Taro Omiya

Taro Omiya

Software Engineer, Game Designer

  • #WeeklyGameMusic: Gone Home (Journey’s End) (Dust: An Elysian Tail)

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    Taro Omiya
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    #WeeklyGameMusic: New week, new music.

    Oh man! I’ve been dying to tell about Dust: An Elsyian Tail, a game made by a single Korean-American. But first, the music: from Hyperduck Studios comes a touching credits music called Gone Home (Journey’s End). Can you hear all that rain pouring from your eyes?

    The game’s story starts with Dust waking up in a forest, and having a terrible case of amnesia. For one, there’s a floating, talking sword flying towards him, vaguely informing him the journey he must overcome. For another, there’s a squeaking nimbat following the sword, claiming it’s hers. And lastly, they’re surrounded by monsters. You know, a typical video game hero’s morning.

    As it turns out, the game has a lot to give. For one, the game has very tight combat and platforming controls. Outside of the quick one-two-three combos, Ahrah, the talking sword, can also pull out the dust storm that sucks everything in and hit them multiple times. Fidget, the flying nimbat herself can cast magic, which combined with the dust storm creates devastating attacks. Outside of combat, the map is organized in a Metroidvania fashion. Unlocking new skills also allows Dust to traverse places he hasn’t before. And the story of Dust is surprisingly pure, which despite having only a few twists, is endearing on its own.

    Dust: An Elsyian Tail was originally released as a downloadable on Xbox 360. It is currently available on Playstartion 4 as a downloadable, and Steam for PC, Mac and Linux.

    Read more: #WeeklyGameMusic: Gone Home (Journey’s End) (Dust: An Elysian Tail)

  • #WeeklyGameMusic: Life is Beautiful (Deadly Premonition)

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    #WeeklyGameMusic: New week, new music.

    This week’s music is…the creepiest…most haunting…and downright scary music track in horror games’ histor- AH HA HA HA! No, sorry, I can’t do this. I mean, this horror game, Deadly Premonition is famous for being so bad, it’s good. So of course this week’s music is the one that hilariously breaks this game’s serious mood, Life is Beautiful by Riyou Kinugasa, Takuya Kobayashi and Hiromi Mizutani.

    Deadly Premonition should hit the Twin Peaks fans’ funny bone with its story. Greenvale is currently housing the mysterious serial killer, the Raincoat Killer. His first victim, Anna Graham, was found pinned into a tree in a T-pose, with her stomach cut open. Naturally, a crime so deliberate would attract FBI agent Francis “York” Morgan attention, as he investigates various clues at the crime scene to profile what has happened. But first, York needs to pass through the red room. Because Twin Peaks.

    Despite being labeled a horror game, Deadly Premonition is mainly an open world game with lots of side quests. It shares a lot in common with Majora’s Mask in that each citizens has their own schedule, and taking on side quests involves knowing when, where, and who to talk to. Honestly, these open-world portions are where the game shines the brightest, with distinct characters, funny dialog, and lots of bugs to make fun of. Action sequences are clearly indicated when the world suddenly darkens with a purple haze, doors no longer lead to the same place, and violent “shadows” (zombie-like creatures whose dialog often flip-flops between whether they want to die or not) start appearing. In this mode, weapons are utilized similar to Resident Evil 4, where any long-range weapons requires stopping in-place and aiming. In comparison to the open world portion, these parts are frequently panned.

    Deadly Premonition was originally developed on the Xbox 360. The improved versions are available on Playstation 3 and PC via Steam.

    Read more: #WeeklyGameMusic: Life is Beautiful (Deadly Premonition)

  • #WeeklyGameMusic: Following Stanley (The Stanley Parable)

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    #WeeklyGameMusic: New week, new music.

    Today’s music is an upbeat song of excitement and adventure! It’s also 10-hours long. So…Let’s hike with the game, The Stanley Parable, with jolly cooperation! We’re Following Stanley (composed by Blake Robinson)!

    Now, where to start with The Stanley Parable? Hmm, well, it’s about Stanley, that’s for sure. A man who happily pushes buttons as instructed by a screen monitor. Perhaps due to his tedious job, Stanley doesn’t operate well by himself, and even gets lost in his dreary, featureless office. Naturally, fate would have it that one day, he receives no instructions. On top of that, all of his coworkers disappears. And Stanley, not sure what to do, decides to venture out of his office, and into the depths of his company. Or so we are told…

    The Stanley Parable is a walking simulator, a mid-life crisis simulator, a not-game, and a philosophy. The game shines best on its narrative, or more precisely, the awareness of the narrative. As you, the player plays the game, the game is playing you.

