't seem like a lot of fun, which is why I recommend short(er) development times.


GMR: VilleK and yourself have teamed up to form Lo-Fi Minds, which is currently displaying the work on Brain-Damaged Toon Underworld.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you hope that happens with this partnership and a little bit about BDTUW?


Cactus: We decided to team up after having some correspondence because we realized that we both want to do similar things, while wishing to make game creation a full time job. VilleK liked my games, and offered partnership along with employment which would keep me from being forced to take a "regular job". So, right now I'm spending several hours a day making games instead of doing something I don't really want to. At the moment we're trying a few different things at once, we're doing a few games in Flash and we're working on a bigger project, which is BDTUW. We've already gained quite some interest for that game, and things are looking surprisingly positive for it. Up until now, the game has been developed in Game Maker, but we've had a few conversations with people which has started to make a port to a more console compatible language seem like it could be worth it.
As for the game itself, it's about a cute little character named Twink who finds himself in a terrible world filled with bizarre characters. It's an indirect sequel to a game I created a few months ago, called "Psychosomnium", and much like in that game things will be centered around a weird plot with some really unconventional puzzles. We're hoping to make the game last for three or four hours, with some unlockable content to add to the replayabillity of the game. But the main focus is to create a game with varied game play and a unique storyline. Unlike the impression the graphics might give you, the game is actually quite dark and not really intended for children. Games intended for "adults" is one of the things I've been wanting to make ever since I first opened up Game Maker, and this will be one of few projects where I hope that will really shine through.




Thanks, Cactus!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

About our ratings

I would like to take some of my time to address what our ratings mean.
Because of the fact that Game Maker Reviews reviews so many different genres of games and programs made with Game Maker, if a rating is more than another please do not think that one game is better than another game with a lower score. Each rating should be individualized as the fact that its rated the way it is, because it represents say 93% of what that specific genre of game should be. Thanks for listening,

- Noobfarm


PS. If you would ever like to get in contact with me about a rating or just have any suggestions, you can email me at BrianLaClair@gmail.com.

Physics Playground V2 by Physics

Physics are always interesting when you add elements of awesome freeware. Physics Playground V2 was such a great program that I spent at least 15 minutes of my time just randomly connecting dots like a spider web to make one of the coolest scenes ever. The program itself looks very professional and very inviting for new users. The quick tutorial gives you an optional extra help and lets you get started right away. I hope the rest of you have as much fun with it as I did.

Graphics/Interface: 95%
Engine: 90%

Total: 93%


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Play Physics Playground now!

Lab 14 by SuperCasey4

Lab 14 is one of my favorite messed up find your way out games, other than Portal.
In Lab 14 you seem to play as a little messed up bunny who only has a head and feet. You try to find your way through each level but the complication is that the levels are never what they seem...


Sound: 75% (The music got old fast)
Graphics: 90%
Game play: 94%

Total: 87%


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Play Lab 14 now!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

BURN!!! by Millsa

I consider Millsa a friend of mine, so even if he doesn't think it to be wise of me to review a mini-game on my blog I'm not going to listen. I found BURN!!! on Millsa's yoyo games account whistle I was surfing through, and I decided to play it expecting nothing special. I was wrong. Even though there is no story line, the game play and graphics are excellent. The goal of the game is to burn the stick people on the bridge, using some weird physics and fire.

Graphics: 93%

Game play: 97%

Total: 95%


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Play this game now!

Street Bike Fury by Shawn64

Shawn64 games were one of a kind when he was still with us. Street Bike Fury was his last and I think one of his best games.
Street Bike Fury follows a action packed street racing drug dealing motorcycle racer who is chased by upset druggies through the streets of a weird town that seems inspired with names of GMC/GMG members (Darthlupi's Pub, for example).
I have to say that the best part of this game was the shooting engine. As I rode the motorcycle I would have to aim well to get the also going over jumps drug addicts.
I loved doing stunts and stuff while shooting. Its a great game to play.


Sound: 93%
Graphics: 90%
Game play: 98%

Total: 96%

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Download this game now!

Friday, May 16, 2008

Update / Community Service

Dear reader,

I would like to ask you for a favor. If you would please put this code in your forum signatures it would be a great help, and you will be rewarded for your work in the future (exclusive interviews?).

