Call of Duty Reflections

I do love me a good first person shooter.  A lot of it probably has to do with what I played when I was really falling in love with videogames, but FPS games really push the right buttons for me.  It feels a little bit immature sometimes to play so many of them, and despite what other gamers and members on this blog might tell you, I do try to expand my horizons.  Somehow though, it all comes down to having a good solid shooter.

It shouldn't be a surprise that I picked up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (COD, MW3).  One could do a quick search and find all the stats and information about the game and be impressed by the numbers in every direction.  I think it did something like 6.5 million copies sold in the first 24 hours of sales.  Absurd.  It got so many phenomenal reviews and such high critical acclaim between persons and co-workers that it would be difficult to discredit the game from popular opinion alone.  As a smart and seasoned gamer, though, albeit one who loves first-person shooters, I know this can't be the end all.

And indeed, it is not. What I've found sort of "across the board"is that there is some polarization going on.    Some people love it, some people hate it, some people swear by it, some people swear by the previous installments of the franchise.  I think, to a degree, that this happens with all games and media.  Not everyone could love everything, but most media sells on a smaller scale, so it isn't as noticeable.  If 5% of the crowd didn't like a game like Bayonetta, the screams of frustration wouldn't be nearly as the loud  (let  me do the math here...) 325 million users (also 5%) who bought it the first day.

Something that I don't think gets done though in the industry, either in marketing, reviews, personal blogs, etc., is calling the game what it is.  We get caught up in the sensationalism and take it all too personally, regardless of whether the opinion is positive or negative. At least, I know I do.  Here's my breakdown so far....

Call of Duty is Call of Duty is Call of Duty...

Since the release of COD4, these games have basically been a license to print money.  They're so addictive, so steady with it's learning curve, and for the most part, fairly balanced. But you would be doing yourself a disservice if you went into a Call of Duty game expecting anything different.  Take a look at Activision's business model - nothing changes from game to game, they just go and sell it to you again.  Mark my words, there will be a definite, clean cut ending to the COD games someday, because Activision will do exactly what they did with Guitar Hero.  I don't think that will be for quite sometime though.  The COD machine is rolling, and the momentum shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

I don't want my warnings about expectations to go misunderstood, however.  I don't just mean for optimists who want something new, but also for the pessimists who think too much has changed.  It hasn't. It hasn't even changed game engines since COD4.  Five games in a row now, with the same engine!  They may have changed the killstreaks, or maybe how some of the weapons look, but they can't change too much, otherwise the most important part of what makes COD what it is would be lost - the feeling.  If the game designers (whichever studio is working on it, it doesn't really matter anymore...) want to have a successful COD release, they have to make it feel like the other ones.  Gamers might disagree across the board about which game has the best aesthetics, but at their core, they all play the same.

I think that's all ok though.  Consistency is a fine trait to have amongst a franchise, and regardless of preference, I think all of the good, long-lasting, series have a strong and consistent feel to them.

Kill Confirmed is Awesome


COD basically does one multiplayer playlist very, very well - Team Deathmatch.  TDM is the standard to which all other COD playlists have been measured.  The downside of having a really good TDM mode is not having enough diversity.  Since that "killing" aspect of the game is a core design element, it makes it hard to have any other the other playlists feel different. CTF feels like TDM with a flag being run around.  Even the most tactical of gametypes like Search and Destroy feel like simple variants of TDM.  Kill Confirmed takes that simple principle and runs away with it.

Kill Confirmed is what I would say is MW3's big gift to the franchise.  It takes the simplicity of TDM and adds a scoring system into the mix.  Regular TDM rules apply, such as the call-ins and pointstreaks, but to win as a team, you need to "collect" the dog tags of your slain foes.  A golden pair of dog tags will glow to collect after a kill is executed, and a point adds to your score.  If a teammate gets cut down, then a red pair of tags will exist.  Deny the enemy an opportunity to score by collecting the red-tags.  First to 65 wins.

Although it's a fairly simple and familiar concept (can anyone think of any other playlist that does this? It feels so familiar...) it really adds a lot to how a game will flow.  "Hot spots" of death and destruction will naturally occur, making sense to the idea of holding an area down.  As a team, you can alter the flow of a match by deliberately choosing to move to a different location - after all, the enemy can't score if they can't collect your tags.  Changing the eb and flow of a battle is a really cool feeling. It's also nice to see less sniping.

This playlist also helps compensate for one of COD's biggest weaknesses - the sensation of camaraderie.  Although Team-Deathmatch is the name of the playlist, it hardly plays as a team game.  Kill Confirmed, like Battlefield's scoring and leveling system, forces the player to play as a group. I still wouldn't recommend COD as the best "group" game, but Kill Confirmed definitely fills in a lot of those weak spots that COD has.

Kill - no wait... Pointstreaks


In the past COD games, killstreaks are everything.  Getting X number of kills in a row will allow the player to call in something to help out the team.  Radar scans, chopper, support... tactical nuclear strike. The call-ins have changed in the past, but the premise had not - it's always about kills.  Not so anymore.  Call-ins are done through points, instead of kills. Points can be earned by taking down air-support, knocking out a turret, capturing a flag or a point, and of course, killing an enemy. This not only encourages the player to not appeal to the lowest common denominator and always focus on killing, but lets them choose to play as they wish, rewarding them for helping out in whatever way they choose to.

Additionally to implementing point streaks, the COD designers have created "strike packages".  These are preset call in packages that the player chooses.  Each class has it's own strike package making switching out on the fly as easy as picking a new class post-mortem. There are three packages to choose from - Assault, Support, and Specialist.  As one could probably surmise by the naming, Assault and Support have call-ins related to more killing and more support, respectively. (The Support class also has a cumulative total for points, that don't reset after a death).  The Specialist, my personal favorite, is new.  Specialists don't get any call-ins for their team, but instead, unlock additional perks for themselves.  After 2 kills, a Specialist will receive an additional perk of their choice, to work in addition to the three they've already selected for their class.  This continues with 4 and 6 kills (That's six perks at the same time...).  At 8 consecutive kills with no deaths, the "specialist bonus" is unlocked, giving the player who earned them all  of the perks at the same time.

I'm gonna start a new paragraph here, because it took me a while to appreciate the impact that this has on one's game, and it totally freaked me out the first time I earned the bonus.  With all the perks running, I can run longer, I don't make noise, I reload quicker, I aim down the sights quicker, I switch guns faster, I don't take fall damage, I'm invisible to radar, helicopters and thermal, and if I start to run out of bullets, I resupply my guns from my fallen enemies.  In the simplest of terms, this is as close to God-mode that anyone could get in a COD game.  It does all restart if I die, but it makes the whole experience very rewarding.  If I finish a game with a 24/3 Kill/Death ratio, I know I earned every single one of those kills.  No choppers doing the work, no turrets keeping me safe... all my hands, my weapon.  I am a one man army.

Final Thoughts


I don't want to give off the wrong impression here.  I don't think COD is the best game in the world.  I don't think it should win any game of the year awards.  I don't even think that the changes made in MW3 even make it worthy of being called the best COD game yet.  But it is good. It is a solid experience, and it is a safe and consistent choice.  COD does what it does very well, and I don't think it's blind ignorance that's moving millions upon millions of this title off the shelves at stores.

If that's not the stuff you think you want in a game, than stay away, but I don't necessarily believe you.  I think that we consciously and subconsciously make decisions about our games with safety in mind.  It's why we go to review sites, it's why metacritic exists at all. We want consistency in our gaming, but we also want the experience to remain fresh.  With both of those things in mind, Activision really has done some amazing work here.  It's incredible to think that they've been able to release the same game experience, with some small variances, for five years in a row with consistent growth in sales.  There is a small art to changing something just enough, but not too much.

I look forward to my time with this game over the next year, but not so much that I couldn't put it down to play something else.  It will always be on my shelf even though I may not be playing it like there is no tomorrow.  It's like I like it just enough to warrant not getting rid of it until the next installment comes out.

Do you hear that? I think it's the sound of Bobby Kotick laughing.

Horde in Azura =

jizz in my underoos.

Just saying.

Cultural Musings

A great deal of marketing in the industry right now seems to be committed to making sure the "other guy" is beaten down or made fun of.  It almost smells of politic advertisements.  I'm thinking specifically of Battlefield and Call of Duty and their negative campaign ads.  They are actually pretty good spots too (I'm remembering the "fight against grenade spam"), but I feel like it creates an unfair and unnecessary comparison.  I don't think the two shooters are exclusive enough to be put head to head.  Sure, they both are super serious, semi-futuristic, first-person, hoo-rah, shooters, but they off enough to the market that differs from the other that to make a strong comparison doesn't actually do either justice.  If the ads work, then the COD fan who picks up Battlefield might feel let down, which doesn't help sell your product in the future.

