tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32651517579375580402023-11-16T05:36:18.512-05:00'Nuff Reviews and NewsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-81794791503899649242013-01-19T02:09:00.000-05:002013-01-19T02:09:04.986-05:00Far Cry 3: Character Progression and Pacing Done Right<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When it comes to games, impulse buys are few and far between for me. Usually I follow games that pop up on my radar from announcement to release date. Trying to gain as much knowledge as possible about a title before picking it up, just to make sure I'm not throwing 60 dollars down the toilet. I think anyone invested in the medium of video games can sympathize with the pain of waiting for a game for 6 months to a year only to be truly disappointed with the final product for any number of reasons. Far Cry 3 was just the opposite for me. While it was something I was intrigued by it never really grasped my attention till the final moments before it's release. Somewhat reluctantly I picked it up on release day and can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am beyond satisfied with my purchase. Though it came out at the tail end of the year I would gladly name this as my 2012 Game of the Year.<br />
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Here are just a few reasons why.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Motivation of Feeling Powerless</span></b><br />
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At the outset of Far Cry 3 you're essentially a mild mannered every-man. A twenty-something without a care in the world on vacation with a some close friends and a few members of your family. In an instant your fun becomes fear. The familiar party of characters you're traveling with is ripped away from you by a group of human-trafficking-rebels inhabiting the small pair of islands you've been brought to and there is seemingly nothing you can do about it.<br />
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After the intro cut-scene you wake up in a cage, tied up, and staring at your older brother. An odd feeling of powerlessness slips over you as one of the games antagonists belittles you with insults and tells you what lies in your future. Vaas, the aforementioned antagonist, is one of the best voiced characters I've ever encountered in my 20 years of gaming. He also happens incredibly animated. But, more importantly, his confidence and the conviction in his words really drives home the idea that there isn't anything you can do to stop him. He's insane; He knows it, he wants you to know it, and at this point you're pretty sure of it.<br />
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That powerlessness is something we see a lot in games but this is one of the first times that I personally have actually felt it. It's an incredible, albeit cliched, motivator. The way it's presented in Far Cry 3 is second to none and a feeling you'll carry through much of the early game.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Realization of Potential</b></span><br />
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Shortly after your great escape you're brought to one of the main towns on one of the islands and given a gun with a handful of bullets. The relief of just having a weapon brings back some semblance of power and now the island is essentially yours to explore. You quickly realize that, for now, you're relegated to carrying only one gun. Your Gaming Instinct kicks in and you ask yourself "How do I carry more guns?" Well, my foraging friend, you've gotta go hunt! The island is inhabited by a few dozen types of animals that aren't just for atmosphere. Finding, killing, and skinning animals is one of the keys to becoming more powerful. It allows you to upgrade all kinds of stuff from the amount of grenades you can carry to expanding your on-person inventory.<br />
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<a href="http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/far-cry-3/thumb/9/93/FarCry3.png/468px-FarCry3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/far-cry-3/thumb/9/93/FarCry3.png/468px-FarCry3.png" width="400" /></a> While initially most of the island isn't "safe" to wander around just yet, you're free to upgrade almost every facet of your inventory right from the get go. I had almost all my inventory upgrades before I was even a quarter through the game. Where most games have you unlock these kind of things sequentially Far Cry allows you to work at your own pace. Do you want to upgrade almost everything now? Go ahead! Want to wait till the upgrade seems more necessary? Feel free to wait! This freedom lets you control some of the pacing of the game and can have a large effect on how you deal with enemies.<br />
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This again is a mechanic that a lot of games have had in the past. Far Cry tinkers with the idea and lets you decide when the time is right.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Monster You Will Become</b></span><br />
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Slaughtering faceless minions is a staple in games and you'll do your fair share of it here. But, very few of those games make you feel the implications of the bloodbath you bestow on whatever given world you've entered. While Far Cry really only touches on it in dialogue, it's a nice change of pace. Your friends start to worry about your sudden violent turn, addressing the fact that you've turned into someone else.Someone so far from who you were at the start of this adventure. It's a slight nuance that I wish more games would introduce.<br />
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In game like Skyrim for example, you could assassinate an entire town without much need to worry aside from having to pay a bounty. After you've payed your fine no one is any more fearful of you than before. There's no real meaning behind those actions. Admittedly, Skyrim is an incredible game in it's own right. But something even that subtle could make it a much deeper and meanigful experience.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Payoff</b></span><br />
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By the end of your time with Far Cry you'll be powerful and smart enough to dispatch large groups of minions with out much trouble. You'll learn to stalk your prey and pick and choose how to encounter different situations. You'll find hidden temples and caves. You'll hang glide over mountains and take out a few of the most fully realized villains in modern gaming. Rarely have I been so impressed with every facet of a game. From the production value to the minute to minute gameplay Far Cry 3 is an incredible game that will give you exactly what you put into it.<br />
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There's so much more that I didn't get into here. I hope, if you haven't already, you go out and pick it up for yourself. It's a uniquely wild ride from beginning to end and well worth your money.<br />
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-Nuff out.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-85384363157095354822012-03-03T02:49:00.000-05:002012-03-03T02:49:06.823-05:00Why SSX is the only game with an online pass that I'm ok with.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mp1st.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ssx-1-600x364.jpg?e83a2c" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://mp1st.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ssx-1-600x364.jpg?e83a2c" width="320" /></a></div>Since the inception of console-based online gaming there have been many follies, foul-ups, and some would even say schemes. None however, have enraged me more than the trend of publishers requiring an online pass for a game. Being an Xbox 360 owner I already pay $50 yearly for my Xbox Live gold membership. There is no reason I should have to pay for an online pass to specifically play a game if I haven't bought it brand new. This becomes even more of a problem for me if you're not offering me something outside of what a normal multiplayer component in a game should offer out of the box. It's a growing trend that, until now, I hadn't seen any good in. Though I still disagree with this practice EA's reboot of SSX is the first time I've been okay with a publisher requiring an online pass. SSX's offerings go slightly above the norm in an, albeit, nontraditional way.<br />
