The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Gaming

  • Mar’s Gaming Garage: HI-FI Rush

    Mar’s Gaming Garage: HI-FI Rush

    By Mario Orozco

    Every good game has music. Usually a game’s music plays in the background and has no actual effect on the gameplay. This week’s game uses music differently, it’s not just in the background of your gameplay, but part of the mechanics of the game itself. Justin Crittenden, a software engineering major, recommended “HI-FI Rush” to me, a rhythm-based action game released in 2023. Before I played this game, I was under the false impression that it would be like other rhythm games, but “HI-FI Rush” isn’t like anything I have experienced before. 

    This game has a really simple story, but it was well executed and had my complete attention throughout the playthrough. It did a fantastic job taking a simple plot and making it feel entertaining and fresh. One aspect of the game that I enjoyed was the art style. The characters are cel-shaded, giving the game a comic book like appearance and the main bosses of the game each had beautifully detailed freeze frames that contributed to this design. Another aspect I enjoyed were the characters; each character had clear motives and reasoning behind their actions which is extremely important. The characters were also very entertaining, the main cast had fantastic chemistry with each other and it was fun to see them interact and grow together. 

    The main aspect of the game that makes it memorable is the gameplay – the combat is amazing. There is a constant beat playing throughout the game and combos performed exactly on this beat increase the effectiveness of your attacks, which is also used to parry enemy attacks. The beat is useful in ways outside of combat too. It is used to move faster and assists in traversing through the levels. The style of gameplay temporarily switches a few times in specific portions, it even becomes like “Guitar Hero” in a few battles with buttons needing to be pressed exactly on time to the song playing in the background.

    Like always, there are a couple negatives that I would like to address. The first is the design of the levels. Most of them have a similar feel, following the same general outline. This is okay though, the main focus is the combat, which is fun enough for the repetitive nature to not really matter. The other issue is how difficult the timing can be. In the later stages of the game, there are just way too many enemies attacking you all at once to be able to focus on hitting your opponents with rhythm. Instead, it turned into me just dashing around chaotically, randomly swinging at everything close to me. If this is a problem, you can just turn the difficulty down and it’ll make staying on rhythm more manageable.

    “HI-FI Rush” took me a grand total of nine hours and one minute to complete. It is evident through playing the game that the developers had a blast making it, and it feels like a passion project. I rate this game a 4 out of 5, and if you like fast paced, hack-and-slash gameplay, then I strongly recommend this game to you. “HI-FI Rush” is definitely worth the purchase. 

    If you have any games you would like me to review you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.

  • Mar’s Gaming Garage : The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

    Mar’s Gaming Garage : The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

    By Mario Orozco

    Welcome back to Mar’s Gaming Garage. This week’s game is “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” and was requested by a rangeland resource science major. “Tears of the Kingdom” (TOTK) is the newest entry in a long line of Zelda games and picks up sometime after the events of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” 

    Going into the game, my expectations were through the roof. Its predecessor was awarded game of the year in 2017, so I expected TOTK to live up to this legacy. Thankfully for me and my wallet, this game exceeded my high expectations.

    TOTK’s story is amazing, from the main quests to the side quests. The game does a great job expanding on the stories of previous characters and creating compelling stories for the new faces. The game stands out as a sequel when compared to others because of the brand new mechanics. Most sequels I have played take similar gameplay and insert them into a new world. TOTK does the opposite, taking a different style of gameplay and putting it into an expanded version of the “Breath of the Wild” world. These mechanics assist in making the game feel completely different than the original, despite sharing many similarities. The expansion to the world is massive; it allows for players to enter the depths of the original map and go underground in what is essentially a second full world. The sequel also introduced islands in the sky that can be explored. 

    While “Tears of the Kingdom” improves on the overall gameplay and provides more for the player to do, there are a couple things that fall short when compared to the precursor. The first of these shortcomings is the storytelling. While I enjoyed the story of TOTK more than “Breath of the Wild,” it was told in such strange ways at times. Multiple different questlines can be completed out of order, which can cause a lot of confusion. For instance, if you find the Master Sword before completing its dedicated questline, it completely ruins what I believe to be the most impactful cutscene in the entire franchise by showing it with none of the required buildup. The other issue is the graphics. The quality is a slight downgrade from “Breath of the Wild” despite being released six years later. This isn’t really a problem for me, as the reasons for the downgrade are the expanded world combined with the limits of the Nintendo Switch. While slightly disappointing, graphics were sacrificed for extra content and extra content is never a bad thing.

    “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” took a total of 63 hours and 42 minutes to complete and is arguably just as good as, if not better than, “Breath of the Wild.” I rate this game a 4.8/5. If you can afford to invest a considerable amount of time into a game, then I wholeheartedly recommend this one to you. “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” is worth the purchase.

