Patface's Gaming Blog

This Week In Games: March 1st

2011-02-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

With Dragon Age II and both MLB baseball competitors being released in a very busy next week, we find March 1st to be a relatively slow release date. I don't personally mind, as I've got my hands full with Bulletstorm and Killzone 3. The only major release is an intriguing one though, as the sports genre gets its first M-rated simulation game (with apologizes to BLITZ The League). Here is what is being released this week:

Fight Night Champion (360, PS3): The newest entry in EA's boxing series receives a bloody upgrade, bumping the ESRB rating from Teen to Mature for the first time in the game's history. The game presents itself as a darker and gritter entry into the boxing genre, promising animations and physical damage that allows gamers to appreciate just how brutal the sport is. Included is an all-new "Champion Mode", in which you take control of a convict and fight your way from the prison yard to the biggest arenas in the world. With 50 fighters through 7 weight class divisions, Fight Night Champion has the largest roster of past and present boxing greats of any game to date. The demo is currently available on both systems, and I hope to have some first thoughts this week.

New Recording Technology Demo

2011-02-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

Hey Ya'll.

Running a new device that allows me to record off of my 360 or PS3. Let me know what you think of the demo. Be sure to check it out in HD. Thanks!

Quantum Theory Demo Impressions

2010-10-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone. I meant to get this post out last week, but I had guests in town and ended up being too busy. Just a quick gaming side note: I was able to complete the Halo: Reach campaign last night, and can safely say that I enjoyed it a lot. I guess I understand some of the Halo haters out there (considering I was one before I'd ever tried the game), but I don't see how anyone can keep this game out of their XBOX 360 collection. Alright, on to Quantum Theory.

I actually find the concept of Tecmo's third-person shooter quite interesting. It's basically a Gears of War clone set in a post-war world where few humans remain. The main character, Syd, is part of a militia looking to singlehandedly eliminate any threats to the dwindling human race. He arrives at what he believes to be the center of the evil and meets a mysterious woman who arrives at the same location. The two decide to work together to find answers in the evil, known as the 'Living Tower'. The idea of the tower "being alive" is what separates this game from other concepts. Instead of playing through areas where cover locations are pre-determined, the 'Living Tower' changes cover locations during battle, forcing both you and your enemies to adapt on the run. The concept is very creative, unfortunately the stale execution and lackluster sensory aspects of the game wore on me quickly.

I'd consider myself in the minority, but I really don't mind "game clones", as long as they're executed well. If someone wants to make really good first-or-third person shooter clones (think clones of CoD, Halo, GoW, Doom, etc), I wouldn't even consider holding the fact that the game is a clone against it. What frustrates me is when someone attempts to clone a game and leaves out some of its better aspects. In Quantum Theory's case, I was almost immediately annoyed by the player movement and control layout. While Gears of War characters are well-known for their bulk, their movements are programmed to be almost perfectly proportionate. In QT's case, everything feels slow and disjointed, particularly when trying to fire your weapon on the run. In the case of controls, the slight changes made to the Gears of War control formula hinder the game instead of helping it. It might have been an attempt to give the game more of its own identity, but that identity is further lost in the unresponsive and awkward control layout.

The graphics in the game are decent, and while certainly not on par with a game like Gears of War, I would consider them acceptable from the short time I spent with the demo. The same can be said for the music and sound, though I can see the robotic voice of the "Living Tower" becoming old rather quickly.

Unless I see something new that I've missed, this game is a easy avoid for me. Between my demo experience and early reviews being less than positive, and I haven't seen anything yet that would change my mind. With so many great shooting games out there (including some major upcoming releases), I think you can feel safe in passing on this game. For those interesting in finding out more about the title, I've included the trailer below:

More Quantum Theory - (PlayStation 3) Videos

This Week In Releases - September 28th, 2010

2010-09-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Quick note before we get started for you NBA fans. EA Sports NBA Elite 11 has been delayed, so your only option next week will be NBA 2K11. I was going to do an article about which basketball game you should purchase in 2010, but in case it hadn't become obvious, NBA 2K11 is almost assuredly the choice this year. Check out the demo if you haven't already, I was impressed. Now, on to the show.

This final week of September brings a very diverse group of major console releases. Three titles headline our entrance into the ultra-competitive holiday season. What games tickle your fancy this week? Here are some of the major releases:

FIFA 11 (DS, PSP, PS2, PS3, 360, Wii, PC): FIFA 10 was one of the better sports games of recent memory, and the FIFA series, long loved overseas, is hoping to ride the renewed interest in futbol stateside coming off of this summer's World Cup. While the game doesn't seem to be as groundbreaking as last year's edition, but new features in FIFA 11 include Personality Plus and the ability to create a Goalie in 'Be A Pro' modes. Purchase Probability: 9 out of 10. The FIFA and NHL franchises might not be as well known as Madden, but there is little doubt in my mind that they battle it out for the franchise that makes the best games. I'm very excited to dive into this years EA Sports soccer game.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (PS3, 360, Wii, PC): With the Guitar Hero franchise losing steam at a record pace, this title can be considered a make or break for the franchise. Activision spammed the market with music games last year, and the sales figures showed that consumers weren't biting, and I don't think there's any doubt that Rock Band 3 is the more anticipated game coming out this year. Some of the setlist is intriguing, but there is not really the focus on Metal Rock that the game has claimed for some time. The quest mode has been completely redone, but early reviews are not encouraging. Purchase Probability: 3 out of 10. I am usually one to quickly pick up new music games, but the combination of no longer living with my roommates and knowing I haven't given Rock Band Beatles it's just due means I can comfortably hold off on this until the price comes down.

Dead Rising 2 (PS3, 360, PC): The original Dead Rising was probably the most unique game of the early hi-definition console era. I wish I had spent more time with it, and hope someday I come around to it. Dead Rising 2 is a zombie killfest that should turn out to be a very fun game, and hopefully will be a little more accessible to gamers than the first was. Capcom has had a long time to fix the issues that people had with the first release, and I am curious to see how they do. Purchase Probability: 6 out of 10. There are obviously going to be a lot of games that come out in the next few months, and I know I will play Dead Rising 2 at some point, I just don't know how soon it will be. If it gets to November and I haven't picked it up yet, it'll likely have to wait until 2011, but that's not to say that I won't regret not picking it up sooner at that time.

Other Titles of Note: MySims: SkyHeroes (DS, PS3, 360, Wii, ) (see my demo impressions here), Borderlands add-on: Claptrap's New Robot Revolution (PS3, 360, September 30th release on PC), Laura Croft and the Guardian of Light (PS3, PC), Quantam Theory (PS3, 360) thoughts on this demo have been poor, but I will try it out and leave my impressions before the week is over, Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010 (DS, PSP, PS2, PS3, 360, Wii) I don't think I knew they still made these every year. Good for Rapala.

MySims Sky Heroes Demo Impressions

2010-09-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

Announced in May 2010 and revealed at E3 earlier this summer, MySims SkyHeroes is the 6th installment of EA's popular Sims spin-off series. Best known for its puzzles and mini-game collections, the MySims series takes to the air in SkyHeroes, featuring a story mode to go along with local and online multiplayer modes. The title releases tomorrow (September 28th) on Nintendo Wii and DS, XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3, with the latter two providing full online multiplayer support. With a demo version currently available for download, I decided I would give it a spin and leave some thoughts for those wanting to find out more about the title. Once into the game, my expectations changed from a kid-friendly niche title to a fun flier that actually provides some impressive depth and customization.

The first thing to jump out about MySims SkyHeroes is how easy the game is to pick up. I began with a very short tutorial to teach me how to fly, and I was able to master the basics of the game rather quickly. The controls are basic, the background graphics seem childishly simple, and I found it impossible to crash my plane. After adjusting the Y-axis controls to make the Up/Down work in reverse (as is standard in most flying games), I was able to quickly pick up the turn, speed boost, and weapon controls. As a whole the controls are decent. I wasn't thrilled with them as I played through a bit of the game, but they seem to cater to a wider audience of gamers, allowing those who don't play games everyday to easily pick up and play the title with relative ease.

Graphically, the game wasn't particularly impressive (I played the demo on my XBOX 360), but it looked decent especially considering that all previous MySims games had been exclusively for the Nintendo DS or Wii, and this game was likely developed with both of those consoles in mind since the title caters more to the DS and Wii users. There can be a lot going on visually, particularly during race modes, but the game had no problem handling the on-screen clutter. The music and sound are the light and cute tones you would expect from a MySims-type game.

The race mode and dogfight mode both stuck me as relatively basic, as one would expect from a demo, but I am also not the main demographic target for the game. The difficulty is easily adjusted, with harder difficulties providing an actual challenge while putting it on easy mode allows nearly anyone to pick up the game be pretty good at it. Playing the two modes by myself got stale quickly, and my attempts at playing online were met with no other users found. However, my guess would be that the fun factor would be raised quite a bit if I had been playing against friends or online opponents. It is also worth mentioning that only two planes and one map were unlocked - there will seemingly be quite a bit more replay value with the added planes and maps of the retail version.

While the modes described above may seem too niche, the locked area of the game seems to contain quite a bit of depth. There is a story mode in the game with missions that focus on meeting certain criteria, working towards an overall goal that becomes more clear the further you progress. Additionally, it looks like there will be a great deal of customization when it comes to the different parts of planes. Minor changes allow for combat benefits, and completionists should have a great time attempting to unlock all of the options and features of the game.

I would have thought of this as more of a niche or children's game before actually playing it, but I was quite surprised by the amount of depth and replay value the title seems to contain. If you're a big fan of previous MySims games or flying games, this very well might be an easy purchase for you. At a suggested retail price of $50 (Wii, 360, PS3) though, I would recommend exercising caution and either trying the demo or renting the title to ensure you'll get enough out of the game to pay full price for it.