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<a href="http://external.ak.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQAwKf6O65ooP8xo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FedItmLRisDc%2Fhqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://external.ak.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQAwKf6O65ooP8xo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FedItmLRisDc%2Fhqdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a>Most games with online play have you competing live with other players. You know how it goes, you enter a lobby, some twelve year old starts swearing at his mom, some guy with a huge ego starts talking trash to the rest of the lobby, and you end up either shutting them both up or getting spanked and raging out. SSX negates these things that are seemingly necessary features for an online title and instead makes the world your persistent lobby. While I'm sure people are talking trash, the lack of an actual lobby system makes sure you never have to hear it. That guy's score you just demolished doesn't get to rag on you at all. All he gets to do is stare at his now 2nd place score.<br />
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The whole "the world is the lobby" philosophy that the new SSX takes gives us a not often seen style of multiplayer. Instead of live matches you have, what SSX calls, Global Events. These events have a set time limit that I've seen vary from an hour to a whole week and everywhere in between. The events utilize all the tracks and event styles you see in the game's World Tour mode and Explore mode but add additional parameters to a given track. On top of all of that, you'll be competing for the fastest time or the highest score against <b>everyone else that owns the game and tries the event</b> for a prize pool of in-game money. Most times you'll see ghosts of other players who are also trying to covet a top spot. A few games have tried this idea before but I can't remember any that have executed it so well. I found myself playing and replaying events to see if I could squeeze out a few more points or shave off a few seconds to gain a spot in the top two brackets and net myself a good sum of money.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/screenshots/SSX/SSX_GamesCom_Explore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/screenshots/SSX/SSX_GamesCom_Explore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This type of multiplayer in someways is a call back to old arcade cabinets on a much larger scale and at a much faster rate. With thousands of people playing a given event the score or time for the top bracket can jump drastically in just one run down the mountain. I feel like this brings the community closer together in a different way with people trading tips and tricks instead of belittling each other. I've added and been added by more people because of SSX than any other game I've ever played. The message boards I've visited have been tight nit instead of being splintered into groups. SSX's community so far is an interesting phenomenon that I've found to stand out in the crowd.<br />
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EA really hit it out of the park with this reboot and it's almost solely because of the multiplayer. Here scores say more than your ego and talent says more than your trash talk. I do still disagree with the idea of the online pass at this point. But, if more games started giving more than the standard online offerings, like SSX does, then I'd much more okay with the idea. If you're looking for a unique twist on multiplayer I'd highly suggest you pick this up and shred with the world.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-31060955511534337862012-02-10T15:16:00.000-05:002012-02-10T15:16:22.039-05:00First Impressions: Kingdoms of Amalur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.gamingangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/02.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://cdn.gamingangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/02.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Upon playing the demo I quickly dismissed this game as a mash-up of WoW and Fable and nothing more. Upon booting up the full game and playing for a few hours I realized how wrong I was. Kingdoms of Amalur has the open-world play-it-your-way appeal of a lot of other western RPGs but also has the combat, storytelling, and world design to back it up.<br />
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I've played probably 5 hours of KoA and I can't get enough. The combat alone is enough to keep me coming back. It's much like the combat system in Fable. You can switch between melee, magic, and ranged combat at will. It just feels much better here than in Fable; It feels more stable and fluid. The spells are amazingly animated as is the rest of the combat. The one thing I do think the combat is lacking is a lock-on but really that's just nit picking.<br />
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I'll hopefully have a full review up sometime soon in the future.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-72945809371082353892012-01-27T21:58:00.001-05:002012-01-27T22:04:45.321-05:00First Impressions: Dead Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.princeofpersia3d.com/images/1d8d4c7a38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://www.princeofpersia3d.com/images/1d8d4c7a38.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I just picked up Dead Island today and am having a ton of fun romping through the zombie hordes. The game plays like a mixture between Left4Dead and Diablo. A first person dungeon(in this case "Island") crawler that mainly focuses on melee combat. The presentation of the game was the first thing that caught me. It has some pretty amazing visuals and really has that "Island Resort" feel to it. There is a quote towards the beginning of the game that sums up the design and feel of the world: "Who ever thought hell could look like paradise." The game really drives this sentiment home showing you some beautiful locales that have all been infested with the living dead.<br />
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There are two options for combat available "Digital" and "Analog" I chose to go with the latter. The difference between the two is pretty drastic. "Digital", Dead Islands default setting, allows you basically to wail away at enemies but lacks the precise aims and specific strikes of the "Analog" setting. You swing, only horizontally, withe the right trigger and the left trigger is used to aim before throwing your weapons it's as simple as that. <br />
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The "Analog" setting does have a bit of a learning curve but it is what I ultimately chose as the superior control scheme. The "Analog" setting has you holding the left trigger to get into a ready or combat stance before swinging. It's much like aiming down your scope in Call of Duty. After entering this stance you use the right stick to attack much like in any of the more recent Fight Night titles. Because headshots(even with melee weapons) can often result in a critical hit I found this control scheme to be much more useful. Dead Island also allows you to debilitate enemies by breaking their limbs. Again the "Analog" setting was much more precise in multi-zombie scenarios where I've needed to put some distance between me and the seething teeth of the infected trying to bite my face off.<br />
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So far it's been incredibly interesting and fun. I'll have the full review out soon and go much more in depth with the combat, RPG and online aspects, as well as the story.<br />
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Thanks for reading.<br />
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'Nuff out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-40613222535657318142012-01-14T14:35:00.002-05:002012-01-14T14:39:50.046-05:00Full Review: Metro 2033 <img height="203" id="il_fi" src="http://guidesmedia.ign.com/guides/image/article/107/1073466/metro2033_guide_1269470579.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="400" /><br />
