So, yes, despite picking on Jim for his love of Marvel I've gone and signed up to Marvel Unlimited, the service that is essentially Netflix for digital Marvel comics. The first month is free at the moment, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
First impressions are that the app isn't exactly brilliant, and it does little to introduce newcomers. That might sound like an odd complaint, but when you have thousands of comics and hundreds of series to choose from, it's hard to know where to begin. My exposure to Marvel is limited, like most, to the movies and the X-Men cartoon from the 90s. A little handholding wouldn't go amiss.
Anyway, I couldn't make a decision about where to start so picked the first one that sounded interesting. This ended up being 1602, an 8-comic run that takes popular characters and throws them into a completely different era. It's also, bizarrely co-written by Neil Gaiman, which piqued my interest.
I have no idea what the comic massive think of 1602 but I'm enjoying it. If anyone has a good reading order for the Ultimate series of comics, please let me know, as I've found numerous and they all say different things.
I've also played a bit of Rogue Legacy, but read last week's update for an overview of how that's going.
I've never played Minecraft. Think of that. The game that conquered the world, and I haven't even smashed one block in two. If I have it my way, that may never change.
Don't get me wrong - I think Minecraft is a great idea and worthy of all its success. The concept is so simple and yet so well implemented it's almost astonishing that no one thought of it beforehand. Especially the folks who work for LEGO…
Given how popular it is, though, it's no surprise that other titles keep using is as an influence. In Block N Load's case, it's also dipped into the Call of Duty well, too. While on paper it sounds like a horrendous idea, in practice I can see it finding some sort of community. Each team has a base which you have to capture, with the twist being that you can also build, dig and destroy your way to victory. You don't just have to shoot people in the face, but, of course, that's still an option.
Much like Minecraft it's probably not something I'll return to, but if you like all that noise it's worth checking out.
As stupid as it may sound, DiRT Rally really is the Dark Souls of racing. It's exceptionally challenging yet equally rewarding, leading to an immense sense of satisfaction when you finally finish on the podium, nail a turn that's been keeping you up at night or blast through a rocky section of track. DiRT Souls it is, then.
It has the handling to thank for it. Intuitive yet intense, the finely-tuned physics make putting your foot to the floor an edge-of-your-seat experience - just as rally racing should be. Wrapping your car around a tree at the end of a 24-stage event with no option to restart is punishing, but it also makes each race a thrill.
I was concerned about the game's wider appeal at first, but after sinking a dozen or so hours into it and 'learning' how to handle a rally car properly, I'm not sure my initial concerns were all that warranted. If you're prepared to invest some time and accept the tight learning curve, DiRT Rally can be an astoundingly satisfying racer, and one of the closest things to driving a real rally car you'll have ever experienced.
After chatting with Dave about Dirt Rally following our YouTube discussion, I decided to pick it up myself. I was worried at first the barrier to entry would prove far too high, but in fact the early races are much more welcoming than first feared.
That said, I’ve thrown my Mini Cooper off the side of mountains every time I’ve tried to race, but I’m still enjoying the game. The sound design is superb, to the point where you can almost hear every stone hitting the underside of your car, and the difficulty only makes pulling off excellent turns all the more satisfying.
I’m still rubbish, but as it’s a bank holiday weekend (YES!) I’m hoping to spend a lot more time with the game to get better at it.
Well, listen. I really wanted to hate survival horror title Darkwood, currently in Alpha on Steam Early Access. It's clunky, it's slow, it looks like the sort of thing you'd have played on your Amiga 20 years ago. Get past the poor first impression, however, and there's a genuinely good game in there: a sort-of H.P. Lovecraft version of Minecraft, with less crafting and more hoping that you can survive until morning. It's pretty good, but remember: it hates you. I've played few games with such little regard for the player's actual enjoyment. Maybe this is why I like it so much.
What else? Uncanny Valley, another horror game. This one doesn't quite live up to its promise, but if you're a fan of psychological horror, Ex Machina, or The Shining, then check it out. And check out my review, yeah?
. Plays April 22, 2012
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