E3 2010: Grading Sony's Press Conference

2010-06-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Sony's 2010 E3 press conference yesterday come with high expectations, fanfare, and Kevin Butler worship. With PlayStation Move being released later in the year, Sony had a similar opportunity to show off their new motion control technology and convince gamers to invest their hard earned money into what Sony considers to be the future of gaming. Sony's press conference included previews of some of the year's most highly anticipated games, future technology that Sony plans to incorporate into their PlayStation brand, and even a couple surprises. How did Sony stack up to Microsoft and Nintendo? See if they delivered in this 2010 E3 Press Conference review.

LOVED:

PlayStation Move: PlayStation Move still has a long road ahead to prove itself as a viable hardcore gamer controller, but it pushed itself ahead of Microsoft Kinect with an impressive showing. We don't know a lot about Sorcery yet, but the game looks impressive in terms of both visuals and control scheme. The Tiger Woods demonstration was equally impressive, and it looks like it will be more intuitive than the Wii version. Sony is also throwing a lot of support at PlayStation Move, offering a wide variety of major titles that will be compatible with either a regular controller or the motion controller all on one disc. They are also providing some patch updates for current games that will add Move capability. While all questions have not been answered as to whether Move will eventually replace the Dual Shock controller, it certainly showed off some impressive potential.

Games: Starting with Killzone 3 (in full 3D no less) and ending with the surprise announcement of a Twisted Metal title for the PS3, Sony's presentation was chock full of highly anticipated sequels and PlayStation exclusives. Sony made noise with a surprise announcement of Portal 2 coming to the PS3, as well as exclusive special editions of Electronic Arts blockbuster shooters Medal of Honor and Dead Space. In addition, Sony showed off a number of exclusive first-party titles, including the aforementioned Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2, and a revival of the Twisted Metal franchise. While there are no major shocks in the PlayStation lineup, it was a very solid showing for Sony, verifying that they will look to continue to build on the momentum of the past 12 months of enhancing their catalog of great games. The only disappointment here was no mention (or showing) of Team Ico's highly-anticipated title The Last Guardian.

HATED

Indifference Towards the PSP/PSPGo: Not one mention of the PSPGo during Sony's entire presser, and an extremely short and uninspiring PSP presentation that focused more on ad campaigns than actual games. PSPGo has had a pretty brutal year since its announcement at E3 2009. Released in October at a high price point of $250, it faced many problems. Since it doesn't have a disc drive, many gamers believe that they would be able to get digital copies of their previously owned PSP titles, but instead they had to buy the games over again. Major PSP titles have either been delayed or even unavailable as digital downloads. Sony has made a major push to sell PSPGo's in Europe, offering up to 10 free PSP titles for purchasing a new PSPGo. I was hoping SCEA would announce something similar to give the portable system a sales and market-share boost. Instead, we heard nothing about it, with Sony instead choosing to focus on the PSP platform as a whole. [post-write edit: Sony announced a PSPGo bundle on June 1st that included 3 free games: Little Big Planet, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, and SOCM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3, and would be sold through March 2011. Sony chose not to include this in their e3 presser, but any new purchase of a PSPGo includes these titles.] Additionally, the market for top-notch PSP seems to dwindle each year. The PSP is lagging behind the DS by a considerable margin at this point, with the frustrations over the PSPGo the deficit is becoming larger. I don't know what Sony's plans are for an eventual PSP 2, but with Nintendo's 3DS announcement and the growing market of cell phone gaming, it is looking more and more like the PlayStation Portable isn't a long term answer in the current portable gaming market.

JURY IS STILL OUT

3D Gaming: Sony is diving head first into the 3D revolution that is beginning in living rooms across the world, putting full 3D gaming and blu-ray support into the PlayStation 3. While the technology has shown moments of brilliance, the technology is still new, which also means it is expensive. There is great debate about whether people will be willing to wear 3D glasses in their homes while playing movies and games, and only time will tell if the technology truly catches on. For those that have already purchased a 3D TV, there is a lot to like here, but many have yet to convert to new technology, having recently upgraded to a High Definition TV. I think we'll know a lot more about whether 3D gaming is the future early next year once major PS3 3D titles such as Killzone 3, which is being developed from the ground up as a 3D game, hit store shelves. The ability for the PS3 to add 3D ability through a software update minimizes some of the risk for Sony, and also continues to show off its versatility as a Blu-Ray player. Come E3 2011, we should have a much better idea of whether 3D gaming is a gimmick or the future.

PlayStation Plus: Many were predicting that Sony would show off a pay service for their PlayStation network, and now we know a little about it. Matching XBOX Live's $50 yearly subscription, PlayStation claims that we will get hundreds of dollars of value out of PlayStation plus. Things like exclusive game demos, BETA entries, free PlayStation Network and PS Classics seem to be the notable additions, but we will know more once PlayStation Plus is released. Sony made a wise decision to keep multiplayer gaming free and not forcing gamers to convert to the paid service. The ability to play multiplayer games and chat with friends for no cost has been Sony's big selling point in comparing PSN to XBL, and that key point remains. It's now up to Sony to provide good value for PlayStation Plus, as there are many PS3 users who are taking a wait-and-see approach before shelling out their hard earned bucks. I think Sony's certainly got a very good chance to succeed with PlayStation Plus, but it will be crucial to correctly market the features and value of the service at the outset to acquire and maintain annual subscribers.

SPECIAL CATEGORY

The Phenomenon That Is Kevin Butler: I like the Sony commercial campaign. Kevin Butler seems gimmicky, but so many memorable commercial characters are, especially in this internet age. I feel like I follow gaming pretty closely, but I had ZERO idea how much people love this guy. He made an appearance during Sony's press conference, and instantly received a standing ovation. I can't remember seeing anyone during an E3 press conference that captivated a crowd in such a manner. I'm still finding it tough to describe, so I'll let the video speak for itself below. Needless to say, Sony clearly has something special here, quite possibly on par with the classic SEGA Genesis voice overs. I get the feeling we'll be seeing even more of Kevin Butler in the near future.

VERDICT

Grade: B+. We saw lots of potential from Sony, but for the most part they stayed the course without taking any major risks or making any shocking announcements. Sony's primary goal seemed to be to prove that PlayStation Move will be a more viable and accessible gaming platform than Microsoft Kinect, and I believe they succeeded. With an impressive array of games, there will be plenty to keep PlayStation 3 gamers busy over the next year, even with some questions surrounding PlayStation Plus, 3D gaming, and the PSP. I'm sure Sony also wanted to put on a better show than Microsoft, and I don't think there's any doubt that their showing was received better than their main competition.

E3 2010: Grading Microsoft's Press Conference

2010-06-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

E3 is finally here folks! Over the next few days, there is going to be a flood of gaming news, lots of surprises, and a true display of the influence that video games have in our world today.

Microsoft again this year took its place as the first major presenter, actually holding their news conference the day before E3 started. With lots of rumors circling about Project Natal, Microsoft's hands-free gaming accessory that they debuted at E3 2009, many were very interested to see what Microsoft was bringing to the table. In addition, there are a number of highly anticipated XBOX 360 exclusives that the hardcore gamer audience was hoping to get a look at.

Did Microsoft deliver a gaming revolution? Were they able to continue to push forward with the momentum they've been able to build for their platform over the past few years? Here is our review:

LOVED:

ESPN and XBOX Live Partnership: It was announced that Microsoft had partnered with ESPN to debut an exclusive partnership that would bring ESPN programming to the 360 console. Over 3,500 live and on-demand sporting events will be accessible though XBOX Live, most of which coming through in high definition. While I have soured on ESPN in recent years as an overall network, their broadcasts of sports such as College Football and Basketball, Soccer, Major League Baseball and the NBA has always remained at the excellent in terms of production quality and quantity, and as a sports fan I am very excited about this partnership. While I don't know how much of an impact this will hold with the average gamer, I think it is an excellent play by Microsoft in their efforts to push the 360 towards being more than just a gaming console and becoming a full-fledged home entertainment device. While there were not a lot of disclosed details, it seems like XBOX Live will be getting some form of ESPN3, which currently serves as ESPN's online channel, showing games both on and off the television network, and while still growing already has an impressive number of professional and college games. Additionally, there was no announcement of when we would actually get ESPN on the 360, though one can hope that it will be up and running before the end of the calendar year. In the demonstration they showed off a college football game, but while it would be wonderful to have this in time for the 2010 college football season, I think later in the year is more realistic. This wasn't Microsoft's biggest announcement by any means, but as a hardcore sports fan and gamer, this has me extremely excited.

New XBOX 360 Console: Microsoft revealed a major facelift for their current console, and with it they did a lot of things (seemingly) right. The console is significantly smaller, quieter and FINALLY has a built in wireless adapter. It also has a specific port for XBOX Kinect, which will remove the need for a power cable running directly from the accessory. The previously giant power brick has also been reduced, and the front of the console has received a sleek new look. Assuming Microsoft has finally put the Red Ring of Death issues to rest, they have fixed many of the complaints that people have had about the console. They also got the price right, keeping it at the same $299 price point that the old 360 stood at. Those old consoles are not obsolete though, and each version of the previous 360 will receive a $50 price cut. Finally, Microsoft was nice enough to not make us wait for the upgraded console, as it should be in stores everywhere before the end of the week. I don't think it is a must to upgrade to the new version of the 360, but there are a lot of things to like about it - enough to convince me to go out and get one this weekend.