Based on a cult classic Russian novel sharing the same name, Metro 2033 is an atmospheric supernatural shooter that is sure to test your mettle on more than one occasion. In a post-apocalyptic Russia thousands of survivors of a nuclear fallout now call the Metro subway system their home but even this extensive safe haven is slowly becoming a place of terror. The station of Exhibition is in danger of being invaded by mutants known only as the dark ones. Artyom, our protagonist and narrator, is tasked with saving this makeshift home. Artyom's journey will take him through some of the Metro's claustrophobic corridors and have him braving the now ravaged urban wilderness that exists outside.<br />
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Right from the outset of the game developer A4 let's us know we're in for a ride. Your home of Exhibition station is full of life. While there isn't much in terms of interaction here everything going on seems real. There's a group sitting by a fire listening to a man play guitar, soldiers and citizens sitting and chatting at a makeshift bar while the bartender wipes down the counter and serves drinks, and a handful of shops selling anything they can scavenge. You can't directly talk to most NPCs but if you stand around a group you'll certainly hear some horror stories about the remaining civilizations trials and tribulations. This is pretty much the case for most of the stations you'll come across though, each one does have a bit of it's own style.<br />
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Though Metro 2033 is a fairly linear game these stations give it a bit of an open-world feel and are a welcome reprieve from the terrors on the surface and in the tunnels. The only form of economy that still exists in the world of Metro 2033 is Ammo. All ammo is worth something but pristine military grade ammo is pretty much gold. It's in short supply and you'll have to do some searching to find any or convert some of your unneeded ammo at a currency booth in any of the stations. Each station also has a market though you can only interact with the weapons sellers and sometimes a medic. Most stations will have a unique set of weapons. Though you can't customize your weapons yourself you'll often come across a few variations of most weapons.<br />
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This is a game that not only rewards exploration of your surrounding area, but almost forces you to explore to survive.(in a good way). Scavenging ammo, health, and air canisters from bodies and your surroundings soon becomes second nature. A lot of games use this mechanic but few make it seem so necessary. Your ammo will constantly be in short supply and Metro 2033 forces you to be smart with your shots. This is where one of my only complaints with the game comes in. The lack of ammo forces you to try and conserve it but some of the enemies in the game are bullet sponges. You'll waste a few clips and feel like you've done no damage what-so-ever. Head shots on human enemies are one hit kills are are also incredibly satisfying when they're detected correctly. Luckily the bullet sponges only come up a few times in the game and the shooting mechanic works well 90% of the time.<br />
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All this action is broken up a few times with some nicely implemented stealth sections where shooting out lights is often the only way not to been seen and throwing knives are your best friend(they can be retrieved off of dead bodies). The A.I. Shines most in these sections. Once alerted to your presence they'll search around frantically for an intruder. When you whittle the group of guards down to just one or two the dialogue also whittles down. At first all the guards working together are confident and angry. Once the numbers start to drop you'll hear fear in the voices of those left. It's a small detail but definitely a nice touch.<br />
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Not all your time in Metro 2033 is spent underground you'll brave the post-apocalyptic wilderness on several occasions. The air outside is full of deadly fumes and chemicals so you'll be inclined to throw on your gas mask. This mechanic is really interesting and I'd like to see more games throw something like this at you. Your mask uses air filters which deplete overtime. You can check how much air you have left before you have to switch out the air canister which becomes your main priority when outside. Otherwise you're gonna suffocate. There were times in my play through where I had no filters left, my mask was almost out, and I just made it inside at the last second. The gas mask can also break during combat making you search for another more suitable replacement. This brings an unfamiliar tension to the game and makes some of the outside combat incredible. You'll be shooting if out with guards, looking for cover and ammo, and need to worry about your gas mask. All of this works together incredibly well.<br />
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All in all, Metro 2033 is a sleeper hit that I would highly recommend you pick up if you enjoy first-person shooters or survival horror games. Though it is a bit short your time spent with it is well worth it especially considering it's now older and most likely cheap. The atmosphere in Metro 2033 is really what makes the game. The aire of desperation and hopelessness seep out of every corridor. The tension builds with every new area you explore and the story is an awesome tale of the human will to live even in such catastrophic circumstances.<br />
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8.5/10Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-26762669428148260342011-06-24T21:48:00.001-04:002011-06-24T21:59:15.432-04:00Ausgamers Skyrim interview with Todd Howard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/On2h8bd_Sco/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/On2h8bd_Sco&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/On2h8bd_Sco&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
Here's one of the best interviews I've seen regarding Skyrim. The interviewer asks question's we actually want to know and seems like he's actually a gamer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-79743928038735706772011-06-21T10:41:00.001-04:002011-06-21T13:15:51.727-04:00Full Review:L.A. Noire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.vg247.com/current//2009/10/LA-Noire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://assets.vg247.com/current//2009/10/LA-Noire.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Smooth jazz plays over the radio, you're chatting it up with your new partner while driving to a fresh crime scene, the nightlife seems as lively as ever but, the city has never been deadlier. You arrive to a bloodied body and your only initial thought is how someone could kill something so beautiful, though, this one is no more or less tragic than the last. An excited new beat cop was the first on scene and gives you the rundown then let's you on your way to investigate the gruesome murder.<br />
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This is just a small example of the incredible atmosphere Team Bondi and Rockstar have created with L.A Noire. Tension builds with every crime scene and characters are fleshed out between and during investigations. Rockstar and Team Bondi manage to deliver an unparalleled narrative tale, all while recreating the look and feel of 1940's L.A to a T. After a bit of research into the topic I found out just how in depth the studios got when bringing the city back to life, while I won't go into detail here, I highly suggest you check it out for yourself if you have any interest in game design.<br />
