Zero Punctuation: Lichdom: Battlemage

[Brennan]

Well, it's quite an old tradition to give works of fiction two titles. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus" springs to mind. I think there are some works of classical art that do the same thing. At the very least, this phenomenon isn't unique to the games industry.

Yes, but traditionally those are much more... descriptive, distinctive, specifically applicable, etc. Sot of a semi-poetic way of highlight an important theme or plot thread. If someone says "the modern Prometheus" you know they're talking about Frankenstein. If someone says "A new Hope", you know they're talking about Star Wars. If someone says "rebirth"... spin the wheel and take your pick.

What the game industry typically does is just tack on a single generic sounding term like "revelations", "rebirth", "origins" or somesuch. And when it doesn't you get gibberish like "Beyond: Two Souls" that looks like someone's deliberately trying to evoke a badly translated anime title.

I mean, this game at least gets credit for going outside the five or so industry-approved one-word subtitles, but "battlemage", as Yahtzee points out, is still tersely generic as hell, and implies a contrast with other non-existant games in the non-existant series that aren't about battlemagery.

 

[Evil Smurf]

Throws lightning bolt at opponent.

Does having a red/green magic deck make me a battle mage?

No, it makes you an Ewok. Stupid furry forest goblins...

OT: More mixed reviews, but at least the game managed to do something interesting, even if it didn't do it particularly well. I guess I'll just have to play more Magicka if I want unlimited wizarding power and elemental combinations.

Goblins are a real threat, be real scared.

Throws lightning bolt at opponent.

Does having a red/green magic deck make me a battle mage?

No, "blue" is the color for mages in MtG.... Sorry man.

I have decks of every colour, my white deck, is essentially mono kitty.

 

[Aaron Sylvester]

Looking forward to the Destiny review in which Yahtzee gets bored within 2 hours (because yes, it really is that boring).

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

The only thing Tony Abbott kills faster than stiffies is the precious time of everyone who listens to him.

"Look, ah, ah, ah, - what I'd say, is, ah, well, what I would say that, ah..."

 

[Grabehn]

I was bored of the game 15 minutes in, watching a video of it, so yeah, no. But if there's one thing I can say about it, is that it has some really good looking fire/molten rock effects.

 

[Darknacht]

I was bored of the game 15 minutes in, watching a video of it

Most games would be boring to watch a video of someone playing it for 15 minutes.

 

[Grabehn]

I was bored of the game 15 minutes in, watching a video of it

Most games would be boring to watch a video of someone playing it for 15 minutes.

Except not, by "15 minutes in" I meant into the actual game, not that "here's the story/mini-tutorial" thing that the game has.

 

[Darknacht]

I was bored of the game 15 minutes in, watching a video of it

Most games would be boring to watch a video of someone playing it for 15 minutes.

Except not, by "15 minutes in" I meant into the actual game, not that "here's the story/mini-tutorial" thing that the game has.

Yeah, the fun of a game is playing it, most games are boring as fuck to watch.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

Akira reference in my Zero Punctuation episode? Well done sir!

I enjoyed Battlemage quite a lot, since I haven't played something that focuses solely on magic and has no mana requirements..it was quite an enjoyable ride.

 

[zumbledum]

Never heard of Arthas the Lichking?
And i think i saw it some of the older rpg and action games as zombie-wizard or ghost-wizard.

first time i recall seeing lich defined was in AD&D its a powerful magic user that stores his life force in a phylactery to avoid death , leaving a decayed but indestructible form , have to break the phylactery to kill the lich.

Arthas funnily enough was not a Lich but the king of them , i always assumed it was a nod to Tolkien as Arthas is very nearly a direct rip of the Witch King of Angmar.

 

[Grape_Nuts]

I feel sorry for game reviewers that have to continue playing a boring game just so they can finish their review.

Also, Divinity *dry heave* Original Sin.

 

[AkaDad]

Game developers should consider getting a...

*removes sunglasses*

...colonoscopy

 

[Ghadente]

so i looked at some gameplay videos and trailer. I was left with the feeling that you could just play Skyrim and be a mage and have a similar time, only better.

 

[RicoADF]

Game developers should consider getting a...

*removes sunglasses*

...colonoscopy

Well played my friend, you earned this:

Spoiler

.

I've never heard of this game before, might have a look at it once it's in the $2 bin on steam.

 

[Nazulu]

I was bored of the game 15 minutes in, watching a video of it

Most games would be boring to watch a video of someone playing it for 15 minutes.

Except not, by "15 minutes in" I meant into the actual game, not that "here's the story/mini-tutorial" thing that the game has.

Yeah, the fun of a game is playing it, most games are boring as fuck to watch.

Get off your high horse. You can easily discover what interests you by watching it. That's how it usually works. Do your research (usually by seeing the game), and if it doesn't look interesting then than means it's boring or not your thing. It's not hard to figure out. You don't have to play every bloody game to know if it's fun for you.

This is because you are focusing on what actually interests you, like if the story is worth a damn, or the design is intriguing, or whatever. Grabehn didn't specify why so you have no fucking idea.

Also, there are many people that actually prefer to watch games (or certain games) more than play them. Usually because some can't be bothered learning the games rules, or just cause they just want to see where the story goes or how it changes in design.

 

[gsilver]

I'm definitely interested in this one. I had been following it for a while, waiting for it to come out.

I'm kind of iffy on the crafting thing (I've never liked crafting mechanics) but the core gameplay looks cool to me, especially since I've always liked mage characters in RPGs.

 

[LobsterFeng]

I would love to see him take a dump on Sims 4

I'm guessing that will be next week, followed by Destiny.

 

[runnerbelow]

You can try to combine Yu-Gi-Oh cards in the game to make a stronger strategy, but the combinations just end up being weaker than the new cards the non-existent R&D halfwits working at Konami keep churning out you keep getting?

Sounds just like Yu-Gi-Oh actually. Completely fitting.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I know what you mean about those bloody colons... I mean, just look at Trilby: The Art Of Theft! The creator ever refers to it as AOT in it's own description! It's the only one of the series to actually include the colon!

(I love you really! )