XBOX 360 GAMES: While the jury might be pessimistic about the XBOX Kinect launch list, there is no doubt that hardcore games will have a wide selection of games to enjoy over the next eight to ten months. The show opened by showing off Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game looked excellent, both graphically and in scope, and was topped off by the announcement that Microsoft has signed an three-year agreement with Activision for the rights to have first-access to all Call of Duty related downloadable content. We also got our first look at Metal Gear Solid: Rising, an action game that looks incredible. It is a sword based game that seems to pretty much let you cut whatever you'd like, and the demo displayed during the press conference has my hopes extremely high. 360 exclusives were also on display, with known upcoming games such as Gears of War 3, Fable 3, and Halo: Reach all looking like they will meet the expectations of fanboys everywhere. Finally, we saw a teaser for a game titled Codename Kingdoms, a game created by Crytek exclusively for the 360 that looks like it might be Microsoft's answer to God of War (that is pure speculation by the way). All in all, Microsoft gave little doubt to games that there will be plenty of games to put on their wish list this holiday season.

Kinect Functionality and Integration: We'll obviously know more and more about Microsoft's attempt at hands-free gaming as we get closer to its November 4th release date, but I was really impressed with some of the things you'll be able to do without a controller in your hand. While things like video chat and using your hands and voice as your remote control aren't games themselves, people who purchase Kinect will interact with their console and television in ways they never have before. There are certainly benefits here for people who use their XBOX 360 for more than gaming, whether it be through the Zune Marketplace or through 3rd party things such as Netflix and Facebook. Interestingly enough, with the XBOX Kinect games looking less than stellar at this point, the functionality and integration features are the Kinect's biggest selling point for me.

HATED:

No XBOX Kinect Pricing: There has been huge speculation about how much XBOX Kinect (formerly Project Natal) would cost. It's a huge point for Microsoft to price the device competitively, not only to convince current XBOX 360 gamers to purchase it, but also to bring in the casual gamer demographic that Microsoft seemingly craves. With rumors swirling that the Kinect device itself would cost upwards of $150 with games coming in at $60, many have scoffed at such a high price. A bundle with Kinect for new 360 users has been rumored at $400, which seems more reasonable, but again with uninspiring launch titles rumored to be overpriced, Microsoft could very well have issue convincing people to place Kinect in their homes. Now with PlayStation Move priced at $50 for the controller and $100 total for the camera, controller and a game, Microsoft will have to consider something competitive to convince people to purchase it instead of PS Move or a Wii. All that said, if they price the device somewhere around the $50 it will cost for PS Move, this point will become moot, as I think you'll see a lot of converters.

XBOX Kinect Games: Microsoft spent a lot of time focusing on their Kinect games, and they really weren't impressive. Kinect Adventures looked like it would be fun, and the Star Wars game has people intrigued, but overall I think many walked away from Microsoft's offerings underwhelmed. Out of everything they showed, there was nothing to prove that Kinect could be a viable hardcore gaming platform. There's nothing necessarily wrong if Kinect ends up being focused on casual gaming, but if I were Microsoft I would be concerned that I don't have the install base already present to focus so much of my attention on casual gaming. There is still time before November for some impressive games to show up, but right now I could see myself purchasing a Kinect solely for the 360 integration, leaving all of the launch titles on the shelf.

JURY IS STILL OUT:

XBOX Kinect Viability: We really don't know at this point whether Kinect is just a gimmick or not. There are obviously aspects of it that are revolutionary, but time will tell whether it belongs in gaming or should instead be attached to a TiVo. Microsoft has yet to answer the question of whether a serious game can be played without a controller, and frankly that scares me. At some point Microsoft is going to have to prove the Kinect's value as opposed to just showing all the great stuff it can do, and I don't think it did that at the press conference this year. Now we play the waiting game until Microsoft prices Kinect. Once it has a price point, we'll know a lot more about its viability. At a low price point, I think people will be willing to buy Kinect based on potential. At $150 though, I'm really not so sure.

VERDICT

Grade: C. Microsoft clearly showed off some fantastic console games that gamers will get their hands on within the next twelve months, and the potential of Kinect is without doubt through the roof. However, by saving a lot of the underwhelming Kinect games for the second half left a lasting negative impression of the press conference. While a new 360 model (and a free console to everyone in the conference audience) closed the show out on a high note, I don't believe it was enough to overcome legitimate concerns about Kinect and whether it can be the dominant motion-control device of this generation.

Alan Wake Review

2010-06-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

There was a time about ten years ago when horror games were one of the more popular genres in gaming. With smash hits such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and others, gamers who enjoyed the genre could always find another title to place on the system tray, turn off the lights, plug in their favorite pair of headphones (so as to not wake up a roommate or significant other) and scare the you-know-what out of themselves. Since then, online gaming and first (and third) person shooters have limited the market, leaving horror/thriller games feeling more like a dated genre that seems to only appeal to a niche market. Enter Remedy Entertainment and Microsoft Game Studios XBOX 360 exclusive Alan Wake, a title that has been in development since (at least) 2005, was finally seen at E3 2009 last June, and made its way into the hands of gamers this May. Many were concerned that the extended development cycle would have a negative effect on the game, but tempered expectations were not necessary, as Alan Wake turned out to be one of the more imaginative and unique games released so far this year. It might not be a return to the Golden Age of horror games, but it is an excellent addition to any hardcore gamers’ collection.
Alan Wake is the titular character of this over-the-shoulder thriller which is broken into six main chapters, or episodes. Wake, a famous horror writer, has been having a number of personal issues, most notably a two year case of writer’s block. His growing frustrations with his inability to write led his wife Alice to schedule them a vacation in Bright Falls, a cozy and quiet small town nestled in the Pacific Northwest. Getting Alan as far away from their Manhattan high rise as possible, Alice believes that the fresh air and peaceful surroundings are exactly what Alan needs to overcome his writing difficulties. When she shows Alan the special room she has set up in their cabin, conveniently fitted with a typewriter, Alan becomes angry and upset, storming out of the cabin in an attempt to clear his mind. However, his attempt at finding peace is short-lived, as he hears Alice screaming for help from the cabin moments later. Alan hurries back to the cabin to find Alice being dragged towards the lake on which their cabin is nestled. As Alan attempts to save Alice, he blacks out, waking up a week later with no idea where his wife is or what has happened to her. This starts Alan on a desperate attempt to reclaim his wife, finding out along the way that the peaceful town of Bright Falls is not nearly as peaceful as it seems.

There is a lot of originality to be found in Alan Wake, starting with the ingenious use of light, both as a targeting system as well as a weapon against enemies. The most important item Wake has on his person at any time is his flashlight, which becomes indispensible early on in the game. Enemies contain darkness, and can only be damaged by normal weapons once this darkness has been “removed”. Items such as flash bang grenades and flare guns are your greatest ammo against enemies, but in many cases Wake turns to his trusty flashlight to remove the darkness from his enemies, leaving the monsters susceptible to a couple rounds from Wake’s revolver or a well-placed shotgun blast. Aiming your guns utilizes your flashlight also, as your beam of light coming from the lantern is actually the aim of your weapon. While this might sound awkward at first, it is one of the more intuitive aiming systems I’ve ever come across. As soon as the game teaches you how it works, it almost immediately feels second nature. Additionally, the graphical integration of the aiming system is incredible, utilizing a great physics engine that will be discussed below. Not only do you rely on your flashlight to explore the world of Bright Falls, but it becomes invaluable in assisting you in picking off enemies, locating essential ammo, and finding hidden items.

The use of light is fantastic, but what good is a thriller if it doesn’t have a worthwhile story? The plot of Alan Wake is very good, though depending on the pace in which you play it can move awfully fast at times. The game’s writers did a very good job of making a thriller in the traditional sense of the word, with many key plot points shrouded in mystery, memorable over-the-top characters, and extremely sudden plot turns. Wake often refers to Stephen King as his mentor and inspiration, referring back to books and quotes while narrating the game. For those of you who have read many of King’s short stories and novels you will see a number of homage’s to King with how the plot unfolds. The story is clearly fictional, but contains enough real moments to keep the controller in your hand wondering what is coming next. The secondary characters are wonderfully memorable, with Alan’s book agent Barry and near-obsessive fan Rose shining as two of my personal favorites. The dark, almost cliché setting for the game also adds to the experience. These factors combine to create one of those situations in which it is more fun to play the game with the lights turned off and the sound cranked up, almost begging the game to scare you.

Turning off the lights and cranking up the stereo would be worthless if not for the excellent graphics and sound quality presented in the game. Though there has been plenty of mention about the lighting system and its functionality above, it also merits mention here due to the exceptional physics contained in the game that focus specifically on the flashlight. I’ve never been in the dark woods running for my life, but I would imagine that it would feel similar to the sometimes panicked searches through the plant life, dirt paths, and rotted farm sheds that were revealed by the flashlight I was carrying. The beam of light fades out the farther you attempt to view and conversely shrinks to become hardly visible if you pan onto something right in front of you. The landscapes are beautiful, particularly noticeable when walking through overgrowth once you step off the beaten paths of the trail that you are navigating. There is fantastic detail in many of the worn out buildings and sheds, further drawing you into the world of Bright Falls. The city itself is less memorable, both because you spend less time there and it doesn’t have the same memorable quality of the nature park. That point aside, the graphics are some of the best I’ve seen on the system.

Sound might be on par with story in regards to its importance to the thriller genre, and here again Alan Wake is very solid. I wouldn’t put its sound on par with the graphics – there are points where the music seems quirky and the voice acting overlaps itself, momentarily taking your focus out of your immersion into the story – but there are times when the music and sound effects almost singlehandedly spook you. The voice acting isn’t bad, though I sometimes felt myself tire of Alan’s voice due to his being both main character and narrator. I’m sure that Barry annoyed some people as well, though I didn’t mind his over-the-top New Yorker character. The sound plays a crucial role during the exploration period of the game, quickly changing to let you know when danger is near. Similarly, the sound effects can be used to your advantage, particularly when you are scrambling to determine where your enemies are coming from. Of course, they also play a large role in some of the spook moments in the game, which I found myself enjoying more and more as the story unfolded.