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There are a few graphical hiccups and some frame rate issues but, L.A. Noire, for the most part looks great. Buildings, cars and, people are all tailored in true 1940's style. The real graphical star though is not the games backdrop, it's the facial animation. L.A. Noire's groundbreaking MotionScan technology allows the studio to capture a given actor's entire performance down the the smallest facial expression and will likely be seen as a new bar for in game performances. It's also a core part of L.A. Noire's interrogation mechanic which serves as the main gameplay device throughout the entire game. Watching a character's face while he spouts off lines during an action sequence is something I'm sure doesn't happen often but here it's almost impossible to not notice that even outside of interrogation the new MotionScan technology is a game changer.<br />
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Sadly, outside of the investigation and interrogation L.A. Noire's gameplay falls a bit flat and tends to get a bit repetitive. You'll grow accustomed to chasing down fleeing suspects, which is fun at first, but most of these chases(see:Most) fail to feel unique and they soon become more tedious than anything. One thing that did surprise me though is the amount of verticality in a lot of the chases, sometimes you'll get more of a Price of Persia feel than Grand Theft Auto. The gun-play feels pretty standard, it's third person cover based al a GTA, but without the ability to lock on. Rockstar and Team Bondi do a decent job of setting up some interesting shoot-outs, especially in the shorter more action oriented street crimes. These serve as a small relief from the main story and do a pretty decent job of giving the action craving audience their fix.<br />
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Though L.A. Noire is an open-world game there's really not much to do outside of the investigations and street crimes. It's kind of disappointing that after painstakingly recreating the city Team Bondi and Rockstar didn't give players much reason to really explore the world. There are some hidden cars and the landmarks to discover but none of these really change the game at all. The city more serves as a means to get from point A to point B than it does a living breathing character which is a real let-down considering the scope of the city. It takes about 20 minutes to get from one end to the other, but again there's really no reason to. Really, under its surface L.A. Noire is a glorified point and click adventure that happens to be polished to the max.<br />
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I don't want to give the wrong impression, L.A. Noire is an incredible game and is really one of the first games to truly successfully blur the line between movies and games(besides Heavy Rain). If this is was Team Bondi and Rockstar's goal, which i'm guessing it was, they've unabashedly succeeded. More often than most games you'll identify with characters and truly get a feel for each characters personality. Any fan of movies will easily get caught up in the well written plot and find themselves wanting to know what the big picture is.<br />
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L.A. Noire Succeeds in delivering an intriguing twisted story of corruption, greed, and murder. It's fully fleshed out world, while baron of activity, is a testament to game design. The in-game performances are unparalleled and I'm sure we'll see this technology popping up more and more in the industry. While it does lack a little outside of the investigations and interrogations, these new gameplay innovations bring enough of a fresh feeling that you'll be sure to play this from it's beginning to it's culminating end. I'm excited to see what Team Bondi and Rockstar can do with this new franchise and look forward to future entries in the series.<br />
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8.5/10Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-67557335112662879152011-06-20T05:40:00.001-04:002011-06-20T05:41:44.230-04:00Metro 2033So I did myself an unknown favor and picked this gem up yesterday, it does have a few minor issues but all in all I can't recommend this game enough. It's creepy claustrophobic atmosphere and narrative(apparently based on a cult classic Russian novel) are amazingly done. This might take on Earth Defense Force 2017 for my #1 Sleeper Hit for the Xbox 360 title.<br />
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If you like immersive story driven shooters I strongly urge urge you to pick this up, plus it has a sequel in the works for 2012!!!<br />
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Sorry for the slacking posts, i've been incredibly........lazy(Ibet you thought I was gonna say busy!)<br />
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Here's the trailer for the new game. I personally can't wait.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Su1djPuvDnw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-45862711468879701522011-06-08T17:44:00.001-04:002011-06-08T17:46:48.275-04:00E3 Day two(yesterday) NINTENDO!!!!So, yesterday was HUGE. Nintendo revealed the Wii U. Nintendo's first step into the HD arena is supported with an impressive list of first party titles as well as a long list of third party devs who are already developing titles for the Wii U. Graphically it's instantly apparent that Nintendo will finally be on the level with the Xbox 360 and Ps3(though for some reason their demo reel was a cut of PC/Wii U/PS3/360 footage), though it doesn't look like they'll be pushing any boundaries.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video Via <a href="http://www.ign.com/">Ign</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The new controller houses a 6.2 inch touch screen while the rest of the body of the controller looks like an amalgamation of the bottom of a 3DS and a Wiimote. The video above shows that you can be playing the same exact game on your T.V. and on the screen on your controller. I'm not fully sure how this is going to work yet but I can imagine it being pretty great having your own personal screen in any game that has 4-player co-op/split-screen such as Smash Bros. or New Super Mario.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A partially playable tech demo for a HD Zelda title also made an appearance showing the versatility of the touch screen as an items/map menu. This demo in particular had me and I'm sure a bunch of Nintendo fanboys drooling. Any gamer that legitimately has seen link through the ages has waited quite a long time to see the Hyrulian Hero rendered in HD and even this small glimpse gets me interested to see what Nintendo has in store for the franchise beyond Skyward Sword. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video via <a href="http://www.ign.com/">Ign</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of Nintendo's promises with the Wii U was that we were gonna see more third party developers and hardcore games for older gamers. So far we have a few titles thrown into the ring in development for the systems launch: Darksiders 2, Assasins Creed, Ghost Recon, and an exclusive Ninja Gaiden title as well as Tekken on a Nintendo console for the first time ever. I'm glad to see Nintendo finally got the message that while we love their first party titles we really craved third party support. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nintendo's focus on the Wii is slightly askew this year taking a back seat to the Wii U but we did get to see a trailer for a New Kirby game as well as a new trailer for Skyward sword(my inner fanboy freaked the hell out when i saw how epic it looked). While the Kirby game did look like it had it's share of puffy cute platforming it's hard to out do the latest Skyward Sword trailer. Graphically, it's easy to say this is the best looking Wii title to date and it certainly looks as epic as Zelda should be. I can't wait to get my hands on it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nintendo had a huge amount of new stuff to show us this year and it definitely has me excited. Let's hope the Wii U lives up to it's promise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-83513891469254029912011-06-06T18:22:00.000-04:002011-06-06T18:22:20.084-04:00E3: Battlefield 3Here's some great footage of battlefield 3. I really don't understand how people can be excited for the same year -in year-out game play from COD when this has been put on the table. Everything about it looks absolutely amazing.<br />
