Steve from Sporadic Gaming, here to review Antichamber!
Antichamber is a puzzle game made by Alexander Bruce. In some ways it reminds me of the puzzle aspect of the Portal series. However, Antichamber uses non-Euclidian geometry, which means that the spaces are constantly changing. Some areas loop in on themselves, connect to areas that are far away, and change when you look away.
Another mechanic the game uses is a type of gun that picks up and dispenses blocks. As the game progresses, you get new types of blocks, which have more abilities each time. You use these blocks to fill in puzzles, get around, and hold open doors.
Overall these puzzles were fairly difficult. There were some parts where I just plain didn't know what to do. Also the fact that the blocks gain new abilities means that sometimes there will be parts that you won't be able to pass yet and will have to come back to. This can be frustrating because you won't always know that you aren't able to pass a particular part yet.
The average time of completions is about 4 hours, which is approximately what it took me. It certainly can vary from person to person though.
Personally, there were a few times where I had to look up what to do, but a very smart person might be able to do it on their own. Sometimes the solutions to the puzzles were less than obvious. It was very rewarding to figure out some of the puzzles on my own. If you are looking for a difficult puzzle game that will challenge you mentally, then this is the game for you.
The PS4 will have characters with as much as 30,000 polygons. Facial animations will be more detailed, showing the most subtle emotions.
Controller:
First thing they showed was their new controller. As the rumors had been, the controller will have the same look as the Dualshock controller but with a touch screen in the middle and a share button. The back will have an Light that also acts as a motion sensor.
Downloading:
The PlayStation 4 will have a chip that allows you to upload, download, or update a game at the same time as you are doing other things or even when the power is off. It will also allow you to stream a game as it downloads.
It will be able to predict what game you will most likely buy and download next and will already have it saved and ready for you to play as soon as you purchase it. It will also show news stories on games you play or games that are similar to your likes. It will try to understand your personal preferences in gaming to help you enjoy your gaming experience.
Using remote play, you will be able to transfer a game you are currently playing from console to device and vice versa. One of their goals are to make any game made for a Sony gaming system, such as Playstion One and Two, available for all future systems through the cloud.
Online Communication:
You will be able to use the Share button on the controller to watch the last 15 minutes of gameplay and upload the video while you continue to play the game. You will also be able to watch your friends play a game live and spectate pro players. They can even allow you to take over your friend's the game from your console to help them through difficult parts of the game. You will be able to comment in spectator mode to anyone else who is watching. Friends will also be able to assist you in game by sending control commands and giving you items.
Knack:
Knack was announced. Humans and Goblins are at war with each other. A scientist created an experiement named Knack who can transform with the items around him. From the trailer it shows combat and hints at puzzles you must overcome through the game.
Killzone Shadow Fall:
Killzone Shadow Fall was announced and it looks beautiful. The graphical presentation is top notch. The combat seems smooth even getting in and out of cover looks so fluid including the free running to get to different places on the map. From this trailer i saw that there was a secret way of defeating the boss if you explore a little.
Drive Club:
Drive Club is a racing game all about detail and challenges. The cars are detailed to the very fiber of the seats inside. The developers really focused on the graphics of the car to make it as realistic as possible. Also, this game allows people to challenge each other in tournaments that can last a few hours or maybe a few days, even months. You can set up a challenge for anyone to do. You can create your own club with your friends to compete against other clubs as well.
Infamous Second Son:
The Witness:
This game is open world but it is on a small scale. The developers focused more on making the world compact and easy to get around instead of a huge open area. The whole world has different puzzles you must solve to complete the game. Jonathan Blow says "the game is about epiphany." Each area has a different theme.
Gaming is a strong developing industry, growing with current technology. One thing games should focus more on is co-operative gameplay. Games are more fun when players are communicating with each other, finding strategic ways to accomplish a common goal. Valve is one company that understands this. With Left 4 Dead, the co-op in Portal 2, and the recent Mann VS. Machine in TF2, they are helping players communicate, make friends, and experience the game with other people. Some other game developers are catching on to this as well. Call of Duty made their Nazi Zombies and even Mass Effect 3 included their new online mode. Dead Space 3 is also making a co-op campaign. Little Big Planet is one of the best games for co-operative play. Co-op is one thing that strengthens a game if it is done right. It can teach team building, and makes people more friendly towards each other. If you compare the community of Left 4 Dead to Call of Duty's online, you would see a huge difference of how players treat eachother. It would be good to see every game with a co-op mode to relieve people of this competitive world.