In terms of controls, Alan Wake is again solid. There were a few moments in which I stumbled through the controls, mostly due to a number of enemies coming out of nowhere or some other sort of spook moment, but they are largely successful. The aforementioned flashlight controls are great, and Alan rarely goes in an unintended direction. If you’ve played any recent third-person shooters, the controls will take no time to grasp. If not, the game has a very good tutorial built into the introduction of the story that fosters quick learning. Not all is perfect, though. The driving controls are admittedly awful and feel thrown in. There are a few timing related controls that prove to be very beneficial once mastered, such as the enemy dodge that is taught early in the game. Failed attempts at these timing controls though, can be deadly, whether in the presence of a pack of enemies or a cliff that requires leaping. It’s also worth noting that items are always at a premium, and saving ammo for the end of each episode is very important. However, don’t expect to take it with you through each of the six episodes, as your weapons and ammo reset after each episode is completed.

With no multiplayer, the replay value of Alan Wake is hit or miss, depending on how much you enjoy the game. A play through on normal difficulty can take anywhere from 8 to 20 hours, depending on what kind of pace you set playing through the game. There are multiple difficulty modes for those that want more (or less) of a challenge replaying the game, and a wide number of collectibles for those who are completion junkies and achievement hunters. I should also note that there will be downloadable content for Alan Wake coming later this summer, extending the story or perhaps even starting a new journey.

Even if you only play through this game once, I think you’re getting a good value simply based on the high quality of game. It is a welcome return for the thriller genre, and doubles as an easily accessible game for those that aren’t experienced thriller game players. It’s certainly one of the more unique games on the 360, and one of the better ones considering the high production value, entertaining story, and interesting characters.

9 out of 10.

Released for the XBOX 360 on May 18th, 2010.

Reviewed by Patrick Duggan. http://www.patfacegaming.com. All rights reserved.

What I'm Playing: Week of 5/18

2010-05-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Greetings all! I hope your week is going well. Sorry for the delay in getting this out, but I was in Dallas over the weekend and have spent the past couple of days dealing with a sick baby (who is thankfully feeling better).

A special shoutout to FX Video Game Exchange in Plano, where I spent approximately 20 hours of my past weekend "working". It was a blast to spend time in the store and check out some new games while also enjoying all the old school stuff that they have for sale. Certainly tops Gamestop for me, biased though I might be :)

Anyway, here is what is on the list for this week. Notice the new games at the top? I am expecting to get my hands on Red Dead Redemption shortly, but since I don't know the exact date I kept it off this list.

Alan Wake (360): It feels like the gaming community has been waiting decades for Alan Wake's release, and we finally got it this week. I've played through maybe 5 hours of the game so far, and though I am not traditionally a horror/thriller game player, I have found this game to be fantastic. It has been hard to pull away from even with all the good games currently out there.

Split Second (Playing on 360, also on PS3): I'll be honest. I never really had any intention of picking up Split Second, but after trying out Disney Interactive's racer at FX, I had to grab a copy. This game is darn fun, and it's easy to pick up and play for those who don't live and die racing games. I already consider this one of the most underrated games of 2010, and that's without diving into the supposedly addictive multiplayer yet.

MLB 10 The Show (PS3): I tried the demo, liked it, but still found a way to hold off. After spending some more time with it, I had no choice to cave, as I hadn't enjoyed a baseball title as much as this in years. So far my experience has been enjoyable but bug-filled, something Sony has said they are fixing as we speak. I like the Road to the Show feature so far, and have spent the majority of my time in the game playing with my pitcher.

Halo: Reach BETA (360): Sadly my time with the Halo: Reach BETA came to an end today, but I spent a great deal of time playing through Bungie's next title. I will have a write up on my thoughts regarding Reach in the coming days, but suffice it to say that I think this could end up being the best Halo multiplayer experience to date.

InuYasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel (DS): As a die-hard InuYahsa fan, I couldn't resist pulling the trigger on a used copy of this RPG. I'm still pretty early in the game and enjoying it so far, though the reviews have me nervous about what is to come. Only one way to find out.

I've got a number of titles waiting in the wings that might get started this week, including Bioshock 2, God of War 3, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2, but I'm not holding myself to playing 10 games this week, especially if I receive Red Dead Redemption in the next couple days. Also, look for the first Professor Layton game (Curious Villiage) on next week's list, as my fiancé and I started the game while flying to Dallas and will be flying to Wisconsin for Memorial Day, which will give us more time to advance into the game. We're both pretty big fans of it so far.

As always, let me know in the comments or via twitter what you're playing this week. Have a great week everyone!

What I'm Playing: Week of 5/3

2010-05-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this out. Been a busy couple of days! I hope the start to your May has gone well. It really seems like the story of the gaming world is BETA's right now, whether it's a MMORPG, Halo, Starcraft, or even games such as Blur, many highly-anticipated games currently have open BETAs. It's a good time to be a gamer, especially if you have access to some of these game previews.

Anyway, here is what I'm playing this week.

Halo: Reach BETA (Playing on 360): Ah, I can finally put my seldom played copy of Halo: ODST to use! The Halo: Reach BETA was opened up on Monday, and so far I am extremely impressed. I haven't played online Halo multiplayer in quite a while, so it was nice for me to jump in and not be terrible. While there are only 2 maps in the BETA so far, the game is extremely enjoyable. Count me among the many who are now officially excited about Halo: Reach.
Red Steel 2 (Playing on Wii): I didn't play the original Red Steel, one of the original Wii-releases, but I am pretty impressed by this game so far. Without having the comparison to the first title, the game moves well and I haven't had any major issues with the controls yet. I'm very early into the game, so I will keep you posted.
Splinter Cell Conviction (Playing on 360, also on PC): If you haven't seen my review of this game check it out below. I'm enjoying going back into the campaign and working on my stealth skills. Additionally, the multiplayer can be addicting at times, particularly to play with friends.
God of War III (Playing on PS3): Not sure if I'll get to this game before the week ends, but I finally finished God of War II (review to come) and I'm excited to play this game. I've heard tremendous things, and now that I'm all caught up story-wise it will be interested to see how the story of Kratos continues.
Pokemon HeartGold (Playing on DS): I can see why people love the Pokemon franchise, but I haven't really been able to get into this game yet as an outsider. It's interesting, but repetitive so far. Maybe it's because I'm too early into the game, but so far it's more of a "play when I'm bored" game.

Splinter Cell Conviction Review

2010-04-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction has been a long time coming. It was originally scheduled for release during the 2007 holiday season, but was pushed back multiple times and received a complete overhaul. The action-adventure stealth game had long been anticipated by loyal fans that followed the exploits of Sam Fisher in multiple games since 2002. The series has sold well, but as with many stealth games (the Metal Gear series and Hitman series, among others), has always held more a niche of hardcore gamers. I think this is due mainly to the patience at times that these games take to advance through the story; patience I sometimes have difficulty finding. While I’ve enjoyed a number of stealth games, I’ve always been frustrated by reaching a point where I get stuck and the game turns into a firefight, one that I rarely win. While I had concerns that the latest entry into the Splinter Cell series would leave me similarly frustrated, the previews and playable demo had me convinced that I must give the game a shot. To say I’m glad that I played it would be an understatement, as the game exceeded my expectations and comes with a high recommendation, particularly to first/third-person shooter fans who never felt like they had the patience to get through an action stealth game.

Splinter Cell Conviction tells the story of Sam Fisher, the central figure of the Splinter Cell series, who has disappeared into hiding to live in seclusion from his former employer, the Third Echelon (a secret-ops division of the National Security Administration), in Malta. Despite his best efforts to stay hidden, Fisher is located by a former Third Echelon college, known as “Grim”, and warned of a group of hitmen who are on their way to murder him. It turns out that the man who called in the hit was a man supposedly responsible for killing Fisher’s daughter, Sarah. When Fisher arrives to get his revenge, he soon finds more than he bargained for. Fisher realizes that he was led into a trap by Grim, who wants his assistance in regards to a potential plot to overthrow the United States Government and its first female President. Fisher must help unravel and stop the potential attack before the United States is overrun; all the while chasing those he believes are responsible for the death of his daughter.

The story itself is a bit far-fetched. Not unusual for the series, but one that I found myself less and less concerned about as the game continued on. For a lesser game, that would take away from the experience, but the control system combined with the quick-pace of the game more than make up for what I found to be a confusing storyline. It’s not that the story is impossible to follow, it just places a lot of importance on watching the (relatively short) cut-scenes to see a lot of information thrown at you in a short period of time. It is easy to pick up the general plot from how the game advances, and to be honest I’d recommend that route unless you’re a devoted Splinter Cell series fan. In terms of actual gameplay, Splinter Cell quickly moves from one battle to the next seamlessly, making the player incorporate different strategies and techniques. Through these battles, the game actually encourages the player to develop and improve their in-game strategies and abilities. These battles feel balanced and more challenging as the solo plot unfolds, but works hard to not overwhelm players with a solid number of checkpoints along the way. The campaign difficulties jump substantially; I didn’t have any issue completing the game on normal considering my lack of experience in stealth games. That said, playing on the realistic difficulty is certainly a challenge and either rewarding or painful depending on your success rate.

