TheMetropolitan
February 7, 2013
Rants+Raves
13
“Antichamber” will twist your mind like a pretzel Brent Zeimen bzeimen@msudenver.edu Have you ever wanted to play a painting by M. C. Escher? “Antichamber” might just be your speed. The first-person puzzler by Alexander Bruce, released for PC on Jan. 31, plays unlike any other game out there. The game has no real story, but that doesn’t detract from the experience at all. The real value in the game is the way the game trains players to think about problems. A hall that has two staircases
side by side presents the simple choice, down or up? Either choice leads to the same pair of staircases. The solution is something that the player doesn’t expect. Moments like these permeate the game. Nothing is exactly as it seems in “Antichamber,” and solutions aren’t ever straightforward. The game gradually trains a player to think of solutions no normal gamer would even consider. Playing the game reminds me of playing “Portal” for the first time. In the beginning, the player doesn’t really have much power, and is introduced to the mechanics and the world slowly, but as they progress, more and more steps and complex actions are added, eventu-
ally culminating in the knowledge of how the in-game world works. The game won an award for Technical Excellence in the 2012 Indie Games Festival and was featured in the PAX 10 showcase at the 2011 Penny Arcade Expo Prime in Seattle. At the end of the day, “Antichamber” is a great puzzle game with a unique twist. Players who enjoyed the likes of “Fez,” “Portal” or “Braid,” will love the mindbending puzzles and will enjoy the game a great deal. The game is reminiscent of “Narbacular Drop,” which inspired Valve’s “Portal,” and “Tag: The Power of Paint,” which inspired the gel mechanics in “Portal 2.” I
Photo courtesy of Alexander Bruce.
wouldn’t be surprised if some of the Escher-esque mechanics made their way into the next “Portal” title.
“Antichamber” is available through Steam on Windows PCs for $20, and will last most players between 4 and 6 hours.
“Sound City” echoes generation Silverstein tells us “This is How the Wind Shifts” Nathalia Vélez nvelez@msudenver.edu
Nate Hemmert nhemmert@msudenver.edu
Shivaun O’Brien, manager of Sound City Studios from 1991 until its closing in 2011, summarizes the spirit of this documentary best when she says “Sound City was the place where real men went to make records.” “Sound City,” the story of one of the most important yet unknown studios in the country, is all about nostalgia for the days when being a rock star required exceptional talent. Stevie Nicks, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty – those are just a few of the musicians who started or propelled their careers by recording an album in this legendary studio. Director Dave Grohl, whose life completely changed after Nirvana recorded “Nevermind” at Sound City, lets the artists tell the story of the magical quality this studio possessed. The place almost becomes a living being – and the one-of-akind Neve sound console its heart – as the jokes and sad stories turn the story into a biography of the studio. The debate of analog versus. digital recording inevitably surfaces. The changing music industry and rise of technology led to the demise of tape-based recording studios like Sound City. Although this made music production more accessible, it also changed the standards of talent required to make it big. But the point isn’t to bash the
It’s promising to be one hell of a year. Whether it’s the fact that we’ve all survived the apocalypse, or the fact that every band ever is seemingly releasing a record this year — more so the latter, let’s be honest — we have a lot in store for us in the world of music.
Photo courtesy of Roswell Films
music industry. It’s to show how the human element of bonding with other musicians and creating something together can transform music from good to amazing. That becomes evident when the artists pick up their instruments to record an album with Sound City’s famous console. A love for music brings all these celebrated artists together and their passion becomes contagious. This fi lm leaves you with the feeling that, as long as people love music in its purest form, rock ‘n’ roll will never die.
Rants+Raves Rating System
Photo courtesy of Hopeless Records.
Silverstein has released their fift h studio album, This is How the Wind Shifts. It’s a concept album exploring the multiple outcomes of different scenarios. In fact, each of the seven pairs of songs deals with the same situation, but has a different resolution. It’s a concept of how one’s life can change in a matter of brief moments and decisions. This isn’t Silverstein’s first concept album either. The band released A Shipwreck in the Sand in 2009, which also followed one idea
throughout the album — and it was rather good. That being said, I have a little bit higher expectations from their sophomore effort at a concept album. Retaining their emotionally tinged lyrics and melodic instrumentals, the album packs an energetic punch as frontman Shane Told masterfully melds clean and unclean vocals. It’s the concept told through music that prevails, as the story (two groups of seven songs) progresses, the band goes from angry and energetic to pensive and resigned. This is How the Wind Shifts encompasses an entire spectrum of emotion, never letting up or slacking off, which is pretty standard in Silverstein’s releases. The album consists of fourteen incredible songs, a prime example that thirteen years of experience have not been wasted. The idea is original enough, and makes for an interesting experience when you listen to each set of two songs with a concept in mind. There’s a lot of thought put into every line, every riff, and every beat. Pop influences are used sparingly, and melded beautifully with the hardcore tinge the band has made itself famous for. Simply said, good album — refreshing, and one I’ll be listening to for a while. Pick it up.