I've actually been playing a fair amount of Battlefield 3 lately, and the fun times I've had in it have only solidified my resolve to also pick up Modern Warfare 3 because I'm not able to meet the same need I have in a shooter with BF3.  Battlefield is an intense, borderline overwhelming experience that puts a specific focus on team play and group focus.  It does it not only as an objective, but as you work as a team to accomplish said objective.  Capturing the control points may be the focus of the match, but you get more points on a personal level by using your class to help your teammates.  Not coincidentally, helping them will help your team carry on farther and more effectively.

Call of Duty doesn't even come close to that stuff.  Everything in COD plays like a quick team-deathmatch, but it doesn't reward the player with anything by playing as a teammate.  TDM may as well be a free-for-all match... the only difference is not being able to kill half of the lobby, but if you play hardcore you can do that as well.  That sounds a little bit like a complaint, but it's COD's strongest card, and frankly, it trumps most of the others.  COD does deathmatch killing so well that it's got countless folks hooked on doing the same thing over and over again.  It knows just the right buttons to press, and then it presses them constantly, creating an incredibly deep experience, albeit, a relatively shallow one.  If COD is a one trick pony, the trick it knows involves roller-skates, a flaming hoop, juggling, and quite possibly sword swallowing.

I guess it isn't a big deal, and it surely isn't a surprise that these big game companies are going after each other's throats, but as a retailer of these games, its a tough conversation to have over and over again.  It's already difficult enough to convince even the most-serious of gamer to pick up the new version of the franchise they already play each year (These things come out like Madden now...), but now I have to find a way to ease the fanboy tension that the marketing of these triple-A titles naturally create.  You wouldn't believe the harassment I got in MW2 the other night when I put 'HALO' as my clan tag... It was like I punched their mother.  Of course, now I publicly opened the door to get ripped on Halo again...

I think I'm gonna sell it all and buy a second Wii so I can play Zelda and Mario at the same time.  But thanks to Smash Bros, even they are out to kill each other...

Shady

A friend pointed this out to me on facebook this morning, and I felt compelled to share.

When is the last time that anyone read a terms of service?  I know I haven't, just clicking through the pages assuming that it's all legal mumbo jumbo that I wouldn't understand anyway. 

Sony's Terms of Service update - Sept. 15, 2011

For those who don't want to follow the link, it's Sony's update to their TOS that you will need to agree to before you play, as of September 15, 2011.

"NOTE:  THIS AGREEMENT CONTAINS A BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION 

AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER PROVISION IN SECTION 15 THAT AFFECTS YOUR 

RIGHTS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND WITH RESPECT TO ANY “DISPUTE” 

(AS DEFINED BELOW) BETWEEN YOU AND SNEI, SONY COMPUTER 

ENTERTAINMENT INC., SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC, 

THEIR AFFILIATES, PARENTS OR SUBSIDIARIES  (ALL ENTITIES 

COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO BELOW AS “SONY ENTITIES”).  YOU HAVE A 

RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF THE BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION 

WAIVER PROVISIONS AS FURTHER DESCRIBED IN SECTION 15."

Section 15 goes on to let the user know that if they choose to opt out of this portion of the TOS, that they have 30 days to send a notice, in writing, to Sony letting them know.  While I'm glad that they are providing an alternative to FORCING someone into this, I think this is a shady move.  Most people aren't going to read the TOS. Of those that do, who is going to go through all the effort to mail in a letter.  How many parents will just breeze over this for their kids?  Etc.

For the record, the word "Sony" could be replaced with any company.  I think this is lame and really underhanded.  The intrusion Sony incurred was unfortunate and devastating.  Their delayed response raised more than one public eyebrow.  Now they are integrating a way out of a potential class action lawsuit in their own innocent terms of service.

The real funny thing to me, is that I feel like I need to update my PS3 all the freaking time. I've flipped through so many legal pages that I'm beginning to think I should get a trophy for it, because it may as well be it's own game.  I would be just as bothered by this sort of a move with any other company, I just think the inclusion of this "waiving agreement" into Sony's TOS is particularly ironic.  

Long Overdue

I just wanted to let the world know that I'll be starting my personal campaign to play and finish a handful of stuff that's been cooking far too long on the back burner.  Some of them I have watched played (a personal favorite activity of mine, by the way), some I haven't touched, and some I feel just deserve to get some play time.

Resident Evil 4
Bioshock 2
Okami
TMNT (upon Juniper's recommendation - HAHA!)
Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2
Super Metroid

That's my potential batting order as well.  As highly acclaimed as it is, I feel bad putting Super Metroid so near the bottom, but the Metroid franchise has always been tough for me, and I'll probably be using a guide anyways.  Any suggestions?  I'll be kicking of RE4 as soon as I publish this post.

This also might be a trend that I hope continues on the blog.  3N3MY and I were chatting the other day, and a potential idea we tossed up was a retro review section.  Either playing something from yesteryear and giving it another look by witholding nostalgia, or maybe taking the super critical eyes of the current game industry and holding the old stuff up to the same standard. Thoughts, questions, concerns?

Your prayers are appreciated in my endeavor.

Kevin Butler

This is the new ad campaign for the PS3 and I think it's awesome. I've long been a fan of Sony's VP of almost everything, but kicking off a new campaign by bringing Kevin out of retirement was highly enjoyable to me.

You really should be following this guy on Twitter as well.

Are there any other gaming mascots that stand out to you?

Man Cave, but I hate that term.

Since my Lady Friend and I started looking for a house she's been a very big proponent of me having my own Man Cave. I don't know why, but she's been pushing for it more than me because it's not a priority for me. But since I'm in a house and have the space I'm certainly not going to complain at her willingness to let me do basically whatever the hell I want with the space.

Anyways, I have a house with a basement that isn't finished, but is somewhere between finished and just a normal basement.

I just wanted to gloat that over the next couple months I'm going to be getting the basement in order so that I can black out the walls and build a screen for my new HD projector and get me a nice comfy couch down there with a kicking surround sound system, my mini fridge from college....and a foot rest.

My project will be aided by the always helpful Silent.

I just wanted to take a second and get you all jealousy about me playing pretty much the greatest way possible. Alone and in the dark on an 8 foot screen.

I'll probably post some before and after pictures and it won't be called a "Man Cave" because that's overused and not funny.

I think I'll call it, "Man, I'm Gonna Own Your Candy-Ass Cavern". Much more fitting for the pwnage that will happen down there.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Review

95/100
5/5
95%
A

Strengths
Story/Atmosphere/World
Music/Ambience
Characters/Voice Acting
Protagonist
Choices/Non-linear
Side Quests/Rewards
Length/Replayability

Opportunities
Boss Fights
Graphical Glitches/Mouths

***minor spoiler alert***
First of all, let me state that I haven’t finished the game but I have about 15+ hours into it and unless the game drastically alters course or the ending (there are multiple endings according to one achievement) then I highly doubt I will change my review.

This game delivers on almost every level that I can think of when it comes to rating video games. The summer doldrums are now officially over for me and I’m kind of shocked that I almost didn’t purchase this game. This was $45 (Steam pre-order cost) well spent and I’m very glad I bought this on an impulse as a “secondary” purchase. This game is definitely a pleasant surprise and much better than the second game in the series. It’s a worthy prequel to the first Deus Ex and I hope some great DLC is released for it.

Also, you do not need to have played the first game to play this one. There are references to the universe but very little connection. This is a prequel and occurs before the first Deus Ex.