The gameplay is notably different from previous Splinter Cell titles, with the mark and execute system being the most notable change in how the game plays. The idea of the system is that you earn an execute option when you achieve a stealth kill. Once you have an mark and execute in the bank, you are able to mark a number of enemies from any position (preferably covered) depending on the weapon you are using and with one click of a button assassinate all of your marked targets, assuming that they are all in range. The ability to tell if they are in range is a simple change of color: grey means they are out of range, while red means they are ready to be killed. The system is made to be used throughout the campaign, giving you the opportunity to stealth kill a single enemy and then have the opportunity to take out numerous enemies at once without them ever knowing you were there. It’s an easy to learn system that plays a crucial (and enjoyable) role throughout both the single-player and co-op campaigns. In addition, it has never been easier to tell when you are in cover. When you enter cover, the entire screen turns from color to black and white. This takes a little getting used to at first, but becomes second nature as you get used to it, allowing you to know exactly when you can and cannot be seen. As your comfort with the cover system grows, it will encourage you to shoot out lights, providing you more cover and allowing you to sneak around more freely. It adds a great deal to the idea of cover and I can say that this is one of the best cover systems I’ve ever used in any game.

One of the major complaints regarding the game is that the single-player campaign (and co-op campaign for that matter) is extremely short. While I can’t argue that the campaign itself was brief, I can tell you that it by no means makes this game a weak value. The replay value for Splinter Cell Conviction is excellent, whether it be playing through the campaign at a higher difficultly, playing through again to discover previously missed challenges and achievements or enjoying the unique multiplayer experience. It should be noted that unlike many titles out there, the co-op campaign mode is a totally unique experience from the solo campaign. If you are someone who only plays single player games, I can understand why you might consider this a rental. I would still encourage you to give some of the multiplayer modes a chance. Anyone else though shouldn’t be concerned that there is not enough value here to justify the spend of their hard earned cash.

There are numerous multiplayer modes that can be found in Splinter Cell Conviction, which can be played either online, through System Link or through the same 360 using Split-Screen. The primary option is the co-op campaign, which as I mentioned above is a totally unique story. The premise is that four Russian EMP weapons have been stolen and Third Echelon and their Russian Government counterparts, Voron, have to work together to recover the stolen weapons. Archer, an American and Kestrel, a Russian, are selected to dive into the treacherous Russian underworld to work together to ensure the safe return of the stolen EMP’s. The co-op story plays similar to the solo campaign, but I found the story to be much more engrossing, playing as a prequel to the single-player story. I found this mode to be really fun to play through with a friend, which is how I’d recommend playing if possible. There are a number of players online who will quit early if you make one false move, but if you can avoid those players (hence why I say play with a friend) there is a great deal of enjoyment to get out of the co-op. The co-op moves at a quick (but not too quick) pace, but gives ample time for you and your partner to set up a stealth assault on each set of unsuspecting targets. Additionally, it’s nice to have someone who can cover you if you get yourself into a firefight and even revive you if you take too much damage.

Beyond the co-op story, there are numerous other multiplayer modes within Splinter Cell Conviction. In Hunter, another co-op mode, your goal is to eliminate every enemy on the map without being detected. If you find yourself detected, it will cause enemy reinforcements to arrive, so the goal of the mode is to be as stealth and patient as possible in removing all enemies. In Last Stand, you and a pal must defend an EMP generator against multiple waives of enemies. Think of a stealth version of Horde mode from Gears of War 2 here, as it benefits you greatly to remain in stealth and pick off enemies under the cover of darkness. The final co-op mode must be unlocked through UPlay, Ubisoft’s new services that gives you benefits for the more Ubisoft games you play. Infiltration mode requires that you play through the entire level without being detected. If you leave the shadows or are detected by an enemy, you must restart the mode. Finally there is Face-off, which is a head-to-head mode that is basically Spy vs Spy. Not only are you going up against computer controlled enemies, you are also on the lookout for your opponent. The goal is to rack up the most points. It’s a very fun mode, especially if you get enjoyment out of killing your friends on the virtual battlefield. Each one of these modes uses the same basic gameplay, but feels unique, extending the game much further than just the solo campaign.

Graphically, the game is excellent. The character motions are smooth, the backdrops feel realistic, and many small animations stand out. The lighting is incredible, not only in the aforementioned cover system, but with the noticeable impact it has on things as basic as enemies with flashlights. Their movements are either patient or hurried, depending on how nervous or aggressive they are feeling. They shine their flashlights around corners and behind them, making the game feel incredibly realistic. The environment is also very reactive, with items falling over if you jump across a table or hung lights swinging from momentum as you shoot out their light bulbs. There are a few moments when Fisher’s actions feel stiff, particularly while running or in a panic, but these largely go unnoticed and are overshadowed by how smooth and methodical the stealth movements feel within the game.

Similarly, I felt that the music was well done and did a great job of bringing out emotions at critical game moments. When you are detected by enemies, the music intensity picks up, almost as if it recognizes when your heart beats faster and reacts accordingly. When you are making stealth movements, the music feels like it is sneaking through an area right along with you, blending into the game moment tremendously. The sounds within the game are subtle, never overstepping their boundaries while at the same time letting you know when you’ve knocked over an item or perhaps made a misstep. The enemy dialogue is enjoyable and entertaining, though after a while it gets old. Once the enemy knows that you are present, they attempt to draw you out with snide comments insulting your bravery for hiding from them. While they didn’t work against me, I could see how they could inspire someone to pull a little too far out of cover just to get that perfect shot to shut an enemy up.

I didn’t know how to feel about Splinter Cell Conviction before I put the game into my XBOX 360, but I could tell almost right away that this was a stealth game that I would feel comfortable playing. It ended up being much more than that for me, as I couldn’t put down the controller due to my desire to finish the campaign. While I haven’t gone back and beaten the game in realistic mode, for the first time in a stealth game I’m excited to do so. I know Ubisoft made some bold choices in terms of gameplay that classic Splinter Cell fans might not be used to, but I feel like they paid off big time in terms of expanding the series fan base without losing touch with what made those before love the Splinter Cell series. All of that said, I think the multiplayer is a sorely under looked aspect of this game. It’s really, really fun, particularly playing with people who you know and the modes are diverse enough that they allow you to enjoy whatever facet of the game you liked most. There are a significant number of Gears of War players who I bet have not tried a Splinter Cell game and I believe this is a perfect game for them to start with to see what they think of the stealth genre. The game tightly balances pleasing a loyal group of longtime players while making improvements that allow easy acclimation of first timers. I’ve heard some people compare this game to the television series ‘24’ and I think it’s a great analogy. It’s intense, exciting, over the top and chock full of action. It might not be the single best game you play this year, but I think it will without question be one of the most fun.

9 out of 10.

Released April 13^th, 2010 for the XBOX 360 (version used for this review) and PC.

What I'm Playing: Week of 4/19

2010-04-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I hope you had a fantastic weekend and found some time in between lots of playoff sports to get some gaming in.

Unfortunately for me my gaming is limited this week, as I will be spending Thursday-Tuesday in the wonderful Windy City, Chicago. It is time to put the DSi XL to work! :) I really want to spend more time with DJ Hero, as I've really like the little I've played so far, but I will be too busy to squeeze it in this week. Same unfortunately goes for the Starcraft 2 BETA, though I will be taking my computer on the trip so who knows. Also, while I'm listing God of War Collection I am making no promises about it. Most of the other games that I've listed lately should just be assumed to be on hiatus, at least for this week. I've got way to many games I want to get reviews out on...

Anyway, here is what I'm playing this week while trying to find out more about the new iPhone...

Splinter Cell Conviction (playing on 360, also on PC): This game will likely be my next review, especially with all the travel going on. The little I've played of it so far is fantastic, and I am not one who loves stealth type games. Having a lot of fun with this game so far.
Pokemon: HeartGold (DS): I have officially begun my first Pokemon game, and while I don't expect to collect them all, I'm curious to see how much enjoyment I get out of this game. I'm in the very early going - I should have more to say about it after this upcoming trip.
God of War: Collection (PS3): I've made some steady progress in this game and believe that I am past the 3/4 point if you consider both games. Though frustrating at times when I get stuck, this collection is a great value as these games (God of War 1 and 2) have both been excellent.

As always, let me know what you've been playing via the comments or Twitter, and let me know what I'm missing out on. Happy gaming everyone!

What I'm Playing: Week of 4/12

2010-04-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

Hope everyone had a great post-Easter weekend! I want to be sure you're all aware of the DJ Hero deal at Toys R Us this week (read on), but besides that not a lot of big titles coming out this week. I will likely be getting to Splinter Cell: Conviction, this month's big release which comes out tomorrow, in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime here is what I will be spending my (not as much as I'd like) gaming time on:

Final Fantasy XIII (playing on PS3, also on 360): Still grinding through Square's most recent epic. I thought I would have made more progress last week but was unable to due to extended alone time taking care of the baby.
Bioshock 2 (playing on 360, also on PS3, PC): Just arriving from GameFly, I must admit I am very excited to jump back into the world of Rapture. Bioshock 1 was one of the best games I've played on the 360. I'm much more excited to play through the story of this game as opposed to the multiplayer. Hopefully a review of this game will come before too long, especially since the price is beginning to drop.
DJ Hero (playing on the 360, also on PS3, Wii): I picked this up from Toys R Us for $50 yesterday, which is the best price I've seen it at. I'm not sure how far into it I'll get this week, but I'll post my thoughts as I have them.
Battle of the Immortals BETA (PC): The BETA for this MMORPG game opens up tomorrow, and I will be checking it out thanks to the Kartel. I will post thoughts for this BETA when (if) I get enough time in that I think they would be valid.
Starcraft 2 BETA (PC): Really need to get some advice on strategy, as I continue to get my butt kicked in this game. I need to spend some time just working on my town development - any and all helpers are appreciated!
God of War Collection (PS3): I have neglected this game that I had made such good progress in. I really want to get a review out on it since I really like it, so I gotta put my nose to the stone on this one.

What are you playing this week? Let us know via Twitter or the comments. Happy gaming everyone!