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="288" id="viddler_60a77192" width="437"><param name="movie" value="http://www.viddler.com/player/60a77192/" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.viddler.com/player/60a77192/" width="437" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" name="viddler_60a77192"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-69237520024994487362011-06-06T16:47:00.004-04:002011-06-06T16:48:50.072-04:00New Skyrim Gameplay Footage!!!This video showcases some of the key features in the upcoming epic adventure. We finally get to see some live action footage. Dual wielding, Dragon shouts and more!!!!<br />
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<div style="background-color: black; width: 520px;"><div style="padding: 4px;"><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" base="." flashvars="" height="288" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:moses:video:gametrailers.com:714851" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512"></embed><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 4px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Tags: <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/">GameTrailers.com</a>, <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-gameplay-walkthrough/714851">Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - E3 2011: Gameplay Walkthrough (Stream)</a>, <a href="http://pc.gametrailers.com/">PC Games</a>, <a href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/">PlayStation 3</a>, <a href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/">Xbox 360</a></div></div></div><br />
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via <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-elder-scrolls/714851">http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-elder-scrolls/714851</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-89831634322715441082011-06-06T16:47:00.001-04:002011-06-06T16:47:58.702-04:00New Skyrim Gameplay Footage!!!This video showcases some of the key features in the upcoming epic adventure. We finally get to see some live action footage. Dual wielding, Dragon shouts and more!!!!<br />
<a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-elder-scrolls/714851">http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-elder-scrolls/714851</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-51387582071276844682011-06-06T14:41:00.000-04:002011-06-06T14:41:49.252-04:00E3 Microsoft Update Day 1It's officially my favorite time of year, E3! Even in the little time E3 has been going on today we've gotten some great announcements.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Halo 4 looks to continue the fight in 2012. You'll apparently be back playing as the chief(somehow). I'm interested how well Microsoft and 343 studios will handle the franchise without Bungie for the first time.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQPjRiotcg7oQDejOH3L2NQ6Z6JCbsY9I3EKrO5SVs6AvQwfFX9Vdi2UcnmGisDKvp49P6QOaWAUj-VFKiHlSQKJx1-dp3z5vEGa4lh4p0xUrUyY39MRGdXVw5HRYukAulFkDSpC6/s1600/screen-shot-2011-06-06-at-10.58.59-am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQPjRiotcg7oQDejOH3L2NQ6Z6JCbsY9I3EKrO5SVs6AvQwfFX9Vdi2UcnmGisDKvp49P6QOaWAUj-VFKiHlSQKJx1-dp3z5vEGa4lh4p0xUrUyY39MRGdXVw5HRYukAulFkDSpC6/s320/screen-shot-2011-06-06-at-10.58.59-am.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Microsoft announced a ton of Kinect related titles including: Dance Central 2, a Disney themed adventure, as well as a kinect compatible version of Minecraft, and some others. The most important of these was Kinect Fun Labs, this is a trial of some of the major features Microsoft had promised us with the launch of the Kinect such as: Facial Recognition, Object scanning, and more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ14QhdXo_spu_hK3oZz56zL1LQKx6X7jPOLuUF_SmEl1y-EWuWeWo9sBM-fAq8d31M2-TUpl36C21oLYzet1zY5HOnTUXjSwbOyBfDBPVv88a3ytsk-YUfaIwHy8mOUDP52YS2dgd/s1600/xlarge_avatarscanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ14QhdXo_spu_hK3oZz56zL1LQKx6X7jPOLuUF_SmEl1y-EWuWeWo9sBM-fAq8d31M2-TUpl36C21oLYzet1zY5HOnTUXjSwbOyBfDBPVv88a3ytsk-YUfaIwHy8mOUDP52YS2dgd/s320/xlarge_avatarscanner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMVDlhc4s-BMhu4TXLy3iEzjjIh7qZez9eC_mtB95GznYjc0_dvpnnmno_mdpW14GibEO00e3nOsHr99K4mGSayPyGtYenhhAyUhd7twaRaaL_P-3b2TSniPrlIcjNu5UBcfogcG_/s1600/msft-e32011-live-0202_530x298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMVDlhc4s-BMhu4TXLy3iEzjjIh7qZez9eC_mtB95GznYjc0_dvpnnmno_mdpW14GibEO00e3nOsHr99K4mGSayPyGtYenhhAyUhd7twaRaaL_P-3b2TSniPrlIcjNu5UBcfogcG_/s320/msft-e32011-live-0202_530x298.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Microsoft also announced that Youtube is coming to Xbox 360, which I think was a long time coming. UFC fights will also now be available via Xbox Live.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvj-LuPPoUe20-Ow4O1FO0Gx71FaCp8ikJCi7V6FDzVNHtkptpjVaCViKmf0ajYPOFRLwJ-oHYMnI3jHGob75ZXm4fWR-T-2sP8mp069OyOl61v_W0j8ue30tCqGbd2xBthjQQlwKb/s1600/ufc66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvj-LuPPoUe20-Ow4O1FO0Gx71FaCp8ikJCi7V6FDzVNHtkptpjVaCViKmf0ajYPOFRLwJ-oHYMnI3jHGob75ZXm4fWR-T-2sP8mp069OyOl61v_W0j8ue30tCqGbd2xBthjQQlwKb/s320/ufc66.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Keep checking back as I'll be updating regularly all week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-1924916765368644662011-06-05T19:37:00.001-04:002011-06-05T19:37:02.450-04:00E3!!!!!E3 is tomorrow!!! I can't wait to see all the new stuff from the big 3. All the new games!!! Skyrim info!!! Nintendo's console reveal!!! AHHHHH MY BRAIN!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-14406189888229610612011-06-03T14:27:00.003-04:002011-06-03T14:40:03.403-04:00Rage Gameplay Trailer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/y8MWKLT-85k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>This new Rage trailer shows that it's much more than just a Fallout/Borderlands clone. The different types of ammo and weapons just in this sequence seems pretty robust and the world seems pretty realized. Even months from it's release Rage looks relatively polished and ready to go.<br />
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Bethesda's involvement ensures us solid open world gameplay and with Id's long standing history with First-Person Shooters the gunplay should be(and looks to be) better than ever. E3 is just around the corner and I'm interested to see how much more of Rage Id will show us.<br />
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With First-person gameplay like this, franchises like Modern Warefare and Battlefield are going to have to step up their game a little. While Rage certainly is catering to a bit of a different audience I know I personally will be easily making the decision to play this over at least Modern Warefare 3(I have a soft spot for the Battlefield titles).<br />
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I can't wait to see more from Rage.<br />
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Video Via <a href="http://www.kotaku.com/">Kotaku</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-18647479210208954642011-05-31T18:32:00.001-04:002011-05-31T18:33:40.472-04:00Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon PreviewThe Xbox 360 has had it's share of budget titles but none really shine, in my book at least, besides Earth Defense Force 2017. This Graphically abysmal title is more fun than most triple-A titles available these days, I've never had more fun leveling an entire city while also trying to save it from the onslaught and alien-insect invaders. It's sequel slated to come out in just a few weeks looks to improve upon 2017's standing reputation. I can't wait to see more of this title at E3 and, even more so, can't wait till I get my hands on EDF:IA.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/sZNXgbPSxhw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-48407910144009751182011-05-31T15:17:00.003-04:002011-05-31T15:33:46.186-04:00Oblivion MODTACULAR!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UoTFPoAjTq4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This mod for Oblivion looks more like a re-imagining than a mod. I may have to pick up Oblivion for the PC to try this out. Too bad the narration isn't in English. Regardless, it still looks epic. Modding communities surrounding games like this and Minecraft really make a PC purchase worth while, adding free player driven content years after the titles release. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Via <a href="http://bethblog.com/">Bethblog</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-20140075800479311742011-05-29T17:17:00.004-04:002011-05-29T17:24:43.978-04:00XBLA Review: OutlandHousmarque's Outland dropped on XBLA and PSN a few months back and was widely well received. With a beautiful art style, puzzling platforming, and some old school action its pretty easy to see why. Outland takes a lot of cues from classics like Mario, Metroid, Ikaruga, and others. But, it never really crosses over into rip-off territory. It's familiar yet original and a satisfyingly unique adventure from it's outset to the games final moments.<br />