Likes
Story/Atmosphere/World: The story gets you going from the start, drawing you into the world with the societal war revolving around human augmentation, very akin to the gay marriage debate going on today in the U.S. Some people believe human augmentation is the next step in human evolution while others believe it should be outlawed and is a violation of human biology. What the game lacks in graphics (and I think it looks good but it’s no Crysis 2) it makes up for in atmosphere. The world is fleshed out but not to the point where you feel distracted from your missions. The world will make you think of Shadowrun, the table top game, not the video game. I really enjoyed the gold/black feel to everything. It’s original and done well but not overdone to the point where there aren’t other colors in the game. There is a central city hub where you branch off of into apartment buildings or the Sarif building or a L.I.M.B. clinic to do side quests or parts of the main mission.
Music/Ambience: The music is pretty cool and really draws you into the cyberpunk world. It will make you want to go watch Blade Runner again, or go out and buy for those of us who aren’t smart enough to already own it in our movie collection. The soundtrack is eerie at times and really helps flesh out the world and the gold/black atmosphere.
Characters/Voice Acting: The voice-acting is well done and the characters are memorable, so much so that Adam Jensen gets his own special mention as I have a new favorite protagonist in my list of video game heroes (mentioned below). The mouth movement is seriously lacking and detracts from the great voice-acting. Your boss has a familiar voice that I can’t quite place but I swear he’s a well-known actor.
Protagonist: Adam Jensen smokes 5 packs a day. Normally, this gravelly voice would feel overdone and get annoying… but I really enjoyed it in this game and it helped flesh out the kind of character he was. He’s a hardcore ex-cop that you don’t want to mess with and even when he’s speaking “nice” lines of dialogue, he’s no push-over. I am now a fan of Adam Jensen and he could easily kick the crap out of a lot of other protagonists, with the help of his augmentations of course.
Choices/Non-linear: Surrounded by linear shooters, this game really gives you choices. So far, I haven’t killed a single soul, other than the few bosses I’ve faced and I love that! I made my way through a police station early on in the game and since I completely suck at stealth, I ended up having to take out every officer with my tranquilizer rifle, stun gun, and take-downs. Needless to say, I later found out from watching an IGN Easter egg video on youtube that I could have talked my way into the police station! I love it! The amount of choices in the game is fantastic and very reminiscent of the first game.
Side Quests/Rewards/Augmentations: The game rewards you for exploring and finding the different paths, whatever they may be. Little XP rewards pop up all the time and the majority of your XP will come not from killing/incapacitating your enemies but from everything else. XP let’s you “level up” which earns you a praxis point that you can stick into your augmentations. There are enough of them that you will not run out of augmentations to upgrade. I have upgraded my inventory, cloaking system, silent walking, targeting system so I can track enemies, etc., etc. I also decided to upgrade my dermal armor to help out in boss fights (see below) which are difficult for characters choosing a stealth path through the game. There are a decent amount of side quests but you won’t be able to complete all of them. I did not level up any of my hacking, mostly because I refused to as I wanted to save that for a second play-through. Take-downs require an energy cell, which seemed annoying at first, but makes sense because your arms are both augmented arms… and it also limits you from being over-powered. You can also sell gear and other stuff you find, like ammo, and then spend your money at L.I.M.B. clinics to purchase additional Praxis points for more upgrades.
Length/Replayability: I am 15 hours in and not sure when the game ends. I have explored a lot of areas and taken my time doing side quests so I haven’t hurried through. I thought it ended at one point but it was a boss fight. I love getting my money’s worth so for me, the length is great and the game also encourages you to replay it using another option, such as running and gunning as opposed to the (horrible) stealth and non-violence I am using this play through. I have held back from starting a second game but the game almost encourages you, if not pushes you to start a second game. It tempts you with computers you can’t hack because you have leveled your cloaking augmentation instead of your hacking. It’s great and I will 100% play through this game again at some point.

Opportunities
Boss Fights: These occurred exactly like other reviews said. If you went with the stealth option, you didn’t have your armor or reflexes upgrade and the boss fights were harder. I decided after the last boss fight to upgrade my dermal armor specifically for these boss fights. I had also upgraded most of the stealth upgrades you could with gear I had scavenged for credits to purchase more Praxis kits. This is a small complain but a complain none-the-less. I did find one boss, who looked exactly like Rihanna the pop singer, was susceptible to my stun gun so I would stun her and then pump her full of bullets. I also found I could quick save in the middle of the boss fights which helped a lot. Also note that these boss fights are fast and furious so if you die, which will happen a lot for stealth characters, you don’t feel like you’ve wasted a ton of time. I really wish the choices from the rest of the game carried over into the boss fights.
Graphical Glitches/Mouths: I’ve noticed some graphical errors, small glitches, and have had to reload a couple times. But I have two saves, there is an autosave, and a quicksave feature so I’ve never had a problem reloading and fixing whatever glitch there is. None of the glitches have been game breakers so these could all be patched out.

Final ThoughtsGo out and buy this game when you get a chance. I highly recommend it. It’s definitely worth the money. It’s a great blend of shooter and RPG with all the choices thrown in. If you like Elder Scrolls, shooters in general, Mass Effect, Crysis then go check this game out.

By the way, I can’t wait to shoot someone in the head on my second play-through. :)

Quality

In the age of the Red Rings of Death, it's easy to forget how quality in electronics is not like it used to be. I'm sure we all have our stories about how something survived abuse whether a flood or a suplexed body (my old NES). It wasn't until I found my old Rumble Pack that I remembered the abuse my old systems suffered.

My old dog ate it. It still works!

Cataloging Games

This week's "3 Best" post got me really thinking about my old games. I just came back up from my basement with a giant Tupperware container that contains every past-generation game that I have ever owned, minus 20+ NES games that were stolen from me in college. Anyway, the point of this post is to see if anyone knows of any good websites or methods to catalog games. I know that www.1up.com has, or at least use to have the ability to list every console and game you owned. It also gave you an estimated value of your collection. I haven't logged into my account in years but was curious if there were any better alternatives out there. I'd like it to be something that is easily accessible by the public, including you guys.

It's a little side project I think I'm gonna start just. Only problem is that my free time doesn't really exist and when it does, I usually try to take advantage of it by gaming.

Bought a PS3

I am now the proud owner of a used PS3 and Killzone 3 and Gran Turismo. Getting shipped tomorrow. And yes, I will be selling my 360 to offset the cost.

Not quite sure yet if I just joined the Dark Side or the Light Side...

Weekly Top 3 - Boss Battles

As clearly stated in the title for this post, this week's top 3 is going to be boss battles.  These could include, but are not limited to, final boss fights, antagonist confrontation moments, mid-game humps or challenges to overcome, or maybe even the toughest thing you've overcome in a videogame. (It would also be appreciated if you are mentioning any bossess or moments that are particularly good spoilers to story or gameplay, mention that before describing the event.)

For me, in no particular order.

Ganon - Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (SNES) - This may be an uncreative choice for me, but it's a big one.  My copy of LttP was given to me by a cousin (I think) so all the files were already beaten.  As a young kind, I love exploring the world, but going to places where the puzzles were already beaten, or the NPC's shared dialogue from the tail end of conversations that I didn't have with them, was... unfulfilling.  I started my own file, and to my surprise the puzzles were really tough, even when I knew what the end result was going to be.  In some cases, the game got harder, because I knew that a particular portion would be easier if I just had that one item, but in reality I wouldn't be getting that item until another 6 dungeons.  My expectations were there, but misplaced...  Finally getting to Ganon, finding out how that giant hole in top of the pyramid got there, and rocking him out with my silver arrows... a very gratifying beat down.

The Maw - Halo Combat Evolved (XBOX) - I really liked the ending of Halo.  Maybe it was because it's still one of my favorite co-op games to play to this day.  Maybe it was because it was the first thing I got for my xbox.  Maybe it's because I'm a fanboy. Whatever the reason is, I like it.  The ending to the first part of the original Halo saga was a good one.  With frustrating puzzle like combat, lots of explosions, an annoying enemy always letting me know how smart he was, and an epic conclusion with a giant race through an enormous ship before everything explodes in oblivion.  I'm really looking forward to doing this again when the Anniversary collection releases. 

Andrew Ryan - Bioshock (XB360) - This one isn't much of a boss fight, but it was awesome.  I spent a good chunk of time in Bioshock looking for as many tape recorders as I could.  Not for any achievement or the corresponding achievement points, but because they added a depth to the world and story that I couldn't get enough of.  Bioshock already felt a little bit voyeuristic, digging into a world that you were never really a part of, and finding these tape recorders added to the thrill.  They gave you personal testimony and witness to the results and rubble you were rummaging through, and when you finally meet the character you've been hunting down... catharsis.  Andrew Ryan's was particularly good, and it makes you rethink everything you've done in the game so far.  Kindly play this game if you get the chance, would you?

Alright everyone else, it's your turn.  Go!

PS3 Version of new Counter Strike gets all PC-y

You may have stumbled across this article on Kotaku already and while I'm a little tired of all things Valve, because of it's endlessly annoying fanbase, this is neat news.

With the release of Portal 2 on PS3 (due to Sony's more open source PSN) you can see Valve's desire to meld PC and Steam with PS3 and I really find that exciting. You could run a limited version of Steam on your PS3 and even do the coop campaign with a PC player over Steam. Nothing outstandingly groundbreaking, but it is another step towards a potential one console/rig/system future that people keep saying will eventually happen.

What's neat about the new Counter Strike is that, on PS3, you'll have not only cross-platform play AND cross-platform skill based matchmaking, but the PS3 will also have built in mouse and keyboard support.

As all gamers know the "Master Race" has the far superior control scheme and it's a really great addition to the console. Not only does the cross-platform play allow for a much much much larger pool of players (especially for a Valve Counter Strike game) to play with, but the mouse and keyboard support will actually allow console players to be every bit as good as their PC Brethren. If there's one thing Shadowrun on 360/PC taught us it's that cross-platform is cool, but PC player will own your ass with the better controls.

So basically this game has taken a giant leap forward as a future purchase for me. I would have liked to given it a try because I've always really wanted to give PC gaming a really good run, but the initial start up costs of a new rig are too much and I don't want to jump into an old Valve PC game and get owned for being a noob.

Thoughts? Do you guys think these are good things or should they remain separate like they've always been?

CoD: A Love/Hate Story

With MW3 right around the corner, I've been doing a lot of thinking, probably more than I should, on the Call of Duty series and the love and hate it draws from so many people. As I was ranting to 3N3MY earlier this week, I decided to focus more of my thoughts on exactly why I won't be purchasing MW3, at least at launch. It is a game I am interested in picking up at a later date just to play the 5 hour story. I know it will feel like a Michael Bay/John Woo movie but will still be fun... just not worth $60 at launch for if I'm not interested in the MP.