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand USED GAME REVIEW

2010-04-08T11:18:00.001-07:00

When I got my hands on 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (Swordfish Studios, THQ), I have to admit that I was excited. It wasn’t an “I can’t wait to play this great game” excitement, more of the excitement you feel when you sit down to watch a ridiculous movie. You don’t expect it to be Oscar worthy; you just hope to be entertained. While I am by no means a fan of 50 Cent’s music, I don’t mind the entertaining personality that he has evolved into, and previews of his second video game effort always struck me as entertaining. With surprisingly solid critical reviews and a number of gamer recommendations, I figured it would be difficult for me to not enjoy this game. Unfortunately, I found more boredom than enjoyment in 50 Cent’s second attempt at a video game.

In this 3^rd person shooter, you control 50 Cent as he battles through an unnamed Middle Eastern country trying to reclaim a diamond-encrusted skull. The skull was given to 50 as payment for a concert he had held in the country and subsequently stolen by one of the numerous militant groups currently entrenched in the lawless land. Teaming up with your choice of fellow G-Unit members Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, or DJ Whoo Kid, you must use guns, rocket launchers, and even Humvee’s to fight your way through hordes of enemies, upgrading your weapons and collecting that all-important (to 50 Cent) cash money through 9 single-player or co-op missions.

If you’ve ever played a Gears of War style cover-based shooter, the game and its controls will instantly feel known, if not a little stripped down. If the controls are new to you they are easy to pick up, and while they leave a little to be desired they work fine throughout the game, allowing relatively easy access in and out of cover. Weapon selection is also streamlined, and I found the targeting system, while slow for my tastes even with the sensitivity turned up, to be acceptable. Graphically the game looks decent if not spectacular; not awful, but certainly not the best we’ve seen, particularly in regards to the cutscenes. While enemies quickly become repeated and generic, there is enough variety throughout each small battle to help move the game along. If you’re a 50 Cent fan, you’ll love the soundtrack. 50 recorded 18 of the 40 music tracks exclusively for the game. As someone who doesn’t enjoy his music, I played through the majority of the game with the music off, and found the sound effects to be fine.

The only real complaint I have about the game is that it is terribly short. I was able to play through the single player campaign on normal difficulty in about 5 hours. For a game that contains no multiplayer-only modes, that is an incredibly short single-player experience. While the game contains co-op, you need to know someone who also has the game, as at the time of this review it was difficult to find a random co-op partner online when I went looking for multiplayer games. Additionally, the co-op is simply a replay of the single-player campaign, limiting the replay value. Luckily, you won’t be paying $60 for the limited experience, which makes it a little more tolerable. It is worth noting that if you are interested in buying this game used, I’d highly recommend the XBOX 360 version, as it is consistently priced around $10 cheaper than the PS3 version at most retailers (not sure if this is due to rarity or what).

In all, I didn’t find 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand to be a bad game. With all of my over-the-top expectations, I found it to be incredibly boring and average. With the solid reviews the game received at release, part of me wonders if my expectations o f entertainment were too high, while another part of me wonders if the way the game has aged since its release in February of 2009 had any effect. I would tell fans of 50 Cent that this game is worth a play due to the deep soundtrack and fun factor of playing as one of their favorite rappers. For the rest of you, I would recommend demoing the game to see if it is for you. You might find a game that you get a lot of fun out of. Or, like me, you might find a painfully short game in which all you found was unremarkable when all you wanted was entertainment.

5 out of 10.

50 Cent: Blood in the Sand was released on February 20^th, 2009 for XBOX 360 (version used for this review) and PlayStation3.

Pricing: You can find 50 Cent: BotS used at FX Gaming Exchange for $19.99 (360) and $29.99 (PS3) respectively. Game is also available at multiple online retailers.

What I'm Playing: Week of 4/5

2010-04-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone! I hope you had a great weekend and are having a wonderful Opening Day (baseball). I wanted to take a moment and post a quick "What I'm Playing" for this week. With the fiancé out of town this week in Vancouver, it's just the baby and I, which means there will be some serious gaming to catch up on during the baby's nap/sleep time.

Final Fantasy XIII (Playing on PS3, also on 360): The review is in, and I did find this game enjoyable. I am still working through some of the grinding and side quests, and still enjoying this game. If there is anything that strikes me as I continue to play that requires an addendum to the review I posted last week, you will be made aware of it.
50 Cent: Blood in the Sand (Playing on 360, also on PS3): Just arrived from Gamefly today, and I have to admit I'm excited! While the game got mixed reviews, the majority said that you would enjoy it if you didn't take it too seriously - right up my alley. I'm excited to dive into this game in the next couple of days.
Starcraft 2 BETA (Playing on PC): Finally going to play more SC2 BETA this week, especially as something that I can easily do from the laptop while the baby rests. I've been watching more commentaries on the game to try to understand strategy better - if you have strategies that you think work well please share them!
Blur BETA (Playing on 360): I haven't played as much Blur as I'd like, but I'm hoping to put out some thoughts on this before the end of the week. Stay tuned.
God of War Collection (Playing on PS3): Fell by the wayside with FFXIII grinding, but has not been forgotten about. I will hope to be close to having God of War 2 done (which would complete the collection) within the next couple of weeks, with a goal of getting a review out before the end of the month. This game has been added to the PS3 Greatest Hits line, so I want to get thoughts out as soon as I can.

I also received the Dante's Infero animated movie on BluRay today, so I will be watching that within the next couple of days. What will you be playing this week?

Final Fantasy XIII Review

2010-04-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

After a (minimum) five year development cycle, an endless supply of teaser trailers, and one of the most devoted fanbases in all of entertainment suffering through years of angst as to when the game would finally be released, it is fair to call Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix) one of the most anticipated games of this generation of consoles. Since its release, it has also proven to be one of the most polarizing games in recent memory. Fans of the series have taken sides, the majority of which consider the game either a masterpiece or a massive failure. With the proverbial line drawn in the sand, the game has quickly become an enigma within the franchise, with those who were not lined up at midnight in release day left wondering whether they would love the game or despise it.

With all of the arguing over whether the game was a must-have or a must-avoid, I decided to remove all expectations from the game, and play through it as if I had never read or seen a thing about Final Fantasy XIII. I removed the anticipation and dreams I had for years that this game would be the pinnacle of the franchise. I also removed from my mind many of the anguish-filled complaints that I had read through message boards and reviews. With a clean conscience, I finally felt ready to tackle what was easily the most-anticipated RPG that the PS3 or 360 had ever seen. What I found was a good game. Sometimes it was fantastic; other times it was lacking, but in all it was an enjoyable experience. Was it the best game Square Enix has ever made? No (In fact, having the words Final Fantasy in the title might have been what frustrated so many, making me wonder how the game would have been received if it wasn’t understandably to be forever compared to its predecessors). However, I found Final Fantasy XIII to be an engaging, risk-taking roller coaster of a game. It was at times unquestionably beautiful and at others unquestionably average. I cannot tell you whether you will love or hate this game, but I can tell you it is worth finding out.

Keeping the plot of Final Fantasy XIII to a paragraph or two with all the twists, turns, intertwining character backgrounds and main story feels pretty much impossible. Instead, we are going to briefly look at the individual characters in layman’s terms and then quickly explain the big picture. There are six playable characters in the game, 5 of which become available at the outset (I will leave the 6^th unknown so that you can be surprised. If you don’t want to be surprised, you can Google it). Additionally, I will throw in some nuggets about the plot as necessary through the review.

The first character we meet is Lightning, a former sergeant of the Guardian core (think skilled military killer). She has decided to leave everything behind to attempt to save her sister Serah, whose life she fears is in grave danger. As the story begins, Lighting, independent by choice, is unexpectedly joined in battle by Sazh, a former military pilot. Similar to Lightning, Sazh is out to save a family member, but in his case it is his son Dajh. You will know when you meet Sazh – he’s the one with the famed Chocobo chick living in his afro. While Lightning and Sazh are teaming up, we are introduced to Snow, the self proclaimed hero of the people. Snow is a leader of a resistance group named Team NORA, and as we soon find out engaged to Lightning’s sister Serah, an engagement that Lightning makes clear she does not approve of. During a battle between NORA and The Sanctum (controlling government) in which Snow is leading a group of rebels against Sanctum soldiers, a young boy named Hope watches his mother die as a willing fighter for the resistance. He instantly blames Snow for his mother’s death and swears that he will take Snow’s life in revenge. While Hope is still grieving the loss of his mother, he meets Vanille, who also happens to be our narrator for Final Fantasy XIII. Much about Vanille seems mysterious, from her background to her interesting accent, but she has an innocence and upbeat attitude that she puts into almost every situation. Vanille knows little about Hope’s loss, but wants to do what she can to assist him. The five team members, willingly or not, become humanity’s only hope for survival.

In many Final Fantasy games, each person finds themselves preferring one or two characters over the others, and this game is no different. Each character has a large, in some cases polarizing personality, but Square Enix finds a great narrative balance in developing each personal storyline, and the amount of character growth seen throughout the game, while not groundbreaking for the genre, feels fresh. Each character faces breaking points, helping you relate to the weaknesses that even strong individuals have. Also, the team dynamic that is developed as you progress through the game allows characters who you might have initially disliked to grow on you as the plot unfolds. As the team unifies and you gain the ability to select your teammates, you have been through enough with each individual to understand their strengths (and weaknesses), allowing you to not only select those characters who are your “favorites”, but actually tailor your battle team to your style of play.

Moving on, each subgroup of the team finds their way to a single place, where the find Serah turning into the form of an l’Cie.