Here is the code:

[url=http://gamemakerreviews.blogspot.com][img]http://www.fileupyours.com/files/129866/gmr_sig.bmp[/img][/url]




In other news, the Cactus interview is still happening, just its taking me a while to get the questions written up.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Seizuredome by Cactus

Some games I fall in love with really quickly, and I can tell you that most of those games also could give me seizures if I spent to much time playing them. Seizuredome by Cactus explains the main focal point of the game in the title. This game is a mix between robotic sumo-wrestelling and any other top down shooter. Although your enemies don't have guns, they do push you out of the ring, and the goal is to stay in and shoot as many enemies as you can. I found myself in a bit of a problem, where I would actually run into the side of the ring while trying to avoid getting pushed there, but at least I tried.

Graphics: 95%
Gameplay: 87%
Controls: 90%

Total: 93%

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Play this game now

Thursday, May 8, 2008

ItS RAiNing - An interview with Chronos, the mastermind of RAiN

I recently got in contact with the mastermind behind one of most hyped Game Maker games ever.
Chronos, or as some people know him by his real name Van Bush is one of the most interesting people to talk to because he speaks as RAiN through himself in a way. Within a few months of showing screen shots of the original game, the team was in over there heads with pressure mounting and numerous set backs. Less than a year after the project was announced Chronos asked the moderators on Game Maker Games forums to close the topic because it was simply a mess, with one of the problems being a mysterious "hacker" named Lep, who Chronos now praises because the pressure was horrible. The last word we got about it was from Millsa in a GMG topic saying "Anyway, its still going to be made. (Probably take longer now.)". That is until now. RAiN (now called VHEL) is still in development and I have a full interview with Chronos that you need to read.

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Interviewer: Brian LaClair
Interviewee: Van Bush

GMR: So, Chronos, RAiN was pretty hyped up for a few months after the first screenshots but we haven't heard about it for about a year now. What have you and Millsa been up to with the project, and what has changed?

Van Bush: A lot actually. In practicalur, the overall direction, game design fondation and theories, gameplay, etc.. All that was changed over a lenghty amount of time but it changed the game from the inside out. It's pretty common ground for people to make games with action and explosions and violence and whatnot, but RAiN for me wasn't really being the game it was to me personally. Everything is different and we're doing alot of "first" for a GM game. Specifically, VO (voice overs), full on anatomically correct characters and we're doing alot with the overall story in a way where it's less like a game from a traditional, generation X point of view, and more grounded into a more old school adventure feel. It IS an adventure game...to an extent, now, but it's definitely...different from what I normally see out there

GMR: One of the most noticable things about RAiN was the VHEL engine. What has changed about it and are you even still using it in the game?

Van Bush: Nope. Basically, GM is a very interesting program because you can almost use it anyway you want. If I decided to stick with my older engine, the game i'm making now wouldn't be possible. We basically approached like a complier and designed it to work with more of the things I personally wanted to do. Specifically, VO, HD images, alot of dialogue and scripts, textures, etc...

GMR: Will we see a lot of these new engine functions at play in the game?

Van Bush: Oh yeah, in fact the game wouldn't be possible without them. The tools we made definitely allowed me to be more creative because of how I was approaching it as opposed to before, so theres a lot more going on that would almost be impossible to attempt if you SOLELY rely on GM, but at the sametime, there has been a lot of advances in techniques and coding and such. I can say pretty comfortably that the game looks very convincing, so you'll notice the "GM can do that!" stuff once you turn the game on.

GMR: Are Millsa and yourself now using Game Maker 7, and if you are has it in any way improved the game?

Van Bush: Nope, we stuck with the tried and true, GM 6.1. Call me a bias fruitloop, but I never liked 7.0 even when it was released. I guess it was more because of the fact that YOYO got involved and kind of made the scene feel less indie, but yeah, it was just a personal prefrence

GMR: What really is the game about?

Van Bush: Gosh, that took me 5 years to come up with. Well, to be simple, VHEL is about a world called Nor Prime with alot of...interesting conflicts going on. It's a waterlogged planet, and theres 3 races -- Bhacrio, Hecoy, and Humari. These guys have to deal with a type of biohazardous organism called Ragnic, which are the main problem within the world. Ragnic love moisture and one of the most recognizable things that people normally notice is the rain that pours down when these guys come up to the surface -- hence the title RAiN way back.
The game literally has it's own science and I did research day and night for it for many many months. Biomurrology, towers, Reavers, Scouts, Haut Monde, EDOC. The game has more information about itself and every little detail than most books.
For example, the main story follows the ventures of a Bhacrio girl named Khana Faust. Her backstory, main story, and how people are involved with her tangle together into this very interesting web of delusion and truth. I like Hideo Kojima games so I'm all about the hidden meanings and plot twist with the players saying "WTF!?". In fact, the title of the game (VHEL) has more meaning to it than just being a word I made up or even irrelveant to the plot: it's a parasite and it's basically what drives 60% of the story. But beyond that though, I take more pride in showcasing my characters and making characters that people can relate to, so even with all the complex junk with story, i want to present interesting people and ideas and concepts. Khana for example is a freakin masochistic, tomboy, and she loves every moment of it. Other characters like Casie like to look pretty but don't like people talking smack about stuff that they don't know. But along with that, I blend in all the interesting points about the story along with the gameplay and the art in a fashion where it's one big entity. Like i said before, my game design approach is different from what most people use and everything in this game no matter how small was intentionally designed to create the experience the way it's meant to be.