PROS
1. CoD is a smooth shooter with great controls, on consoles and PC, that rewards you with XP, unlocks, ribbons, badges, everything. From the name customization in MW2 to the gun customization in Blops, CoD offers the players a lot and draws them in.

2. DLC - if it's a game you enjoy and you want to keep playing, there is definitely a lot of DLC. I would argue it's priced high for a couple maps but there are plenty of people who have paid for it.

3. Safe Bet - You know the next CoD will be a good shooter and a safe bet. If you liked the last one, you will enjoy the next one. They won't deviate from their formula very far.

CONS
1. As much as I love say, Diablo, Starcraft, Battlefield, Elder Scrolls, or Mass Effect, I would hate to see one released once a year for several years in a row. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. It gets old and stale. I love pizza but if I eat pizza every day for several days in a row, I really start to not enjoy pizza.

2. Same Engine - This could be a pro as the engine runs smooth and has since the first MW but isn't it time for a change?

3. Too Little, Too Late - Blops did a lot to address the complaints regarding MW2 but for me, it felt like too little, too late. Blops was fun but as I tracked the hours I put into the CoD series, they fell drastically with each series. I put 200+ hours into MW2 and only around 70 into Blops.

4. Bobby Kotick - EA has made some questionable moves of late but they still have nothing on this guy's mouth. :D

The main reason I won't purchase MW3 this fall is... I'm a hardcore Battlefield fan. I really love the teamplay and camaraderie the Battlefield series encourages. And to be honest, as much as I bash the CoD series now, I would probably be purchasing it if it wasn't for the countless hours I'll sink into Battlefield 3. Not to mention Elder Scrolls: Skryim comes out 3 days after MW3.

Here's a great commentary on the subject of MW3 vs. BF3 if anyone is interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Bhc_XaY6U

Deus Ex Impressions

It's been quite some time since I've struggled to put a game down, shut it down, and lay my head down on my pillow in order to get some decent sleep so I can function at work the next day. Deus Ex, like the stealth style I am failing miserably at playing the game through with, came out of nowhere and shattered the summer slump for me. I can't remember the last game that sucked me in like this. This is a game that I wasn't planning on purchasing and sort of pre-ordered on a whim, a little reward to myself for the crazy audit that we had at work that just ended this month.

The original definitely brought some great ideas to video games in general, allowing you to shoot your way through levels, sneak around undetected, hack through different areas, and so on. Back at the time, this was a novel idea and it might sound a little old now. Human Revolution expands on this idea and though the levels are still linear, it gives you a variety of methods to travel through the levels, similar to Crysis 2 if no one is familiar with the other Deus Ex games.

The music is great and makes me want to go watch Blade Runner. The gold and black art style is ambient, artistic, and original. What the game lacks in the latest and greatest facial and body animations it more than makes up for in voice acting, art style, atmosphere, and world detail. The story quickly draws you in with questions and plot lines. You will find it very hard not to want every augmentation as they all sound incredible to have on Adam Jensen (who sounds like he smokes 5 packs a day, which doesn't come off as cheesy in this game, but really BA actually). I now can see enemies fields of vision, have an extra energy cell for takedowns, and can cloak myself. I want to upgrade my hacking and social interactions but don't think I'll have enough upgrade points...

I passed up Batman: Arkham Asylum only to play it later and realize what an awesome game I had missed. This game is along those lines but an even greater game that you don't want to miss. If you play shooters at all, you must play this game.

Before I carry on too long and turn this into a full review, I strongly suggest everyone play this game. Please do not comment below since I am not talking about a AAA title... thank you.

QUICK UPDATE: Made it to the first boss fight last night. A little brutal, since I focused on stealth upgrades. Made it through, because after a couple tries, the boss stopped chasing me and stood in the middle of the room and just shot at me. Not sure if this was a glitch or built into the game to compensate for failing to kill him several times. Either way, I took him down pretty easily from cover when he just stood there. It didn't ruin the game and allowed me to carry on with the story... but it would have been nice to see all the choices you're givencarry over into the boss fight as well. Not a dealbreaker but wanted to mention this since this was a big negative I saw in other reviews.

My brother is in town so hopefully I'll beat the game next week. :D

"Rise from your graves!"

The song from the first board of Altered Beast has been stuck in my head for the last 2 flipping days!

I'd be upset....if I didn't love it so.

Just thought I'd share.

A Weekly Top 3?

I've been trying to think of some way to make posts more regularly and came up with this: other sites have their own Top 10 lists or Top 7 or whatever where they just list their OWN favorites, but we could make it so one person each week comes up with the topic and everyone makes their own list. We've done this before, like with the "Best of this Generation", "Most Disappointing" etc. I just thought it would be cool to do one each week.

So here's my first one and it's pretty simple. List your Top 3 Favorite Guns of all time. First-person shooter or third-person shooter, either one. Go.

Here are mine (in no particular order):

1. Flak Cannon - Unreal series - basically a shotgun made even more devastating due to the secondary fire, which is essentially an exploding cannonball. Very satisfying to hit someone with one of these and just watch them explode into giblets.

2. Ripper - Dead Space/Dead Space 2 - a spinning sawblade that somehow remains attached to the handle of the weapon, great for carving up necromorphs. Also has a secondary fire that shoots a sawblade out at high speed for long distance slice 'n' dice. It pretty much got me through the first game on the hardest difficulty.

3. M6D Pistol - Halo - does this really even need a description? Great from any distance, high-powered, no recoil. Some people call it unbalanced. I just call it awesome.

Astro A40's

First off all, huge apology for my complete lack of participation (I blame Huber) and thanks for not booting me off. But I'm back and raring to share some views.

So i've recently bought myself a pair of Astro A40's Wireless gaming headset. If you're unfamiliar with Astro Gaming stuff, definitely work checking out. Pretty much top of the line headsets used by all the 1337 MLG gamers. Reason for purchase was a combination of my girlfriend moving in and me wanting to upgrade my sound system. The cost to upgrade my "true" 5.1 system would of been extortionate to get the same definition and clarity as a decent headset so opted for a that over a complete 5.1 system overhaul.

There's pretty much 3 big players in the gaming headset market, Astro, Turtle Beach and Tritton. All the review websites raved about the Astro A40's over and above the other 2 competitor equivalent models so my decision was made for me.

Ordered on the Thursday, arrived on the Friday. Best packaging I've ever had for an electronic product. The build quality is excellent and there's some really nice design touches which really help justify it's hefty price tag.

I'm not going to go into the specific details of set up etc, but it was fairly straight forward. One unit plugs into your optical output on the 360 and the other unit (wireless) plugs into your 360 pad and the headset.

The sound quality is staggering, I didn't expect it to be as good as it is. The surround sound is spot on. I'm not quite sure how all the tech works behind it considering it only has 2 speakers but it really does re create the surround sound effect as well if not better than my true 5.1 system. The clarity and subtle sounds you hear is incredible. I've only really tested it a handful of times and mostly with Gears of War 2, I really want to give Bad Company 2 a blast with them on as in my opinion it has by far the best sound engineering in any game. You can expect me to update this once tested further.

Liked

5.1 surround is incredible for a headset

Multiplatform compatible

Comfortable

Great build quality

Dislike

Cost

It's wireless but there's still a lot of wires.

MaxConsole - Sony: Cross-Game Chat Not Possible

MaxConsole - Sony: Cross-Game Chat Not Possible

I'm sorry about reposting a link to another blog but this is just too ridiculous not to comment on. After 5 years (fact check?) they finally are admitting that it's just not physically possible. Seriously, why did it take them so long to do this? The other part about it is that supposedly the PS3 is this ultra-powerful machine with something like 82-cores (fact check?) yet it doesn't have enough RAM to support something as simple as cross-game chat. Now, I may not be the expert witness in a trial when it comes to PS3's hardware specs, but wouldn't you think they could find a way, even if it's just software related?

rant away

Deus Ex - Gaming Challenge

I have Deus Ex pre-ordered (and pre-loaded) on my PC ready to release Tuesday. I'm normally not patient enough to stealth my way through games unless the game/class/level is specifically (forcing you to) built around stealth of some kind, i.e. Assassin's Creed or the Rogue class in WoW (yes, I'm back into WoW... it's been a slow gaming summer!).

So I thought I would give myself a little challenge since Deus Ex gives you so many options. If it's anything like the first two and anything like they are claiming, it will have so many options to make it through a level, I'm going to try and beat the game without killing anyone (bosses not included). There is a Pacifist achievement for this on Steam

Pacifist

Complete Deus Ex: Human Revolution without anyone dying by your hand. (Boss fights do not count.)

I LOVE to run and gun so this will be a little challenge for me. Just thought I would throw that out there. The only thing that will change this for me is if the game sucks but it already has some good word of mouth and a great review from PC gamer that came out so we'll see... I'll throw up a review once it's complete.