Now, an l’Cie is a person marked by a fal’Cie, which is a god-like beast. When a person gets marked (receiving a mysterious tattoo) by a fal’Cie, they become an l’Cie, get it? Good. Now, an l’Cie has a mission, which is called a focus, which must be completed. The kicker is that the newly marked l’Cie is not told what their focus is – they must figure it out for themselves, sometimes even with an unknown time limit. There are only two options for an l’Cie – if they complete their focus, they are turned into crystal and granted “eternal life” stuck in crystal form. If they do not complete their focus, they are turned into a wandering monster known as a Cie’th. It’s pretty much a lose-lose situation. Oh, and one other thing – l’Cie are considered outcasts and are immediately exiled from the homeland of Cocoon. They are also feared by the citizens of Cocoon due to their paranoia about the unknown.

Does that all make sense? No? Well, it is easier to explain with HD cutscenes, believe me.

Determined to save Serah and overcome with emotion at the sight of Snow, Lightning charges and attempts to attack the fal’Cie that marked her sister. This leads to the five team members all being marked as l’Cie, each becoming an enemy of not only the state, but humanity as a whole. With only a shared yet hazy vision to lead them, the team sets out to save Serah and themselves, vowing to do whatever it takes to complete their focus, avoid becoming crystals, and perhaps save the world in the process.

The plot is complex, but does a great job of weaving a many individual stories and a deep narrative together over thirteen game chapters. There is a great deal of growth and development of individual characters, many subplots that smoothly start and finish throughout the game, and key moments that help push the story forward right as it feels like it is getting stale. The one key item I found lacking in the game is a truly hated villain. Instead of introducing the villain at the start of the game (think Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII, for example) and developing their narrative along with your parties, the plot focuses almost exclusively on your party, with each team member going through individual and group discoveries about themselves and their companions, growing before your eyes. While I did miss the feel of a classic villain to do battle with, I did not feel that it ruined the game. I found myself attaching to characters, even those who I was annoyed with at the start of the game. As they grew as people and heroes, my enjoyment of them grew as well. It was not a total success, but I feel that for the most part, the plot succeeds in attaching you to characters and keeping you interested in the story, and most importantly gets better as you play through the game.

With the plot explanation out of the way, I can quickly mention the one thing about this game that everyone can agree on: it is beautiful. Square Enix has long been showing off the graphics for the first Final Fantasy game developed in high definition for years, and the game did not disappoint, dwarfing previous iterations in both detail and scope. The backgrounds immediately jump off of the screen, particularly the steel metropolis that is Cocoon and the lush jungles and fields that create the world of Gran Pulse. It is not simply the size of the worlds that is impressive, as the backgrounds feel as though they are truly living. While you move through Cocoon, the city feels like it is living and breathing with steam and electricity. Similarly, the jungles and fields of Gran Pulse feel like an eco system, with predators sprinting past your party hunting prey while running between the legs of giant mammoth-like beings that are hundreds of feet tall. The effort Square Enix put into developing the graphics paid off in a big way, making the planet come alive in ways previous Final Fantasy games only dreamed of. The backdrops are as aesthetically impressive as anything we have seen this console generation.

Along the same lines, we see a level of character detail that is unmatched in previously released Final Fantasy games. Whether you are looking at team members, enemies, or the impressive summons known as Eidolons, it becomes clear that Square Enix spent a great deal of time mastering the look of those that inhabit the world of Final Fantasy XIII. Your squad members all have an individually unique look which helps separate each character and their story. Whether watching a cutscene or entering battle, Final Fantasy protagonists have never moved so smoothly through the world in which they live. The same can be said for enemies, who appear on the field of battle at all times (in fact, they can even be avoided by running past them– quite different from the random battle generator of previous Final Fantasies), even at times battling each other. Some were upset that there were enemies whose only difference was a shade of color (imagine fighting the bad guy in a blue suit who looks the same as the guy in a red suit), but I feel like it was more of an homage to past editions of the series as opposed to Square Enix taking shortcuts. Attacks, heals, and spells all look great, and the battle interface is easy to read, allowing you to quickly recognize when to be aggressive and when you need to step back and heal.

I would be remiss not to discuss the cutscenes, a Final Fantasy staple. Whether being used to progress the story or simply show off the entrance of an Eidolon, Square Enix hit a home run. The production value is through the roof, and these cutscenes rival the quality of any animation I have ever seen. Final Fantasy games are well known for pushing the standard of available console technology, and with the ability to work with Blu-Ray and high definition, they have taken full advantage. It was nice of them to add the ability to skip the scenes if for some reason you did not want to watch them, but based on the teaser trailers we have been seeing for years the anticipation and high expectations were met if not exceeded. This also seems like a good point to mention that if you own an XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3 and are unsure which system to purchase the game on, I would recommend the PS3 version. This is not due to the fact that the game is one 1 Blu-Ray instead of 3 DVD’s, but rather because the cutscenes simply look better on the PlayStation 3. This is not to say the game looks poor by any means on the 360, but I do believe that graphically the PS3 has the edge here.

The audio in the game is solid for the most part with brief moments of greatness. While the game contains a couple of great songs, it is not an epic soundtrack that will endure the tests of time like other Final Fantasy games. I enjoyed the battle theme quite a bit, but the music for the most part is inconsistent, ranging from cheesy to great and everywhere in between. The voice acting is for the most part very good. Character voices fit their personalities well, and while many people have taken issue with Vanille’s odd Australian-ish accent, I had no problem with it. Without that leading enemy character it was difficult to feel attached to any particular villain, but the voiceovers for the enemies the squad met did a nice job of drawing the player into that particular moment or battle. The sound effects are not memorable at all, but do not do any harm to the game.

The battle system, brand new to Final Fantasy XIII, is fantastic. It is easy to learn and difficult to master, allowing those who are new to Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPG’s) to pick the game up play without feeling utterly lost, which is done by allowing the player to auto-attack. It also caters to JRPG veterans, allowing for many combinations and team member development that is found in classic genre titles. The system is based on groups of classes called paradigm shifts, which allow you to change the classes of your in-battle team at any time. This allows for easy transition from a paradigm focused on offense to one focused on defense and healing. It is wise to learn how to successfully flow between paradigm shifts, as it will be crucial to your success as the game reaches its later stages.

The system is not perfect, and there have been a great deal of complaints regarding the fact that you are only responsible for one out of your three party members, but considering it was the first attempt under this system I found it to be a great success. I found both the automated battle choices made for the player (when selected) and the computer AI to be impressive, adjusting mid-battle to the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent as more is learned about the enemy. The only real deficiency that the AI had was when it was controlling a medic, preferring to heal for short bursts even when a team member was incapacitated, but it was far from making the game unplayable. There are those out there that also complained about losing a battle when the player you control dies, even if the other two characters are alive. This did not bother me; it simply made me adjust my strategies whenever the character I controlled was in dangerous spot.

Weapons and character development are two other areas of the game that were built from the ground up. Instead of replacing weapons with those that have better stats, Square Enix installed a leveling up system for weapons based on experience. This allows you to instill experience in your weapons, leveling them up and improving their stat bonuses. While not a perfect system by any means, the system was steady enough not to have a negative impact on the game. In fact, the weapons system as a whole did not play a large role in my playthrough, as I chose to focus much more of my attention on developing character stats. The character development system used experience, but instead of boosting specific stats you put those experience points into individual class spheres, similar to Final Fantasy X. The Crystarium System, as it is called, allows players to determine which classes (which are basically tank, healer, melee, magic, team stat booster and an enemy stat hinderer) they want to sink their points into. Not all classes are opened right away, forcing you to focus particular characters into specific roles. While this might seem frustrating, it allows you to keep your battle team balanced during parts of the game where you are forced to use specific characters, giving you a good balance of classes between your team members once you are allowed to select your own party.

The major complaint with Final Fantasy XIII was the decision to make the majority of the game linear. Unlike every Final Fantasy before it, Final Fantasy XIII took away the ability for players to explore the world at their leisure until very late into the game, removing mainstays such as towns and townsfolk, mini-games, and moving all stores into save points. There is no question that it was a new direction, but I did not find it to be as awful as detractors have claimed. The first three-fourths of the game are very linear, only allowing you access to specific characters as the story progresses and not allowing you to go off the specific path of the narrative. At times, it almost feels like playing a game such as God of War as opposed to a Final Fantasy game. I think this is where having the name “Final Fantasy” plagued the game. If you remove the title, I think the issue of the game being so linear is less criminal and can be enjoyed. Removing the expectations I had ended up being crucial, as it allowed me to enjoy a Final Fantasy game very different from previous entries in the series without being angry about missing towns and mini-games.

While it is a far from perfect, Final Fantasy XIII did not hesitate to take risks and try to push the JRPG genre forward. Some risks paid off tremendously, while some quite honestly ruined the game for people. It’s difficult for me to think of a more polarizing game in recent memory, but, and this is to Square Enix’s credit, I can’t remember such a popular franchise being willing to take such bold risks, especially a franchise such as Final Fantasy that has been pretty much printing money for the last fifteen years. What we are left with is a beautiful yet mechanically flawed game that has alienated a significant number of hardcore JRPG fans, but may very well open up the series to those who were too intimidated to try a game in the franchise. This is a title that all JRPG fans must at minimum try out, but additionally if you have always been an adventure game fan that felt like you could never play (and more specifically finish) a Final Fantasy game, this game very well may the perfect segue way into the hardcore genre that is the JRPG.

8 out of 10.

Final Fantasy XIII was released on March 9^th, 2010 on the PlayStation 3 (version used for this review) and the XBOX 360

Hello From Vegas!

2010-03-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to note to my peeps that I'm in Sin City right now with the fiancée and the baby, so I will post a 'What I'm Playing' on Wednesday.