    If you have any games you would like me to review, you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.

  • Mar’s Gaming Garage; “Dead Space”: a classic worth a playthrough.

    Mar’s Gaming Garage; “Dead Space”: a classic worth a playthrough.

    By Mario Orozco

    Welcome to the debut of Mar’s Gaming Garage. I will be playing video games that our fellow students recommend, good or bad, and give my honest opinions to tell you whether or not it’s worth buying. 

    For the first week of Mar’s Gaming Garage, I was asked by an anthropology major here at Cal Poly Humboldt to review the game “Dead Space,” the original from 2008, not the remastered one from 2023. This is a game that I have always wanted to play, but the survival horror vibe always sort of scared me off. With this request, I finally had a reason to set my fears aside and dive into this game. I am happy to say it was well worth it.

    “Dead Space” thankfully wasn’t as scary as I had feared. Don’t get me wrong, I was still scared, but it was a fun fear. The storyline followed our main character Isaac Clarke fighting his way through a ship that was taken over by these creatures called Necromorphs. The Necromorphs appeared after the former passengers found an artifact called The Marker. The story of this game was fantastic and was honestly one of the best single-player survival games that I have ever experienced. The terrifying creatures were both gross and really cool to look at. It had very fun gameplay, heartbreaking losses, and multiple shocking twists that I genuinely never saw coming. The twist that concluded the game has been a constant in my mind ever since I saw it.

    However, there are a couple issues I had that I’d like to share. First, the camera is at a weird angle, making the creatures rushing at you really difficult to see, especially in such a dim game. As a result of the camera angle, the controls are sort of awkward; when you rotate the camera, your character doesn’t turn in that direction like in other survival games, meaning you have to rotate the character and camera independently of each other. This makes it more difficult to get shots on anything rushing that’s not directly in front of you, this mixed with the weird angle can be slightly frustrating at times. These negatives are really just me nitpicking, this game was an absolute joy and if I could go back in time and play it for the first time again, I would.

    “Dead Space” took me a grand total of  8 hours and 48 minutes to finish and was worth every one of those minutes. I rate this game a 4.6 out of 5. Whether you’re into survival horror or not, I recommend this game to you all. So yes, “Dead Space” is well worth the purchase.

    If you have any games you would like me to review you can email marsgaminggarage@gmail.com.

  • Humboldt gamer enters the competitive scene

    Humboldt gamer enters the competitive scene

    By Mario Orozco

    Competitive gaming and esports have risen to the mainstream with audiences captivated by the elite gameplay and competitive events. This rise in popularity has birthed thousands of professional gamers all competing for the top spot in their respective games. One of these competitive gamers is here at Cal Poly Humboldt, taking his talents for Super Smash Bros. to the competitive scene. 

    Deven Teixeira, a communication major at Cal Poly Humboldt, recently competed in GENESIS, an annual tournament held in Oakland and San Jose. GENESIS is considered to be one of the premiere tournaments with thousands of players competing for the top spot in the event. Teixeira was driven to compete in the tournament to test his skills after winning some smaller competitions.

    “What inspired me is that I won a decent amount of online [tournaments] and some locals in Central California,” Teixeira said.

    A tournament of this size and importance calls for different types of preparation. Apart from just gameplay, Teixeira typically prepares both his body and mind to ensure he’s at his best.

    “I usually get good sleep and eat very healthy meals, not greasy or saturated in fat meals,” Teixeira said. “Meditation through breathing exercises is a staple to my prep as well.”

    This journey into esports started with a healthy rivalry between Teixeira and his high school best friend. The two began by competing against one another in a modded version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl called “Project M” while in their freshman year of high school. This mod made the game more like the former Super Smash Bros. Melee and after some time they decided to test their skills and compete in some local Project M tournaments. They eventually found they were no longer satisfied with the modded game and wanted the real thing, putting together some money to buy two copies of Melee. This led to them attending their first major tournament, with Teixeira crediting his best friend for being one of the main reasons he competes to this day.

    While not placing first in tournament, being eliminated from the bracket going 3-2 and ranking 513th out of around 2000 participants, Teixeira isn’t upset about his placing in the tournament. He views the experience as beneficial and inspiring.

    “I’m not upset with my placing,” Teixeira said. “I’m more inspired to do more majors and try to do even better each time.”

    Competitive gaming is a difficult task that requires a lot of time and practice. Teixera offers advice to any students who are looking to step foot into the competitive gaming scene.

    “My advice is to challenge yourself,” Teixeira said. “If things bring you discomfort in gaming, use that discomfort as a threshold for learning. Reach out to me. I’m easily accessible and I can help people get to top level quick if they want to do that grind.”

    Teixera hopes that Melee becomes more prominent locally. He wants to revive the game on campus and see the competitive scene flourish once again. 