What's the first game you ever played?

Can you even remember? Was it at an arcade or a friends house? Was it on an ancient PC? If you can't remember the game then what was the system?

I remember playing games at a very young age so there's no way in hell I'm going to remember the first game I played, but the first gaming system I ever touched was the Atari 2600 that came out 6 years before I was born.

It was an unusual system in that it had a lot of different controllers. I had a set that looked like this one with the traditional controller and the ones with the wheel and we had another one with a number bad and yet another one that was used solely for a baseball game!

The games I played on it are nigh unplayable to me today as it was the Coleco that actually got me really into gaming.

Borderlands

I've restarted Borderlands with Silent and it's as awesome as ever.

In honor of restarting it and falling in love all over again I'm posting a hilarious video that we all love.

Unreal Engine

The Unreal Engine is pure garbage.

... that is all

Maybe his real name is Andrew Ryan?

Seriously, this can't be a good idea.

Seriously?

Matchmaker, Matchmaker...

Although I've been bad about posting with any sense of regularity, this is an issue that I've been mulling over for some time - Matchmaking.

What will you be buying before Christmas?

Lets face it. The months leading up to Christmas are taxing on any consumer, but especially so on gamers. There are a plethora of Triple A games coming out before Christmas and I want to know what you WILL be buying. Not what you're on the fence about.

The only game I'm absolutely purchasing before Christmas is Rage. I've got a huge hard on for id and this is their first proper game in seven years. People that play their games know that nobody does the execution of shooting mechanics better than id. Every game of theirs I've ever played or that Raven has ported has such an extremely specific feel for the guns that no other game maker has nailed.

All hail John Carmack!

A Tale of a Dude that Finally Prestiged.

So I've been playing a lot of Black Ops again lately and it's been wonderful to scratch that MP itch again! I love me some Bad Company 2, but the overall team aspect and terrible lobby system make playing it solo a pain at times. Especially when your team is playing TDM and not Rush.

Anyways, last night I finally got to level 51 which is when you can Prestige and start over. In the past I'd been a huge advocate of not doing this because since I'd put in all this time earning this stuff why would I want to throw it away? Since I play by myself I figured starting over wouldn't be a big deal and would, ultimately, make the game more fun because of the addicting crack that is ranking up.

I was right! I'm already drooling over getting to level 14 and unlocking my almighty Famas and then at level 20 the holiest of holies....the Galil.

Playing with the Enfield right now is pretty much balls on my chin, but I'm still holding up really well online. I've also been exclusively playing Pure TDM which uses no perks, killstreaks or gun add ons and it's actually gotten me nothing but better scores. I normally sit between 1.50 and 2.0 k/d ratios, but in Pure, without napalm and airstrike attacks every 15 seconds, I'm almost always above 2.0. My current stats are 26hrs logged online with a k/d of 1.54.

It's been strange to be in such a funk for so long in gaming and to have the dirtiest of words/games to be a breath of fresh air. Ultimately, playing CoD by myself can feel like spinning my wheels in the mud, but it's been a blast!

Battlefield 3 Alpha

This will now be the fifth time I've attempted to post this up. Blogger has a lot of problems it seems... or maybe it's just me. I was also interrupted several times over the past week or so.

So, I was invited into the Battlefield 3 Alpha (not quite sure how I pulled that off) and due to the NDA, I can't say too much. Not sure what I can reveal. Never played an alpha before. They let you fill out a survey and the build obviously has bugs... since it's an alpha build after all. One element I really seem to enjoy about Battlefield is that even when you are not having a great game, you still seem to have fun. You might have a pretty bad K/D ratio but can still have a blast. BC2 still stands out as an exceptional shooter when walls blow out around you and tank shells collapse buildings on top of you. Just amazing. Anyways, I can't say much about the alpha but prone is back in the battlefield series and it is welcomed back with open, loving arms. Also, I went out and pre-ordered Battlefield 3 from my local Gamestop along with Skyrim and Diablo 3 (now that the beta and eventual release is finally here) so take that as my alpha feedback.

Also, I saw this score for Deus Ex and thought it would be my gaming impulse purchase (ignore my recent Steam summer sale purchases *cough*). I'm definitely enjoying more of the game the more I see and the gold art style is kind of cool. Anyways, I preorded on Steam so we'll see what it's like... the first one is a classic, the second one was alright. We'll see how the third turns out.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/07/29/deus-ex-human-revolution-review-scores-94-and-an-editors-choice-award-in-pc-gamer/

Bastion Demo

For those with 360s at your disposal, I can't recommend trying the demo for Bastion enough.  I can't necessarily recommend buying the game, since I'm not even sure its right for me yet, but I can sincerely say that everyone who can, should play the demo.

Bastion is a blend of old school RPG, mixed with a sort of contemporary action oriented combat.  Set in a 45 degree view, grid like layout, the player will navigate the world, all while seemingly create it.  The world seems to be falling apart at the hinges, but is also reconstructing itself all the while.  I'm not a huge RPG guy, so this one would probably be a bit of a stretch for me, but the gameplay wasn't really what drew me in.

Bastion uses narration in a really interesting way, at least in what I've seen so far.  Narration seems to drive the story forward most of the time, at least in a traditional storytelling way.  If the narrator says something, it happens.  In Bastion, the narrator responds to the player, describing in real time, what he is currently doing, in the past tense... almost.  Although it's a pretty simple concept, it really does a tremendous job of drawing the player into the narration almost forcing them to actively listen.  I found myself trying to anticipate what the narrator was going to say, but was usually caught off guard by him.  He seems to know what's going to happen before it happens, and the smug delivery of the dialogue even sells this home more.

It's just such an intriguing concept to me, that the gameplay, the parts the player is solely responsible for, is what drives the story.  This is a method that active participant media can employ that traditional storytelling mediums (Film, books, etc.) just can't - without putting the power of progress into the participant's hand, the story will always be driven by the author, in the exact way that the author intended it to be.  Games grant a unique level of involvement, and as a result, a higher possibility of immersion.

  If there is a case to be made as "Games as Art", this element needs to be a part of the discussion.  Games copying styles from other mediums isn't going to be what convinces the naysayers and storytelling elitists of the world otherwise.

Anyway you would like to look at it, give the demo for Bastion a try.  I think you'll enjoy the few minutes you play, even if you know it isn't going to be for you in the long run.  And while you're there, check out "From Dust".  That one is looking good as well.

Halo: CE Anniversary deal

I came across this deal, and I'm ready to jump on it, but I can't get it to work. I just thought I'd post it up here to see if anyone else can actually get the promo code to work. It could be expired, but I'd like someone else to try it to see if it works.

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/55646/newegg-halo-combat-evolved-anniversary-xbox-360-preorder

Ganon Not in Skyward Sword

Story here.

It just struck me to post this here because Amateria told me long ago that the best Zelda's have Ganon in them.

I've only ever fully played Ocarina and Wind Waker, both of which I loved, and they both had Ganon.

Thoughts?

Limbo

I've long been a critic of this game. Not so much that it's in any way a bad game, but I didn't think it deserved to be called "ART". Just because it's 2D and has a very unique look to it doesn't make it art. It makes it a sidescrolling physics based puzzle game with a unique look. Basically, I'm tired, as a gamer, as seeing any different looking game heralded as art.

Below isn't a review, but some thoughts and obvious comparisons to Braid may pop up.

Limbo finally made it's way to the PSN and I didn't hesitate to pick it up. The art direction and audio are by far the two most appealing things to me. I found myself overly in love with the 2 tone landscape. It was incredibly more compelling and interesting than the colorful backdrops of Braid. Granted, Braid is a gorgeous pornography of color, but in terms of putting me into a mindset and and mood, Limbo wins hands down.

The audio was fantastic. I went total gay on the minimalist approach to everything, but the absolute overcompensation for when there was something going on. Whether it was a spider walking, a saw blade, an elevator, a ball rolling or a fly it was all very "in your face" and I loved it.

The puzzles were fun, overall, but I found them to actual hinder my enjoyment of the game. I know that sounds weird to say about a puzzle game, but I guess it sucked me out of the world even though they are such a large part of it. I guess I just wanted to hang out in the world and not be bothered. I wanted to experience it without the hindrance of puzzles. I just wanted to explore.

I was a giant fan of the larger puzzles like pulling a switch and the entire world spins. I went apeshit in one section after hitting a switch and seeing the entire backdrop shift. In such a small game with such a small scope it gave the world a huge mass in my mind. I kept thinking that this place is gigantic!

Bottom line is that I really loved the game. I really liked Braid a lot, but consider my time with Limbo to have struck me on a much more personal and memorable, even terrifying, level.

Is Limbo art? I don't know and I don't really care because it's an awesome game.

Also, the soundtrack is astounding. I found a free zip file download of it yesterday that the game maker released because there's no official release.

Trailer

Did anyone see the trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man? I was a little confused.....I thought I was watching Mirror's Edge!

This blog is dead.