    So I won’t mince my words when I say the game has minimal action. The enjoyment one gets from the game is entirely out of its narration, and holy cow does it feature one of the funniest, darkest narrator in the gaming history. The Stanley Parable is a rare gem that delivers a story in such a way that very few other mediums can properly portray. It stands as a shining example of how to tell a story when your main actor, the player, doesn’t have to follow the game’s directions.

    The Stanley Parable is available on Steam for PC and Mac.

    Read more: #WeeklyGameMusic: Following Stanley (The Stanley Parable)

  • #WeeklyGameMusic: Ryoshima Coast (Okami)

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    #WeeklyGameMusic: New week, new music.

    This time, we visit ancient Japan from this brilliant piece from Okami. Make way for the epic music, Ryoshima Coast by Hiroshi Yamaguchi! It’s a wonderful composition most fitting for a game that re-tells numerous Japanese fairy tales.

    Okami starts with feudal Nippon (“Japan” in Japanese) getting swarmed by monsters and other evil spirits. With the country in peril, the guardians summon the sun goddess, Amaterasu, to rid of all evil. The problem? She’s a lazy wolf, and since the citizens of Nippon doesn’t have faith in their gods, she’s also very weak. Alas, it’s up to (?) the one-inch-tall Issun to wake her up, and encourage her to beat up monster to save the day!

    Okami is an action-adventure game, frequently compared to the Legend of Zelda series, that not only manages to stand on its own, but even excel beyond its original inspiration. The game features tight combat system and dungeons with puzzles that even left a Zelda veteran like myself scratching his head. Special to this game is the brush power-ups: “items” are spawned by literally drawing them into the world. Not only does this make puzzle quick to resolve once a solution is found, it also makes the said powers convenient for use on combat. A lot of experimentation is possible in this vast, oriental fairy-tale world.

    Okami was originally developed for the Playstation 2. It was also ported on the Wii, complete with wand-based drawing controls. Lastly, a HD remix is downloadable on the Playstation 3.

    Read more: #WeeklyGameMusic: Ryoshima Coast (Okami)

  • #WeeklyGameMusic: 9-bit Expedition (Dustforce)

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    #WeeklyGameMusic: New week, new music.

    Let’s go for something more relaxing and slightly more old school with 9-bit Expedition, composed by Terence Lee. It’s a good thing this music is so calming because the game, Dustforce, can be very, very difficult.

    Dustforce‘s story is pretty simple. Ahem! The world is in chaos, and covered in dust. Eeeeeeevil dust that transforms innocent animals into violent creatures. And generally making everything ugly. It’s up to the 4 acrobatic, wall-climbing janitors to rid of the dirt and smudge that contaminates this oh-so-vulnerable world!

    Sarcasm aside, Dustforce has some very sick moves to show. It’s a hardcore 2D platformer, and each janitor has awesome capabilities, including double-jump, wall-climb, running on ceilings, and most important of all, whipping down enemies with lots of lights and flashes. Said abilities are critical for eliminating dusts on floors, walls, ceilings, breakable blocks, and animals. For casual play, removing all dust isn’t exactly necessary, but for completionist, it is a must to get the best scores in every level. Elegant and acrobatic, this game is a true feast for the eyes and fingers.

    Dustforce is available on Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux.

    Read more: #WeeklyGameMusic: 9-bit Expedition (Dustforce)

  • #WeeklyGameMusic: Just Dropped In (Stick It to The Man)

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    #WeeklyGameMusic: New week, new music.

    That’s right, folks. I’m here to drop more game music again. First on-plate is the wonderful Just Dropped In, composed by Kenny Rogers. A comical song that fits right in the hilarious game, Stick It to The Man.

    The game stars Ray, a rather dull but otherwise ordinary man with a bad haircut. As he finally gets off his job as a hardhat tester, an airplane accidentally drops off its package on poor Ray’s head, rendering him unconscious. A short while after he wakes up in a health clinic, then thrown out due to lack of health insurance coverage, Ray discovers he suddenly started gaining psychic abilities, letting him move heavy objects from one place to another, turning thoughts into physical objects and vice-versa, and most importantly, being able to read minds. Shocked, confused, Ray hobbles back home while a few sneaky and mysterious agents start following him.

    If I were to summarize Stick It to The Man in a sentence, it’s Psychonauts in 2D. The game significantly modernizes point-and-click adventure by combining it with platforming, and it comes off very naturally. Not to mention the outrageously hilarious dialog! The mind-reading capabilities not only serve as hints to what objects to bring to who, it also provides some insight on very psychologically unstable people. It’s incredibly funny how everyone in the game are almost self-aware that they’re in a game, then explain it away with a completely different reason.

    Stick It to The Man is available on Steam for PC and Mac.

    Read more: #WeeklyGameMusic: Just Dropped In (Stick It to The Man)