    “Revive Melee in Humboldt,” Teixeira said.

  • Godzilla gaming: a free workshop

    Godzilla gaming: a free workshop

    by Mario Orozco

    Over a dozen students gathered to attend the Computer Science (CS) Club’s second workshop of the year. The workshop showcased, “Godzilla! The First Person Shooter,” a Godzilla-inspired first-person shooter game developed on the Unity engine.

    Hosted in the library, the CS Club provided detailed instructions on the development process of their game. The workshop gave students an opportunity to gain insight into the realm of game development and taught the basics of using the Unity engine. 

    The game was being developed by the attendees, becoming more fleshed out throughout the course of the workshop. What started as a simple blank terrain transformed into a full city filled with buildings and roads. Godzilla also evolved throughout the event, evolving from two stiff arms unable to move to a fully mobile fire-breathing monster in less than an hour.

    Without the assistance of an experienced developer’s coaching, creating a game is a time-consuming task that comes with its fair share of difficulties. One of these challenges that hinders the development process is the lack of a large team and resources. CS club Vice President Anthony Cavuoti discussed the goal of the workshop as well as how they planned to assist students in overcoming these hurdles.

    “We’re showing people how to use the Unity engine,” Cavuoti said. “We want to show them how to properly utilize assets to create big games without the need for a big development team.”

    The use of both the Unity engine and assets – items used in-game, such as 3D models – help remedy the lack of resources and creates a more accessible introduction into the world of video game creation.

    Club president Amy Wguyen shared that apart from the development of their game and the workshops they host, the CS club partakes in many activities and events with both their ICPC event, as well as the annual hackathon coming over the horizon.

    “Our ICPC event is coming up soon,” Wguyen said. “Last year, our team placed 12th in the region. We also have the hackathon approaching sometime in April.”

    Whether you’re experienced with coding or you’re just at the beginning of your journey, the CS club has room for you. The club provides clear instructions that are suited for all levels. If game development and technology interest you, a discord invite can be found on their website csclubhumboldt.org. 

    “The CS club has workshops that anyone can do, regardless of their experience with coding,” Wguyen said, “Whether you’re very experienced or not, you can come and learn from the workshops.” 

  • Humboldt Esports Builds Momentum

    Humboldt Esports Builds Momentum

    Arcata High CyberTigers face off against the Novato High Hornets

    With 15 minutes until start time, Rocket League players sectioned themselves off into corners of a combined Humboldt State University computer lab and classroom in their respective Arcata High School CyberTiger, CyberTiger B and CyberTiger C teams as their coach Jason Sidell turned on some “get psyched” tunes. Sidell isn’t incredibly well-versed in Rocket League, but he is quick to compare it to other sports.

    “When people think of esports, they think video games, and I think that they would be surprised if they were to observe our practices,” Sidell said. “Esports is to video gaming what a basketball team is to a pick up game.”

    Rocket League players for the CyberTigers faced off against the Novato High School Hornets Feb. 27.

    Rocket League, as described by the California Interscholastic Federation, is a fantastical sport-based video game that can be summed up as soccer with cars. It features a competitive game mode based on teamwork and outmaneuvering opponents.

    The teams are each made up of 3 players, with the CyberTiger team being more like a varsity team and the B and C teams being more like junior varsity. The matches are best-of-five games, with each game lasting a little over five minutes.

    Complete with pizza and La Croix, the HSU Gaming Club hosted a meet and play event for the Arcata High esports team earlier that month that brought an evening full of laughter and good old fashioned competition. The meetup was organized by HSU Gaming Club President Sarah Kanga Livingstone and advisor David Marshall, who reached out to the Arcata High esports team.

    “We’ve been trying to reach out more and more to see if we can get more ways of bringing (high school) students on to campus,” Livingstone said.

    The CyberTigers and their opponents are registered through a service called PlayVS, which is partnered with the CIF to provide the tournament brackets and infrastructure to run a state-wide league.

    The teams are each made up of 3 players, with the CyberTiger team being more like a varsity team and the B and C teams being more like junior varsity. The matches are best-of-five games, with each game lasting a little over five minutes.

    Within 20-30 minutes, both the B and C teams’ games were drawing to a close, but the CyberTigers’ Seth Simmons, Jonah Moore and Marley Thrift continued on in a dynamic match against the Hornets, with their coach cheering them on.

    “Don’t say nice,” Simmons said as Sidell mistakenly complimented a shot that looked like it was going to go in. “Don’t say anything.”

    Remarkably, the C team won while being down a player, and the B team swept their opponents 3-0. The CyberTigers, however, lost their match 3-1.

    Vice President of Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether stopped by to welcome the high schoolers as well. Due to the success of the event, the HSU gaming club is currently in the process of planning a gaming tournament for local high school students in mid-April.