Juniper and I are starting our own site.

That is all.

F.E.A.R.

As a couple of you know I've been in a gaming slump for a bit. I don't like it and I wish I could get out of it.

I have many games to play and at least 4 new ones and I just don't care about any of them at the moment. I'm bored. I'm tired of the same old methods and formulas. I know the tricks and games styles and I want a shake up. I have 5 different games right now that are sitting unfinished. Not because they're bad games, but because I'm bored to death with them.

Brjahu even sent me Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and I can barely bring myself to play it. It's the EXACT same as the others. That wouldn't be so damn bad if the games had a larger space between releases, but it feels like the series isn't growing at all. It's been CoDied.

A little over two weeks ago, after the release of FEAR 3, I got a strong hankering to replay the original FEAR. In a way I was hoping that it would shake me out of my slump. I have beaten the SP on the 360 version four different times and I've always loved it. I haven't touched the game in well over 2 years now.

I'm about a quarter way through it and for a 5 year old game it still owns! I'd even go so far as to say it's easily better than any Triple A shooter that's come out this generation.

Allow me to explain myself. FEAR isn't a wide open sprawling game. It's not a shooter of epic proportions with you pitted against the world or an alien invasion. It doesn't even have a huge orchestral score. What it does have is phenomenal gun play, the best AI I've ever seen, excellent maps, amazingly paced tension, exploration and unnerving terror!

The game pits you with finding and killing a mind psychic named Paxton Fettel. Fettel has gained control of a psychic army and it's up to you to stop him. Along the way you keep running into a little girl that's always watching and haunting you. And the flashbacks....or are they visions??? "What's the first thing you remember? (cue creepy scream thing)"

My wife was taking a bath the other day when I came upon a vision/flashback. You're at the end of a long dark hallway that is tiled in dark blue. There's a hospital gurney with blood on it against the left wall. At the end of the hall is a double door, with windows you can see through, with someone's back to it. They are hunched over and working at something. You hear a woman scream and the sound of....something....human??? Lori yelled to me if my son was crying, he was asleep upstairs, to which I replied that it was just my "creepy ass game" and she said "yeah....that's messed up."

The game is truly astonishing as an entire package. What could've easily been a cliched story turns into a sordid nightmare that actually manages to be both immensely sad and revolting at the same time.

While I know the game has a large following I'm pretty sure that none of you have played it and it's a disservice to yourself if you don't. If you're tired of the same old thing all the time give this game a rental or purchase or goozex trade.

I must sadly admit that the PS3 version is not as good as the 360 with inferior graphics and longer load times, but it's still amazing on the PS3 nonetheless.

If you don't take my word for it read this amazing article by one of my favorite Gamesradar editors, David Houghton. He basically says everything I say, but with pretty screenshots and the stellar opening cinematic.

And this is why I don't play Pokemon

The demographic just isn't there.

Also, nice splurging on prizes for the champions, Nintendo! A cheap medal and a 3DS!!!!

Hollow and Empty...

This guy at gizmodo nails how I feel about controllers these days. (Also, not too bad a deal...)


EDIT: The link was dead, and I couldn't get it to direct correctly.  Here is the chunk of text I was trying to highlight, written by Chris Biedelman of Gizmodo.


"...I think the PS3 controller sucks. It's a terribly skinny girl with no curves or life to it. When I hold it, it feels hollow and empty. I feel hollow and empty.  


On the other hand, I think the Xbox 360 controller is the best controller that has ever graced the hands of man. Solid weight, perfect cushion and curves to grip on to and a delicious button layout. We came a long way! The original NES controller had corners that were borderline weapons. The SNES though? Oh, boy. Them curves? The shape? The perfect hand cuppage? It was the best controller of its era. "


Anyone else concur? I do.

Earth Defense Force

You guys ever heard of these games? I remember reading about the last one, EDF 2017, and that it was a massively underrated amazingly fun B Rated good time and this one appears to do the exact same thing, but with a stronger release in the US.

The reviewer is hilarious in breaking down that the game basically boils down shooters to all that makes them fun without all the needless pretentious bullshit like story and graphical fidelity.

Just endless waves of hundreds of bugs in a city. $40 bucks brand new so I'm game if anyone else is!!!!

Pooping on Crysis 2 Supersoldier Difficulty

So I recently sat down to fully finish Crysis 2 on the hardest setting and, after finishing, found myself questioning the game and my tactics within it. Figured I'd bounce it off you guys.

I know I did a review on the game a while back, but to sum it up, I like the game a lot. It's not a perfect game, but it's a lot of sandbox goodness and the suit works well in making you actually feel like a badass. Sorry Chief, but no dice to the Mark suits of old. The Nano Suit is the shit.

On to my observation.

The game on Supersoldier doesn't screw around. If you aren't careful with balancing suit powers and using cover you'll be mowed down incredibly fast. You also have to understand how the suit works on a deeper level like knowing how many shots you can get away with while invisible before you quickly kill the suit power. When the switch powers to optimize the life of the suit. And always watching the suit levels to monitor how much farther you can go cloaked or how much more damage you can soak up before dying.

I decided, since the game will let you play however you want, that going stealthy as much as possible would most easily lead to my success. So I set out to beat the game by killing as few enemies as I could. Since death comes so easily if you're clumsy I didn't want the frustration and, in a sense, I wanted to test the game to see just how little killing I could get away with. Turns out you can get away with a lot of "not killing."

Beating the game on Supersoldier was fun and certainly tests patience and timing more than talent in killing, but it wasn't overly hard. Sure there are several battles in the game where you fight Pingers and normal enemies at once and they are very difficult (and again test your knowledge of how the Pingers work, too), but overall the game wasn't too hard because of the suit. My management of the suit allowed ultimate success, but at the same time....I felt like I cheated.

My question to you is does it seem like cheating to use the suit as I did? Avoiding fights and killing stealthily? To take the hardest difficulty and instead of duking it out to turn it into a game of cat and mouse?

Should I commend the developers for allowing me the freedom or scold them for allowing me to take the easy way out? I think I lean towards commending them, but I guess after playing CoD SP so much on Veteran (and cutting myself nightly because of it) that it felt like I cheated.

I applaud my skill of the suit and the developers for giving me the chance to play how I want, but I guess it doesn't feel like a challenge unless I'm about ready to blow a gasket.

Uncharted 3 Beta Impressions

How does everyone else feel about this? I am enjoying the time I've spent, but still don't really feel blown away. I think I like UC2's multi because it was simple and caught me off guard with how fun it was. The powerplays are a fun and interesting addition, but they really hurt the overall balancing by making it too balanced.

The vocal quality sounds better, but so would 2 tin cans held together with string.

Game mods taken to a new level

I've never really given a second thought to all the PC game modding that is done. I'm not talking about modding In the terms of cheating, but more taking the game or game engine and tweaking it into some unique. I know that this type of modding led to games like Portal, which, if I'm not mistaken, came from a fan using Counter Strike and the Source engine. Even still, since I am not a true PC gamer I never have the ability to take advantage of these and so I usually don't care. However, today during my morning breakfast browsing I came across two mods that just blew me away. The one is a complete and massive overhaul of COD: MW. Being a bit of a Star Wars freak I have to admit that I was massively impressed. The second game is a graphical tweak of GTAIV. All I have to say about that one is a simple, WOW.

Anyway, give these a quick look and let me know what you think. Maybe this happens all the time and I just and late to the party. Regardless, call me impressed.

Galactic Warfare

GTAIV

Not my HITMAN!!!!

I've put off writing this for a couple weeks now, but I'm highly concerned for one of my favorite game series.

Hitman

I think I'm the only one on this blog that's played any of the games so I'll give you all a snippet of the game and how it plays.

Basically you're a clone assassin. You're raised to be totally ruthless and have zero care about anything, but the job. Agent 47 is a killer and he's the best. While this sounds extremely cliche the games pull it off very well. While 47 is totally ruthless he's very "likeable" in a Riddick antihero kind of way. His style and absolute dedication to his work make him someone that's very interesting to play and watch. I know I've told Amateria numerous times that there's nobody I'd rather have out to kill me than 47. He's scary as hell, but he's absolutely my favorite game character ever.

All of the previous 4 games have played similarly and that's why it's developed such a cult following. The game lets you play however the hell you want and rewards you for your work. I personally always went for "Silent Assassin" ratings at the end of each mission. That means no bodies were found, no alarms were sounded and you never blew your cover. You got in, did the mission and left. It's very difficult to pull off and requires total dedication to the game. You have to learn the entire level and read all the info you have on your target so you know their habits and what they look like. The game requires patience and it's attention to detail is staggering.

In one of my favorite missions ever I was tasked with killing an opera singer. I could have just hid in his closet and snuffed him out in his dressing room and left. Instead I hid in his closet and while he stepped out of his dressing room I swapped his prop gun with a real one. His costar shot and killed him on stage. Then I blew up the supports of a giant chandelier to kill the opera singer's gay lover. It was awesome. Please keep in mind that I had to put in a lot of work to get to the dressing room unnoticed. Where are you going to get an outfit that doesn't raise suspicion? Where are you going to get the real gun? How the hell do you get there?

