Play on Facebook: Outernauts

I know I can't say that I'm not a fan of Facebook games, because in all honesty I'm a huge fan of games on Facebook. I was one of the first to get involved in Farmville and I remember becoming so addicted that I based my school life around the game instead of around my school work. I guess that was okay since it was only undergrad. Then I got into Cityville, but stopped pretty quickly because it reminded me of Farmville a bit too much. Then I tried Movieville or Theaterville or whatever that ville was call and I was playing that for a bit. Afterwards I moved on to Cooking City or Fresh Chief or something, I don't really remember anything except you hired friends in your restaurant. And most recently a friend got me to play Castleville, which was fun for a while and then I went cold turkey again.

And even on other devices I've had experience playing these addictive, free, and sort of lacking games. I got into Tiny Tower, which was later copied by Zynga, and I got into Glory Quest and a bunch others that a free-to-play games on my iPhone. So the concept is nothing new for me, either play it in small bursts and have fun or pay to play it for a limited amount of time. I've only paid to play the first time, after that I've never spent a cent again.

But this new game, Outernauts, might just change that with me. Outernauts is the first game I've heard of that was created by a non-indie producer or the mega-giant of free-to-play games, Zynga. Instead, it is made by Insomniac Games, a full video game company known for famous titles such as Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance: Fall of Man. And better yet, all of these games had sequels that they were known for and were known to be better than the original. So for the first time in the free-to-play gaming world, there is a game made by an actual company! [http://en.wikipedia.org/]

Current Poster for the Beta
[http://www.wethegamerz.com/]

The Basics
I would like to first note that while this game came out yesterday for the public to play, it is still a beta (a first-run public test) of what the full game will be. That means that for players the game will be updated every now and then with new characters, costumes, monsters, and worlds to go and discover. However, this should not affect newer players, because normally with these sort of internet games they already have planned a ten-hour mission, which then has to be spread out over several twenty-minute play sessions. So even if you start now, you won't be able to finish the dame missions for two weeks even if you play through the whole thing straight to the end. And just to note, that is pretty standard in these sort of Facebook games, because the idea is not to let you beat them quickly, but rather to keep you coming back annoyed until you finish the game or spend money to do so.

So like any free-to-play game, the inventive team at Insomniac Games has come-up with a way that limits you on exploring and playing by using a sort of energy-to-do-tasks system. You start with 20 energy and if you level-up, the bar refills again. Similarly, if you wait for a period of approximate an hour, the bar will refill with energy (one point every five minutes or something). And of course, you can always spend some money to get an item that magically gives you more energy.

Now, what makes this game different from the other ones is that it is a Pokémon-like video game, where you have to search for and capture animals that you can then use to search for an capture other animals. The fun in these games is in collecting the different species and then later using them to level-up and evolve into stronger, more interesting forms. One thing I would like to say now is that Insomniac Games made one mistake here, they made all the lowest levels extremely cute and cool looking while all the higher evolutions look plain mean, or unfriendly, and not something I really want. So it's like picking the best of the worst in the end. Oh yeah, and you have to evolve.

One of the newest catches that they have made in this game is that when you collect them with orbs (which look a lot like pokéballs but with giant gears around them), they get either put into your inventory or sent back to your little world. So you either have to expand your little world to capture more or buy more feeders to keep more on your planet. And of course, none of this is easy or cheap to do, so you spend actually a great deal of time in the game just trying to get the basic money unless you are willing to spend some out of your real pocket.

The Best New Things
Unlike other free-to-play games, which tend to have a repetitive world that you can either visit your friends or stay in yours, this game has SEVERAL worlds that you can go to and explore. In fact, the entire game is based around going world to world working on new missions. I've seen missions in other games, but none where you have to actually go on an adventure. So for that, I give this game a plus.

But beyond that, this is one of the first games that not only allows your to partner-up with friends by going to their planet and helping them out, but also allowing you to battle them! Lose the battle against your friends, no worries because in approximately 20 minutes or so all your creatures will be back to life and ready to fight (full health and all). So if you finally want a game where it can be player vs player, then this is finally here for you.

Last, this is the first professionally made Pokémon game out there, though not technically a Pokémon game. To my friends, expect a request coming from me soon, and to others out there. I recommend trying it!

The Idea Behind Free-To-Play
The basic idea behind free-to-play games is they are not free, but rather the most expensive games on the planet. How they work is simple, give a fun, addicting game that you offer at first for free, but then to achieve the better levels you will have to hand out some cash. If you can resist the temptation, then these turn into really fun games, but for some it's really hard not to spend cash. I don't blame them.

But after spending money once, I never have spent money on these games again. I would probably be more likely to spend money on these games if they gave just enough energy to let me actually do something, because to be honest I think the parts of the game I want to have more of is not the time part, but the number of animals in my party and the amount of abilities they have. This is something I can't achieve running out of if I have full energy every hour or so. And I actually like to have games I can come back to and just play a little bit each time.

So the thing I hate is the other stuff they limit you on, which would make me more inclined to pay. For example, if I was given 30 energy, I would feel a bigger need to have more monsters in my inventory because the other ones would run out of energy too fast and so I could not play because of the limiting energy factor. Or I would feel the need to purchase another slot or more energy or increase their stats. Add another 10 energy, and I'd be dying to spend money just to keep a bigger party!

Anyway, basic idea is you feel limited until you pay for the game, though usually they over-constrict the users.

Final Comments
Simply saying, I'm hooked. I love the exploration and I love these types of games. I just wish I had more energy, but because I don't I won't be spending anything on this game. And as the beta evolves, it will most likely get even better. So if you are new to these things, try it out!