GMR: I know after the pressure from before RAiN (or VHEL) went private you probably don't like to say dates. But what do you think will be a reasonable date that we will see the link to a download for RAiN?

Van Bush: That one of is a touchy subject because I actually had no future plans for a open download like my past projects. I plan to be done.....around late winter, saying I get my ducks in a row. HOWEVER, theres a issue with downloading this game because its 500mb+ file, easy. VO, HD, all that adds up and I'm trying to compress it all as best as I can but I'm not trying to work on the limits of any program or forum or whatever. I'm creating the experience I invisioned for so many years and I'm going full force with it.

GMR: So, you said that you wern't planning an open download. Will it cost us money? Or is this just saying your not sure if you want many people to play it?

Van Bush: It's a mixature of things, definitely. Piracy is big nowadays in the pc market, so thats one reason. I would need to set up a website for the game to sit on for people to get it, I would need a crazy amount of bandwidth to support it. The value of the game could be a good $30, considering most Wii games rip you off for very little content at that price anyways. But I honestly don't know where, when, or even how I want all this work out. It be nice to have this game as a XBLA game for $15 with a lot of downloaded episodes, but meh.

GMR: Thanks for your time, Chronos.

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Some day, maybe after the actual release of VHEL, I will post our whole conversation on here, which I have to say is pretty much the best conversation I have ever had on AIM.
He gave me "exclusive" screenshots, concept art and pre-visualizations and you can press the thumbnails below to view them.







I have a few more that I didn't post here, but they weren't as important.


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Facts:

Chronos has been working on VHEL for 5 years.
The story line for VHEL is currently a 500 page word document.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

DreamLand by Fanaei

The moment DreamLand loaded up, I knew I was looking at a quality game made with Game Maker. DreamLand's story revolves around a stick figure named Elisan who must navigate through easy little obsticals to get where he is going. Shortly after the start of the game DreamLand is invaded by DarkLand and Elisan must fight through the levels to restore the land he once knew!

Graphics: 95%
Sound: 85%
Story: 98%
Game Play: 95%
Controls: 87%

Total: 94%

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Play this game now!

SOLDEXUS by Pneophen

This horror/platform adventure begins right on its seizure inducing menu. SOLDEXUS is a very interesting game based around a boy named Ian who has a run in with who we can assume as the Grim Reaper. The whole mood of the game is based around the death of Ian, who, even at the beginning of the story is dead. The grim reaper promises Ian his life back if he can recover a item for the grim reaper...

Story: 90%
Graphics: 95%
Sound: 85%
Controls: 80%

Total: 90%



By the way, Press "C" in game to continue (acts like enter).

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Play this game now!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

DestroyerMech by Oddwarg

//Reviewer: Noobfarm
//Game By: Oddwarg

My first review here is about a pretty old Game Maker game. Destroyermech by oddwarg is a shoot-em up platform shooter/side scrolling shooter, which really changes the aspect of game play a bit. The first thing you will notice from Destroyermech is the fact that the graphics are a little bit out of date, with the exception of the mech itself, which is one of the most interesting objects in the game. Some of these out of place graphics can be attributed to the fact it was made with Game Maker 4.3, but now lets get on to a little bit about the game itself. With Destroyermech, you don't just loose your ability to decide where you are going in a general direction, but you loose all ability to control your direction, or speed. Instead, the controls are focused on destroying evil enemy drones who swoop down on you every once and a while. In a hell-fire of bullets, this game is focused on destruction and explosions. At the end of the level you face a boss, and for the one time you get to some what decide where to go, not that it really matters. As the enemy's each level become more vicious, the game becomes more intense and fast paced, and you actually have to concentrate on shooting them instead of not really worrying about if your getting them at all.

Overall:

This game is fun because of the great action experience it gives you, while it still maintains a interesting game play mechanism.

Some of the aspects it lacks are no controlling movement, which could give some people a disappointment when playing this great game. Graphic quality wasn't so great, but once you get past it, it is fine.


Sound: 50%
Graphics: 65%
Game play: 84%

Total: 89%


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To download this game, click here