Ever since the second Hitman game I've fallen in love with 47. Not just his particular brand and style, but also because the developers really seem to have a dedication to the kill themselves. Do it how you want and be as creative as you want.

I'm writing this post because I'm very afraid that with the newly announced "Hitman: Absolution" they are going to kill my beloved 47. Here's the announcement trailer and to be fair I think it's awesome.

47 killing dudes and if you're a fan of the series you'll see many many hints at what the game will be like. Also, if you're an astute fan you'll realize who the woman in the shower is.

While the trailer is cool it shows the exact opposite of how the games have been built. All out action and hand to hand combat. The trailer shows what looks to be "improvisation killing" (my term) like drowning people or pulling cords out of walls to strangle people. Using what you can find his has always been the case with Hitman, but THIS IS NOT MY 47! This is too actiony! This is too SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION!

The old games let you use anything you could find. Kitchen knives were actually my favorite weapon. With all the tools I had to kill I preferred finding a kitchen and using a butcher knife. I know that sounds sick, but it was my modus operandi. I got that into these games.

I saw some gameplay footage come out of E3 which is even more disturbing. It seriously looks like the new Splinter Cell being played with an Agent 47 skin overlayed onto Sam Fisher. Hell it even looks like Batman: Arkham Asylum! Seriously, here's the gameplay footage.

I've read reports that the new imposter 47 is going to have an "Instinct Mode" not at all unlike Batman's Detective Mode where he can see guards and even the paths that they walk! Unreal!

Compare the new videos I showed you with an old trailer for Hitman: Blood Money. Sure there's a little shooting, but the trailer shows tons more about who 47 is and is a much stronger trailer in my opinion.

I guess I'm just an old school gamer who likes a challenge that's worried about one of my favorite series going down the drain with Sam Fisher.

Two other sad notes. The new game WILL NOT use either my boy Jesper Kyd for music OR the original voice actor, David Bateson.

Is no series immune to this?

Music in gaming

I've always really enjoyed hearing a quality piece of music in a game. However, I often don't even realize how good a soundtrack is when I'm playing a game, though, due to all the sound effects and dialogue drowning out the music. I remember playing through Castlevania: LoS and enjoying the music but not thinking it was that great. Well, it turns out that the soundtrack for that game won "Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media" from the International Film Music Critics Association for 2010. Good one. That'll teach me to listen more carefully, I guess. I've been listening to the soundtrack on YouTube and I have to say it's pretty awesome. Here is my favorite piece from the game, along with a handful of my favorite songs/themes from games from my childhood and from more recently.

Belmont's Theme - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Mega Man 2: Dr. Wily Stage 1 - kind of a "Let's go!" vibe

Contra 3: The Alien Wars final bosses - you against the world

Final Fantasy VI Magitek factory - industrial and wacky at the same time. Unique.

Super Castlevania IV trifecta of bosses before Dracula

Halo 3 intro to the Ark stage

Gears of War 2: Armored Prayer - plays during the head honcho's speech to all the Gears as they're mobilizing to attack the Locust on their own turf. Awesome.



I'd like to know of anyone else's favorite game music. It can be from old school games, or current ones. Whatever. Post it up, I want to hear some good stuff.

Admittedly, I'm a bit of a Valve fanboy, but it's hard to bash on free games!  Team Fortress 2 is not free to play through Steam.  Anyone with a Steam account should be downloading this right now if they don't already have it, and anyone without a Steam account should set one up.  I'm looking forward to this.  I even downloaded a custom driver for my Mac to run my wireless 360 controllers with, so I don't even need to give up my comfy console controller (even if it is superior to the elite PC controls that make my wrists hurt)

I am looking forward to this massively large download finishing though.  I've always wanted to play TF2 with the PC community, since the Live players don't seem to understand cooperation.  Hey 3N3MY, maybe we'll finally win a game!

Also, if you haven't seen the latest update to Valve's incredibly impressive character videos, Meet the Medic is now up.  If you haven't seen the other "Meet the Team" videos, do so.  Well worth your time. 

Best analysis of the gaming industry I've ever read.

Stumbled across this article on accident and couldn't stop reading.

This guy doesn't sugar coat it!

We're goin' mobile!

This blog is now enabled for mobile phones. Nothing has changed specifically, but viewing the site on a mobile phone works much better now.

I tried using a few different apps to make it easier to view, but this has been my favorite so far. I'm posting this through the Blogger app, but Android users who create a shortcut after bookmarking the website should get the same effect if they don't want or like the app.

The future, is now!

How's bout some more Wii U venom?

Wii U may possibly only allow 1 controller per system and they can't play DVDs or Blu-Rays.

Are they trying to lose it for themselves? I know that splitscreen isn't what it used to be, but the idea of a one controller system boggles my mind.

I can understand no Blu-Ray support, but not even DVD? The PS3 and 360 have been marketed, successfully so, as multimedia machines. They've tried to build an all-in-one machine of entertainment and it's worked really well because my PS3 does everything I want and need it to.

Does this make sense to anyone else? Does anyone even use stand alone DVD players anymore?

Starhawk

Starhawk is different from Warhawk. Warhawk is primarily a flying multiplayer game released several years ago for the PS3.

Starhawk is a 3rd person shooter with elements of Warhawk built in. To me, the game looks like a more front lines version of the old school RTS. Build buildings and bunkers and bases and destroy your enemy, but in this you are on the ground fighting.

You can run around on foot, in vehicles and even control Mechs that can, on-the-fly, turn into airplanes.

This is a video taken just over a month ago of 8 vs 8 CTF of Artists vs Designers and it looks like a TON of fun.

I don't know why, but it gives me the original HALO Blood Gultch vibe and that's never a bad thing.

Good news for PS3, bad news for WiiU

PS Vita to PS3 Connectivity Was Driven by Developers, Could Mean Wii U Style Experiences for Sony's Console - Kotaku

I know this seems like we are just all beating down Nintendo on something that we don't really know anything about, but truthfully it is just because it gives us something good to finally discuss. Something that we all have an opinion on.

Anyway, this article could spell bad news for Nintendo's new, "revolutionary," and "unique" controller. Yes, there may be a couple of specific features that it maybe cannot duplicate, but you know full well that since Nintendo has let the cat out of the bag about this controller, Sony will definitely put some resources into this connectivity. Yes, it will obviously mean you have to purchase an additional system, but Nintendo has yet (as far as I've read) stated that this new controller is even included with the system. For all we know, it might be an additional purchase.

Still, thought this was a very interesting read and I especially knew that 3N3MY would enjoy it.

Keep an eye on this one.

I read about this game, "Payday: The Heist" just a couple weeks ago and here's some footage of it.

It's a PS3 exclusive and it's basically a 4 player co-op game where you're bank robbers doing your thing. Complete with endless replayability and randomization.

Sounds very L4D and that's okay with me. When I read about it a couple weeks ago I'm pretty sure I remember it's supposed to be only $40 bucks.

Check out those videos and leave your thoughts, but it looks great to me!

Ho....ly....Crap....

13 minutes of gameplay for Skyrim with commentary by one of my heroes, Todd Howard.

My excitement has gone from 8.7 to 14.5 on a 10 point scale!

Wii U, Pii U and WTF?!

Here's a breakdown of the Nintendo conference.

What are your thoughts on the new Nintendo machine? I was really pretty excited to see what they would bring out and they showed an HD Wii that plays the games my PS3 does as well.

I was watching the Live Blog on Kotaku and when they typed it was called "Wii U" I was waiting for the punchline because that's the worst name I've ever heard. Virtual Boy is better than Wii U! Game and Watch is a better name! Wii U?!

Admittedly, it looks like it can do some neat things, but those neat things can't possibly translate into a core game that's multiplatform! Get ready for inventory screens!!!

Also, who cares that I can play the game with the screen on the controller? I'm a grown man and can use my TV when I want to.

I also can't see that controller being comfortable....at all. It took some getting used to when switching from the ergonomic 360 controller to the PS3 DS, but I love that controller now. The Wii U remote looks like the original Xbox controller and an iPad had a baby. If there's one thing the Dreamcast controller taught me it's that the sides of the controller that you hold should not be parallel. They need to be angled to avoid wrist pain.

Game journalists are already jizzing their pants and it's cool that it'll be supported by major 3rd party publishers with new games, but besides Nintendo exclusives there's still no reason to own this thing.

Reading that the next Super Smash Bros will work with 3DS and the Wii U compatibly in play goes to show that Nintendo won't push the graphics any further than they are....except they'll be in HD.

Too little, too late and still, from Nintendo's angle, too casual. The only core games you'll be getting are from 3rd party publishers.

Who's ready for more Mario Kart?

Sony NGP/PSVITA

Anyone excited? I was looking at it with interest, but wasn't slightly considering a purchase because I figured the price would be through the roof for all it offered.

