10/06 Update: Since we no longer write for the Edmond Sun, this section is temporarily housing our podcast links for our iTunes feed. All of the columns are in the archives menu if you feel like exploring.

These columns (as well as the 'releases') come from weekly content that we write for the Edmond Sun, out of Edmond, OK (though we live in Chicago). This page contains the archives for said column, many of which are in their pre-published, unedited state. Some titles and editing by Brendan Sinclair.

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The Obscure Issue
Saturday, December 04, 2004

For every huge, boring release like Need For Speed Underground 2, there are a handful of smaller, more interesting titles that will end up in the bargain bin long before they should. It happens in all forms of media (the most interesting movies are only out for a couple of weeks, the most rockin' cds can only be found at tiny record stores), but it's arguably the most tragic in videogames. An independent filmmaker can make films that no one cares about until they die; smaller game developers usually end up having to abandon future projects if their games don't do well, or take the easy road by badly copying successful franchises/making licensed dreck just to feed their children (Luxoflux making True Crime, Shiny making Enter the Matrix). Many of the best games go unnoticed by the general gaming public, and it's a damn shame. Some are hard to find and fairly pricey, while others are easy to find and incredibly cheap. Do some research if anything peaks your interest - they're all worth the time and money you'll put into acquiring them. Here are a couple to get you started:

First-person shooters - For my money, FPSes don't get much better than the Red Faction series (PS2, XBX, GC, PC), developed by Volition. The games demonstrated a very cool Geo-Mod engine, by which parts of the varied environments can be destroyed and used to your advantage. Don't like that foreboding hallway in front of you? Blast your way through the wall next to you and find your own way to the end. Tank on a bridge giving you trouble? Take out the bridge with a well-placed missile. It might not sound like much compared to the 'gee-whiz' physics of games like Half-Life 2, but it's integrated very well into the gameplay, and oddly hasn't really been copied yet. The rest of the game is all good too, don't worry - lots of fun, futuristic weapons to play around with, a very lengthy, challenging single-player campaign to tackle, and some of the best multiplayer you'll find on a console (thanks to customizable bots and fantastic level design).

Another great FPS that went unnoticed is Breakdown (for the Xbox). Well, maybe I should call it a First Person Brawler - You get guns, no doubt, but the majority of combat, defensive maneuvers and exploration makes full use of your punching skills and hands. It's Japanese-developed, so the style and story are fairly different than anything else you'll see in the genre, but they're no less interesting. Seeing your hands grab ledges to climb along and cans of pop to drink sounds gimmicky, but it's very immersive and pleasantly tactile. Oh, and you can't beat virtual vomiting from a first-person perspective.

Sports - Looking at Downhill Domination's (PS2) cover, you'd surely pass it off as an x-tremely lame x-treme biking game, but it's actually quite terrific. It's developed by Incog, and their lessons learned in the Twisted Metal series aren't forgotten. Yes, it's mountain biking, but the courses bend reality to their will with ten-minute runs down spiraling crags, through underground diamond mines and over the highest branches of statuesque redwoods. And if you can see it, you can probably bike down it - no set paths here. The pace is furiously fast, and the game looks downright amazing thanks to their technical prowess and knack for great art design. Oh, and you can hurl glass bottles at other bikers on the course, if that gives you an idea of how seriously they take this sport.

Again, the name Wakeboarding Unleashed featuring Shaun Murray (PS2) really gives a weak impression of this game before you've even started it. Let it be known that I have absolutely no interest in the actual "sport" of wakeboarding (it's a sport in the same way that drinking a gallon of milk in an hour is a sport). However, it plays as well as Tony Hawk Pro Skater and looks even better. The controls take some getting used to, but you'll be shocked at how rewarding flying off of a nice wave and across a downed plane wing can be once you've gotten it down. The levels consist of various goals to complete and things to collect, just like the THPS series; in fact, the structure of the game is almost identical to the venerable skating series, which you can take as a compliment of the highest order. It's just as addicting too, so please look past the weird sport and give it a try.

Misc. - R.A.D. Robot Alchemic Drive (PS2) is one of those games you need to get your hands on to appreciate, so by all means please do so. At the surface, it's a mech fighting game. Giant robots of various shapes, sizes and dispositions do battle around the world, for reasons you probably won't care about. The kicker is in the controls - you'll use the top shoulder buttons to control each massive limb separately, so walking straight becomes an entertaining challenge in it's own. On top of that, you'll always view the action from behind your tiny human counterpart on the ground, or wherever you put them. Switching control between flesh and metal isn't only cool, but necessary to get the best view before you head into battle. It's tough to describe, but the scope is awesome and the game really is one-of-a-kind.

Freedom Fighters (PS2, XBX, GC) isn't exactly a tiny game in theory (EA published it), but for some reason it slipped right under the radar when it was released to great reviews a couple of years ago. Set in an alternate present-time where communist Russia controls the U.S., you play as the leader of a small rebellion fighting against the oppression. The story is very well-developed through the various characters and cutscenes, and the dialogue and music is as good as any feature film. The gameplay really takes the cake though, combining all the best parts of Socom and Ghost Recon (only with an emphasis on action over stealth), with some great team management similar to a real-time strategy game. The gunplay is intense, and by the time you reach the end you'll be controlling 12 other soldiers fighting alongside you. A must-own.

Other quick hits: Ikaruga (GC) for awesomely hard scrolling shooter action, Panzer Dragoon Orta (XBX) for some gorgeous on-rails flying and fighting, Rez (PS2) for the most enthralling audio/visual presentation you'll ever see in a videogame, Otogi (XBX) for the most sublimely chaotic and visually stunning combat this side of Ninja Gaiden, and perhaps the most unappreciated game of them all (sales-wise), the artfully executed, brilliantly designed adventure game Ico.

- Nick


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