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A vague over-arching story starts with our silent protagonist visiting a shaman to analyze his dreams. Having visions of a great warrior from the past who fought to keep the world in order, our protagonist wonders what it all could mean. The shaman divulges that he feels rumblings of the hero's return, as well as the return of the sisters of light and dark who created this world, which they will soon look to destroy. The shaman believes our protagonist is the hero reincarnate and sends him out to stop the sisters once and for all. While the story doesn't ever evolve beyond that, you'll be sporadically treated to a narrator reading the back-story of the various bosses you'll encounter and defeat. It's not much but, it is a little bit of insight into the world as well as the characters and a nice device to keep the tale on your mind.<br />
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The story really takes a backseat to the art and level design in Outland. The beautiful silhouetted foregrounds blended with splashes of bright colors and epic backdrops is really something to behold. The game is broken up into a few different areas each with it's own take on the overall visual style. The one consistent thing in all the areas, besides the silhouettes, is the presence of light and dark enemies represented by blue and red respectively. Foes and turrets spit out waves of color, sometimes creating incredible visual patterns akin to a lot of bullet-hell style games, but are much more artfully implemented. These patterns create puzzling mazes of color and make for some exhilarating platforming.<br />
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The duality of light and dark energies is a major device throughout the entire game. Very early in our adventure our hero gains the ability to alternate his body color between light(blue)and dark(red) energies. This mechanic quickly becomes integral to the second to second gameplay, allowing you to absorb "bullets" of which ever color you currently happen to be. Switching colors also allows you to interact with platforms of your same color; Some will move when you hop on them as the appropriate color, others won't act as a platform at all unless you're correctly colored. The flip-side here is that you can only attack enemies of the opposite color. All of this combined makes for some really frantic sequences where you'll be challenged to quickly shift colors and attack appropriate enemies while jumping through waves of, sometimes unavoidable, bullets. Defeating enemies and smashing urns will net you gold for upgrades a refill your magic meter a bit.<br />
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Boss battles are both challenging and puzzling. Half of the fight is figuring out the unique movement and shooting patterns of your current foe. All the bosses are incredibly different. Some require precise jumps, others speed, almost all require you to be constantly switching colors and the final encounter incorporates all of these. Since most bosses have multiple phases a lot of it ends up being trial by fire but when you finally do defeat your generally gigantic foe you feel accomplished and are rewarded with a special ability or a magic attack.<br />
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While initially your combat repertoire is limited to only a three-hit combo, you'll unlock several combat upgrades as well as some magic powers and abilities to help you navigate the world. Though your initial three-hit combo will be your bread and butter in defeating most of the enemies Outland constantly throws opportunities to use these new found powers and abilities at you. Your first trek through most levels will reveal that many areas that are unreachable without a specific ability. Generally, these hard to reach places are full of gold and hidden upgrade stations making the backtracking well worth it. By the end of the game these upgrades, abilities, and magical powers make you feel almost unstoppable.<br />
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Housemarque did an excellent job delivering one of the best XBLA games to date. Outland takes a chance by blending classic gameplay conventions with a beautiful art style that shines through every second of gameplay. While much of the game will feel familiar to most gamers it's hard to argue that there is something truly unique here. All the parts come together to give you one hell of an adventure that is definitely worth your time.<br />
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9/10Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-82481776881817835202011-05-18T08:42:00.001-04:002011-05-18T11:25:28.362-04:00First Impressions: L.A. NoireRockstar is known for it's open world crime narratives but with L.A. Noire we have something a little different. Gone are the means to wreak havoc in whatever fashion you find suitable, You're beat cop Cole Phelps trying to climb the ladder of law enforcement. After returning from the big WW2 you find yourself investigating crimes during a few of the bloodiest years in L.A.'s history. In the first few hours of the game you'll learn the ins and outs of investigating and cracking cases as well as chasing down the people responsible when they decide the law has gotten a bit too close for comfort.<br />
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The mechanics of L.A. Noire are noticeably reminiscent of GTA but, Rockstar has managed to re-purpose and refine much of the general gameplay into a completely different product, not to mention the core additions of investigation and interrogation to the mix. Those looking for an action heavy game may want to look somewhere else for there fix as the pacing here is much different than the rest of Rockstar's stable of games. We do get some really great gun play at points but the bulk of the main game is the investigations. So far the longest of these has taken me about an hour and had a pretty spectacular action oriented ending. Aside from the main story missions you'll get dispatch calls while driving around that you can choose to respond to or not. these are much shorter more action oriented sequences, based around normal(or in some cases not-so-normal) street crimes.<br />
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Rockstar faithfully recreates not only the atmosphere of 1940's L.A. but also the chilling air surrounding crime scenes. Roped off and usually surrounded by reporters you really feel like your investigation is important. Searching the scene for evidence and leads gets more intriguing by the case. The more I played the more I found myself honestly getting into the cases and trying as hard as I can to get any lead possible.<br />