As it turns out it's the same price as a 3DS and has significantly more to offer.

This could turn up on the Christmas Wish List.

I want this....don't judge.

I've been keeping my eye on the PSMove since it launched and now I want it. I know that goes against most everything a lot of us believe on this blog, but I remember back to when the Nintendo Revolution (Wii) was announced.

They promised a new way to play shooters without a controller. You could aim more like a real gun. It was going to revolutionize gaming. I was very excited.

Once the system launched and I played Call of Duty 3 on it, I realized it was a lie, but Nintendo did pave the way for a motion controller that could actually work. On a system that could power HD games that I would actually want to play.

At Sony's E3 Conference last night they brought up this. I'm excited about it and I'm preordering that bitch.

If I bought the camera, wand, nav controller, sharpshooter and the game it would be over 210 bucks. This bundle is a marketing push by Sony to get guys like me that have been on the fence to come and play.

It's working.

Mass Effect 3 With Kinect

As a sales representative of many things video games, a common question asked is when the good stuff is coming out for Kinect.  Microsoft brought it to the table this year at E3 - Star Wars finally coming out (finally arriving is the important thing, not the quality),  Kinect Fun Labs (which is essentially all the fun from Kinect Hacks in a playable format), a couple of other more intense titles (as if Dance Central wasn't intense enough...) and most importantly, Kinect implementation into Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect's primary strong hand is the immersive storytelling.  Although there are a few different perspectives to this idea, it is generally accepted that investing more into your character and choices leaves you feeling more effected, both positively and negatively, by your game.  Having the opportunity to make that immersion a little bit more like a conversation is a pretty cool step in the right direction. Have a look...

Ok, so it isn't quite as immersive than having a direct interaction with another live person, but it is a really great use of the tech.  Originally, I conceived that this technology would make the game seem more like a conversation... The kinect would use the ability to listen to you and see your face to determine any variety of things - lying, fibbing, confidence, anger, etc...  A lot of that is well beyond the grasp of maximum technical limitations, and I have a feeling that if the AI ever got that sophisticated we would probably be more worried about a Robot uprising, but it's still fun to dream.

In any case, I think Microsoft's showing at E3 this year really deserves some strong marks.  Kinect may not be the gamer's choice of platform, but that sort of immersion always needs mention.  I don't have a Kinect and really wasn't planning on ever getting one, but if titles like Mass Effect believe that the experience can be enhanced, then I'll definitely be taking it a little more seriously. 

Prey 2

I had to post this trailer.

I think I'm the only one here that played Prey and I loved it. It didn't live up to it's potential, but it was a hell of a good time!

The gameplay between Prey and Prey 2 is drastically different, but I greatly appreciate the subtle continuity in world and setting.

In the first Prey there's a section where you ride an elevator to another floor on a spaceship and you look out and there's a giant airliner crashing into the ship. Prey 2 starts on the airliner!

You're a US Marshall that basically ends up living on an alien world and you take up residence and a profession as a bounty hunter. The game is supposed to have parkour (Mirrors Edge) elements to it and is supposed to be somewhat open world.

Consider me pumped!

L.A.Noire Review

I finished up the game a couple nights ago and after dwelling on it some, here are my final thoughts. I'm going to restate some of the stuff I already wrote in my impressions just to get it all in one spot. Final play time was 18 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds. That includes all story missions and 20/40 side missions.

You play as Cole Phelps, WWII hero from the Pacific, husband and father. You start out your career with the LAPD as a Patrol Officer, then move on to Traffic, then Homicide, followed by Ad Vice and finally Arson.

THE GOOD

-Sound, sound effects, and music. They really did a great job with the sound design. Sirens wailing in tunnels, echoing sounds spot on. Voices sound different in alleys and museums. Footsteps echo cleanly on the marble floors of the Hall of Records. Gunshots are appropriately loud and accurate. Shotguns are noticeably "boomier" than handguns. BARs sound like BARs. The music is well-composed and varied, with the typical trumpet and piano solos aplenty complemented by more punchy stuff for the action scenes.

-Motion scan. The technique results in the most accurate facial "animations" in video game history. There's more detail in the faces than I've ever seen and they just look more "real."

-Interrogations. You gather all the clues you can find and then grill your witnesses to try to get some more answers. You ask them a question and then, judging from their answer, decide whether they are telling the truth, whether they're hiding something, or whether they're flat-out lying. If you do accuse them of lying, you have to have hard evidence to prove it or else they'll clam up and make the rest of your case more difficult. It's fun but it's not really a perfect system. I feel like sometimes when I chose "doubt" he would just go a little too far with his accusation/come on a little too strong. It was like he and his partner were doing "good cop/bad cop".....without the "good cop" part.

-The city of Los Angeles. It's recreated pretty darn well here. It's only a portion of the city, but it's still a pretty huge section of land to play around in. You can drive from one end to the other with no loads or anything, either. Pretty neat. Your cases will take you to wide variety of locales, too. One that comes to mind right away is the set of the famous film "Intolerance." Also, the Tar Pits, Griffith Park, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and the "Hollywoodland" sign is ever-present in the background.

-Voice acting. I found it to be pretty solid throughout. There was ONE character that bothered me. I didn't think it would be too big of a deal, but he ended up playing a larger role than I thought he would. He just has one of those fake southern accents that sounds vaguely like a British accent mixed with a Cajun one. I'm pretty sure nobody ever talked like that and it's just a Hollywood creation. A really annoying one, too.


THE BAD

-The controls. Number one on the "bad" list MUST be the controls. I've harped on it enough, but here it is again: the controls in Rockstar's games SUCK. While on foot, it feels like you're trying to steer around an elephant on a skateboard. It's terrible. There is no reason why I should have to hold or tap one of the face buttons to get my character to move around faster or slower. A simple tilt of the joystick is all it should take. Move it a little bit to walk, full tilt to run. I haven't read any other reviews of the game so I don't know if this is an issue to other gamers. I would hope so.

On another note, the cover system and the shooting mechanics are also absolute garbage. For whatever reason, they decided to make L2 aim and R2 shoot. Anyone who plays a lot of PS3 will tell you this is highly unusual for a shooter on the platform. Also, R1 gets you into cover. Much like RDR, I'm STILL not even sure how to get out of cover. Do I press R1 again? Just pull the stick away from cover? Push "circle?" Aiming is very sluggish again. Combined with the already- mentioned terrible movement system, getting into firefights in this game is your worst nightmare. Try moving quickly from cover to cover and see how that works out. You'll be riddled with bullets from a Tommy gun before you can say, "The controls in this game suck golf balls through a garden hose."

-The vaseline filter. This one is pretty minor, but it bugged me nonetheless. You'll often see flashbacks of Cole and his platoon in the Pacific and it looks like they smeared vaseline all over the camera. I get that it's a flashback, but couldn't they just use a grey filter or something?

-The "Law and Order" effect. By that I simply mean that we spend a lot of time with our main character, but we know almost nothing about him. We know he was in the war and has a wife and a kid (maybe 2? See, I don't even know) and that he is very dutiful. I'm calling this the "Law and Order" effect because I feel like that TV show, much like this game, is well-written and pretty engaging for the most part, but we know very little about the detectives in the show. ALL the focus is just on the cases and one case is not related to another, just like this game. Maybe if anybody watches that show they can correct me, but I think I'm pretty accurate with this.

-Dangling thread. There was one MAJOR plot point left dangling and it really irks me. You do a lot of work to nail a certain criminal, but once you do, it's revealed that he is "related to somebody high up in the government," so the truth has to be kept under wraps. At the time, I thought, "Oh, this is kinda cool. Certainly it's going to tie into some massive conspiracy at a later point in the game." Nope and nope. What a disappointment.

-The story. I guess this is really the biggest fail for me. I thought they did a great job setting everything up. The first half of the game is essentially a warm up, but once you get to the Vice desk, you get cases that involve drug trafficking, real estate fraud, corruption in the government and everything is slowly revealed to be related somehow and I think it all worked really, really well. Then at the end you just end up having to go through a couple of huge firefights (terrible, of course, due to the controls). In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I'll just say that there's a silly "reveal" and much of the work you did in the second half of the game is rendered pretty much useless. It was such a let-down for me. I mean, I know sometimes things don't always work out exactly right, especially in the "Noir" genre. I think this is a huge difference between games and movies, though. If I had seen this as a 2 hour movie, I might have enjoyed it. But I sunk almost 19 hours into this thing and that's the ending they give me? I put a lot of work into this game rather than just "passively" watching a film. I wanted better. I feel like I deserved better. Am I wrong in thinking this?

FINAL THOUGHTS

The motion scan is obviously a cutting-edge new technology that adds more "realism" to the game and I hope it gets implemented into other games more in the future. The cast looked great and sounded great. Driving around 1947 L.A. was pretty cool. However, I find it pretty difficult to even recommend due to the immensely frustrating controls and how the story builds up so nicely only to come crashing down in a heap of ashy mortar and green lumber.