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I'm really enjoying my time with this game so far. It's a breath of fresh air when it comes to open world games and I think Rockstar has crafted something truly unique. The investigations have all been interesting and all the characters are fully realized, especially with the new facial animation. I'm looking forward to finishing this up and getting the full review out. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-46242614532791291652011-05-13T23:03:00.002-04:002011-05-14T11:24:02.383-04:00Brink: Full ReviewI'm gonna start off by saying this, Brink does a lot of things right. The little amount of innovation we see here will hopefully push future games to try and shake things up a bit as the shooter genre has grown a bit stale over the past couple of years. Unfortunately, for every thing it does right, there is a small flaw that somehow makes the experience of playing just a little more frustrating than it should be. For those willing to look past the flaws there is a deep shooter rooted in maneuverability, team-work, and customization waiting to be mastered.<br />
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Before diving into the campaign you'll be able to customize a character with the handful of outfits that are available at the beginning of the game(you can have a stable of up to ten unique characters). Your newly created avatar will level up persistently offline and online by gaining experience completing the list of tasks associated with each level, buffing teammates guns or health depending on your class, or damaging and downing enemies. Leveling up will unlock new outfits, abilities, and audio logs(which further explain the canon of the story and sometimes have useful tips for playing a specific class.) There are four classes to choose from(Medic, Soldier, Engineer, and Operative) each with its own set of unlock-able skills and three body types(Light, Medium, and Heavy) which offer different amounts of health, movement style, and weapon selection.<br />
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The SMART(Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain) System works really well and is something I've wanted to see in a first person shooter since I can remember, especially after Mirror's Edge. Depending on the body type of your current character you'll be able to Utilize SMART differently. Light body types have the ability to vault, climb, slide, and do some Matrix-style wall running. Medium types get that minus the wall runs and Heavy body types can't do any type of parkouring what-so-ever but gain a bit of health and the ability to carry the heaviest guns in the game. Splash Damage did a great job of designing levels with SMART in mind. You'll find several different routes to every objective on the map and dodging enemy fire is more fun here than in any shooter currently on the market.<br />
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The campaign plays out through the eyes of two different factions warring on The Ark; A futuristic city adrift in the open ocean that was supposed to be some kind of new utopia but slowly became over populated with slums and shanty towns. Depending on which side you choose you'll either be trying to get your self off The Ark(Resistance) or you'll be trying to save it from the revolutionaries that have slowly populated the floating city(Security) The story is instantly forgettable and the short cut scenes before each mission serve only to give you an idea of what you'll be encountering in the upcoming area.<br />
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This is where Splash Damage's claim of seamlessly combining offline and online play starts to unravel. The offline missions are identical to what you'll be doing online, the only difference being that you'll only be accompanied by AI bots in the solo campaign. The frustrating thing is that the AI doesn't seem to do all that much. You'll find your self switching between the four classes in the game several times during one mission to complete every objective. On the rare occasion that a bot does <i>try</i> to complete an objective they usually fail leaving you to have to do it anyway. I will say that the AI does do it's job in some areas, you'll constantly hear them say they've grabbed you a command post which nets your team health and damage bonuses given that you're in proximity to it and more often than not they'll buff your health or gun damage and revive you if you're downed. The other problem is that there's no split-screen co-op. I never understood the downfall of couch co-op and why developers think people don't want to actually hang out with their friends while playing. A MESSAGE TO ALL THE DEVELOPERS WE ALL LOVE COUCH CO-OP! Jokes aside campaign mode is, if anything, a good training device for the online arena. Running around completing all the objectives lets you see the flow of given level and helps you choose which class might fit you best.<br />
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Other than the campaign there are four(thats right a whole four) challenges which each have three different difficulties that you can do solo or with a team of friends. Doing any of them solo on the first two difficulties will unlock the weapons and attachments in the game. Completing any on the third difficulty will upload your score to a global leader board. The sad thing here is that all the weapons and attachments can be unlocked in a day. It doesn't really give you a sense of accomplishment when you've seen almost everything the game can throw at you in the first 24 hours. The other downside here is that there really aren't a whole lot of weapons or attachments and a lot of the games guns feel incredibly similar.<br />
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Online is where this game really shines. With a solid group, you'd be hard pressed to find a better objective-based team shooter on PS3 or Xbox 360. Having actual teammates at your side really shows you how the game is supposed to work and allows you to better feel out which of the four given classes really works for your play style. There's a few different game types to choose from, the standard being 8 on 8 or competitive 5 on 5. It's unfortunate that online matches(specifically 8 on 8 games) are plagued with lag issues, depending on your host you'll get significant rubber banding and freezing. Splash Damage has already patched the game(and promised free DLC for all your trouble) which has definitely addressed the issue somewhat but there are still some kinks to be worked out.<br />
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Brink is a great game if you can get past it's flaws. It presents some deep customization and some fresh gameplay that, when everything is working well, really delivers a solid online experience. While I can't recommend this to people without Xbox Live I can absolutely recommended it for those who do. Hopefully we'll get to see some more of Splash Damages vision with a sequel or future DLC.<br />
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7/10<br />
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<div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-77582445037838522502011-05-10T03:02:00.001-04:002011-05-14T14:24:46.602-04:00Brink: First Impressions<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I've been waiting for brink to come out for a year or two and finally picked up my copy tonight at my local Gamestop. The amount of hype surrounding the title has really divided the gaming community between it being an over-hyped so-so title(see: Fable 2&3) or one of the only truly team based FPS games to date. I popped it in my system as soon as I got home. Here's what I think of the single player so far after playing for a few hours through some of the story mode and the challenge mode, multiplayer impressions to come later of course.<br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Brink is an odd beast when it comes to the campaign. Bethesda and Splash Damage have tried to seamlessly blend the online and single player experiences. When playing a mission offline it plays much like an online game but your allies are controlled by bots. The result is kind of frustrating. Your AI allies aren't nearly as competent as a human controlled character. This leads to some incredibly tough firefights where you'll be overrun by enemies and wishing they had added the, now, ever elusive couch co-op option due to the computers lack of priority. </div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Regardless of the fumbling AI the missions still present some kind of enjoyment and maybe even a little bit of training for the online arena. The real winner playing solo is the challenge mode. This is where most of your unlock-ables will come from. While there only seems to be a handful of challenges they offer a slightly different take on the single player experience by forcing you into the different classes to complete objectives arena style. Each challenge has three difficulty levels which you unlock sequentially by beating the normal difficulty first. These challenges range from escorting and protecting a repair bot to defending a command center from waves of baddies. Completing any of the challenges on the first two difficulties will unlock a hefty chunk of accessories, guns, and upgrades which really makes these challenges worth while. the third difficulty posts your score to an online leaderboard so you can really show all your friends how awesome you are.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The gameplay is pretty solid overall with the myriad of customization options available it really allows the player to tailor the different classes to their liking. This is also one of the first games i've seen on a console that lets you complete customization of your controls. They have a ton of different presets and allow you to create a custom preset if you're not a fan of any of the given choices. I went with the default. While the controls take a bit to get used to, particularly the SMART system, after a few rounds I was more than accustomed to the slight nuances of Brinks gameplay and I was hopping barriers and sliding under pipes in no time. This is the one thing that sets Brink apart from the crowd. Ever since I've been playing any kind of FPS free running has always been something I wanted Integrated into the experience and brink does a great job of bringing this to the front of your gameplay experience.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The guns handle a bit like Call of Duty, allowing you to look down the barrel through your iron sights or equipped scope to be a bit more accurate. I did find the amount of damage bullets do to be a little off and I still can't tell whether or not headshots really matter but this is just another thing I go used to in no time.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Once I get through the campaign and start playing online I'll post a full review. Thanks for reading!</div><div><br />
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</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-5865767178527011042010-06-16T14:37:00.002-04:002011-05-14T14:25:06.063-04:00Prince of Persia:The Forgotten SandsWhile I didn't hate the last entry of the Prince of Persia franchise it was certainly underwhelming. The elements were all there and admittedly the game was fun to play, but something felt off and the gaming community as a whole pushed it off to the side in hopes that Ubisoft would bring back what made the Sands of Time games great. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands takes the prince back to his not-so-forgotten roots and adds some fresh new gameplay to bring the parkouring persian back to his feet. The Forgotten Sands, taking place in the seven year gap between Sands of Time and Warrior Within, is considered an Interquel (a sequel between sequels).<br />
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The story starts off with the prince riding through the desert seeking his brother Malik and his palace. Upon arrival you quickly realize the city is fiercely under siege by an army who has plans to obtain the treasures hidden within the city. After finding your brother but being unable to reach him he yells for you to meet him in the treasure chamber under the palace. Malik stands in front of a giant vault, inside lies Solomon's long lost army. Deciding that it's the only way to defend the oncoming horde, Malik opens the vault, unknowingly unleashing a horrible curse upon himself and his palace. Our story starts here.<br />
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Taking a more realistic gritty approach to graphics that again harken back to its last-gen brethren was an instant step forward in my book and obviously the current-gen hardware gives the game a visual boost. The world of The Forgotten Sands doesn't ever venture outside of the palace but the difference in scenery, feel of environments, and the pallet of colors varies greatly. Most of these areas shine with brilliance but, a few are just meshes of brown and grey and get a little washed out over all though most of the game is a great piece of graphical work. Some of the set pieces used are gorgeous amalgamations of ancient technology and the scale really has to be played to be appreciated.<br />
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One gripe I did have was the lack of variety in enemy models. The game admittedly throws tons of enemies at you at once and the number of onscreen enemies can certainly be impressive at times but, most of the game is spent mowing through waves of the same characters. At times I felt as if I was playing a persian version of Dynasty Warriors.<br />
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Luckily the combat is really fun. Ubisoft did a great job of creating a combat system that allows you to easily mix melee, magic, and evasion. Your melee attacks consist of one five string combo, it may not sound like a lot but keep in mind that you can charge any one of those five strikes to perform a power strike, while still maintaining your combo. The all to familiar ariel slash makes a return here as well along with a newer ability to leap from enemy to enemy. Add to that the ability to knock opponents down or knock back their shields and you have an already relatively deep combat mechanic.<br />
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Beyond your standard combat is a new frontier for Prince of Persia which adds a small RPG segment to the game that introduces elemental magic and brings back your ability to rewind time. For every enemy you defeat you get experience to level up, each level requires more experience and grants you one stat point to allocate to magic, health, and a few other areas. Defeating enemies isn't the only way to gain experience, along your travels you'll find hidden sarcophaguses which are sometimes a pain in the you-know-what to get to but are always worth a ton of experience.<br />
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Also new to the series are the ability to freeze time and the ability to recall destroyed parts of the palace. These two new additions make some of the later platforming sequences incredibly difficult and rewarding, at some points the game has a very rhythmic feel to it. You'll be running walls, freezing time and recalling the broken down palace all within seconds of each other and its truly exhilarating. The game doesn't have a ton of play time on the normal difficulty, a definite down side but I can see myself playing through this a few times on the harder difficulties.<br />
Both the combat and the movement are animated beautifully here. The wall running, pole swinging and column jumping are all fluid and the controls are incredibly responsive. Precise button presses and timing jumps correctly plays a large roll in the challenge of this game, so the controls certainly had to be tight.<br />
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Ubisoft did a great job of bringing back the look and feel of the Sands of Time series while adding a bit more depth to the princes abilities and a bigger challenge when it comes to the platforming. I'm happy to say this game is certainly worth your time, after the last dismal encounter with the prince the team at Ubisoft has reinvigorated a fantastic series and given us a reason to look forward to future entries.<br />
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8/10<br />
used purchase/rental<br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265151757937558040.post-85168322291398525002010-06-05T23:50:00.001-04:002010-06-05T23:53:30.956-04:00Here come the reviewsSo I'm going to start doing game reviews on a regular basis, i'll start off with Alan Wake, Red Dead Redemption, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, and UFC 2010. Check back for updates.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292634522380976920noreply@blogger.com0