Additionally, I should have a Final Fantasy XIII review up on the site sometime between Wednesday and Thursday, and I'm hoping to post some thoughts on the Blur multiplayer beta either Friday or Saturday (H/T to my friend Ray Almeda [The Kartel] for hooking me up with the beta code!). Lets just say that the two word description so far would be:

Additionally, I'd like to let everyone in Texas know that FX Gaming Exchange is opening a new store this Wednesday in Plano! A Big congrats to Mr. Trey Fondren and the others who are getting the store up and running. For those interested in finding out more, here is the address:

PARKWOOD SHOPPING CENTER
3000 CUSTER ROAD
SUITE 170
PLANO TEXAS, 75075

Beyond that, I will briefly mention that I arrived in Vegas on Sunday and will be here through Wednesday afternoon. We are here for work, and staying at the Paris. The room is nice, but the casino is definitely not for me. Not sure if I will get any dice in before I head out, but if I do I will be wandering across the street to the Bellagio.

One other gaming note, I've had to put my short review for the God of War collection on hold, but I hope to have that review out by the end of next week.

Stay tuned, and as always, thanks for reading!

What I'm Playing: Week of 3/22

2010-03-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings All!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I decided that a new weekly feature I'm going to do with the blog is discuss what games I am currently playing as to keep you posted on what reviews will be posted soon and also encourage discussion and recommendations as to other games that I should be playing. In addition, it will allow me to track my thoughts on games that take more than a couple days to play through *cough FF XIII cough*. If you have other games I should have my hands on, please let me know! On to what I'm playing:

Final Fantasy XIII (Playing on PS3, also on 360) - Ah yes, I know it's a tad late, but this is the primary review that is upcoming for the FX Game Exchange April Newsletter. I actually haven't started this game yet, but as a die-hard FF fan, I will admit I am very excited about beginning this game tonight. Additionally, I am a little nervous, as I know it is going to be a great commitment at 50 or so hours, and the reviews written so far have been very hit or miss in regards to some of the innovations that have been added to the franchise. I guess there is one way to find out, and we'll all know my thoughts shortly.
God of War Collection (Playing on PS3) - Specifically God of War II, as I have already played through the first part of the title. A review will be coming shortly on this title too. While I am only a short way into GoW II, I can tell you that this title is easily one of the best values on the PlayStation 3. I can also mention that if I wasn't excited enough to review God of War 3, playing through these two classic PS2 games (that have been graphically upgraded, might I add), sure did the trick.
Starcraft II Beta (Playing on PC) - Still getting my sea legs right in this new Blizzard game beta, but based on the multiplayer games I have played so far I can say with some certainty that this long-awaited game is going to give Starcraft and Blizzard fans alike exactly what they've been waiting for.
NHL '10 (Playing on 360, also on PS3, PC) - My old fallback, this game has recently taken a backseat due to the number of reviews that I've needed to write, but nonetheless I'm sure I'll get a couple of Online Team Play games in this week.
Borderlands (Playing on 360, also on PS3, PC) - There's a good chance I won't be able to work on Borderlands at all this week, but I find it worth mentioning because it is simply a damn fun game. Certainly something that I will have to go back and spend more time on in April, which should make a review seem pretty timely since there should finally be some used copies at your local game store.

I should also mention that Astro Boy on Blu-Ray showed up on Saturday, and I am very curious to see how that movie turned out.

Mass Effect 2 Review

2010-03-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have been as excited to play any game as I was to play Mass Effect 2. The original, released in November 2007 (which feels like an eternity ago) was a game that I was unsure I would like, and one that takes some legitimate nerdiness to enjoy. If you are one that can handle that though, it is widely considered one of the best games ever made, let alone on the XBOX 360. I didn’t know what to expect when I sat down to follow Shepard and his crew around the galaxy for a second time. What I found was one of the most engaging, well-written, and enjoyable games I had ever played. To refresh my memory on the Mass Effect series, I decided to play through the original again for the benefit of this review, and there were many moments that I could recall being on the edge of my seat for during my initial journey into the Mass Effect world – not an easy task for a video game. Along with the interest in continuing the Mass Effect story and finding out just how BioWare would overcome the hype machine that was Mass Effect 2, I was very interested in seeing how Mass Effect 2 sold, because in my mind it was still a niche game that the mainstream gaming community would have trouble diving into head on. With 2 million sales within a week of its release, gamers had made their point – they couldn’t wait to get back on board the Normandy and continue the story. The only question that remained was whether all the hype and excitement about Mass Effect 2 was validated by the game itself. I am here to tell you that the answer to that question is a resounding YES.

Before I dive into Mass Effect 2 (ME2), I would quickly like to address a question many have asked: Should I play the original Mass Effect (ME1) before playing ME2? While it is not necessary to play through the first game to understand the plot in ME2, I would highly recommend it. The story is incredibly interwoven between the two games, and it is a huge benefit story-wise to understand the plot and background that come with ME1. Additionally, the character that you develop in the original game can be ported over and used in the second game. Playing this way was wonderful, as not only did you have the advantage of extra money and experience before you ever jumped into the world, but ME2 recognizes every major decision that you made in ME1 and incorporates it into the story. Without spoiling the first Mass Effect game, major decisions were made at the end of the game that plays a major role in how the direction of ME2 takes shape.

Alright, with that out of the way let us move on to the incredible experience that was ME2. Without giving much of the story away, Mass Effect 2 is combination of Role-Playing Game and Third-Person Shooter that takes place in a science-fiction setting. With the events of ME1 now two years in the past, the Human species has now taken a much more prevalent leadership role in the universe. Peace was found after the events of the first game, but now there is a new threat to not only humanity, but all alien life as well. It is up to Shepard and his squad of over a dozen (human and otherwise) teammates to determine and defeat the threat, even if it means risking their own lives. The decisions you make as Shepard not only affect the final outcome, but also the lives and relationships of your squad and others, rippling through the entire universe.

The developers of the game, BioWare, have spared no effort in trying to improve this game by fixing things that people disliked in ME1. The first place I noticed this was in the visuals of the game. The graphics in this game are beautiful, and the game runs significantly smoother than its predecessor. Gone are the painfully long elevator rides and textures that seemingly took forever to load, and though the loading screens can sometimes feel long they are not a major hindrance in the game. Similarly, the sound has been improved, with music and sound effects making the world feel big and beautiful. The voiceover work in the game is simply incredible, playing a huge part in drawing you into the world itself. There have been reports of some issues with sounds cutting out, but I have yet to have this issue in my 30 or so hours playing the game. BioWare has gone to great lengths to fix the technical issues that frustrated some games in ME1, and largely have succeeded here.

The improvements in ME2 were not only technical, as a number of gameplay elements were rebuilt from the ground up as well. The skill systems have been streamlined, making them more effective and easy to manage. To hardcore RPG fans, it might feel like the skill systems have been stripped down, but you can really see the impact as your team gains experience and useable skill points. Items and upgrades have also been streamlined, which has brought the focus further away from things like armor and back on the characters themselves. For those that are concerned that they won’t have sufficient firepower to take out enemies, the new upgrade system has the benefit of improving all weapons and biotics, making it easier to improve your entire team as opposed to once squad member with a single weapon. Another gameplay feature that has been retooled is planetary exploration, which brings me to the one bad thing I will say about Mass Effect 2: the mining system. The idea behind the system is that you use radar to explore planets and mine them for rare materials which are then used for purchased weapon, biotic, and ship upgrades. If you are playing for the full gaming experience, I highly recommend you upgrade your mining radar as fast as possible. The tediousness and general frustration experienced with trying to track down Element Zero with infuriatingly slow radar became mind numbing, and was the only part of the game I didn’t love.

With that out of the way, let me talk about what I found most enjoyable about ME2 – the characters. It says a lot about how good a game is when people argue over which character they enjoyed most, and reading through different reviews of the game, it becomes apparent that everyone finds something in a particular individual that draws them to that character. With 12 playable squad mates, the in-game tactical ability to pick and choose what kind of three-person team you would like to save the world with is wonderful, and creates many different options due to the differences in what each character is able to master. More than that though, the characters are incredibly developed, designed to stand on their own with problems, feelings, and beliefs that are unique to them. As you play through the game, some of these issues push to the forefront, giving you the choice to deal with them or ignore them. I’d highly recommend at least completing the side quests of the characters that you find yourself drawn to, as they further draw you into the Mass Effect world and give you more back story as to who these people are.

Personally, and this might be a cop out, I again found myself drawn to the character that you control, Commander Shepard. One thing I loved about both Mass Effect games is how much control is in your hands as the player, deciding whether Shepard becomes a benevolent Paragon leader, or a selfish aggressive Renegade. ME2 has improved on the good/bad decision making, making it easier to choose one choice or the other as opposed to being forced into choose the good or evil choice every time. In addition, players can now interrupt certain conversations with Paragon or Renegade choices that have a direct impact on how the cut scene plays out, potentially changing the direction of the plot. The decisions that you make in ME2 hold an even heavier impact on the universe than its predecessor, in many situations leaving the choice of who lives or who dies in your hands. I’m a sucker for the Paragon side, but I know many people who have played through both sides and preferred the Renegade choices. One thing I will make mention of here is that BioWare has always said that Mass Effect will be a trilogy, so as you play through the game keep in mind that the choices you make might have a great effect on the world if you decide to port your character over again for Mass Effect 3.

Along with plot changes, the choices Shepard makes also play a big role in relationships with team members. I’d be remiss not to mention that similar to the first game, there are romantic routes that you can choose if you see fit, (potentially) leading to a, ahem, culmination towards the end of the game. Similarly to ME1, this is handled with class and maturity by BioWare, and feels at home within the circumstances in which it occurs. The relationship that Shepard has with each team member stretches further than that though, playing a large role in how each team member views the commander. If you see fit, you are able to choose favorites, sometimes at the risk of alienating other members of your team.

Mass Effect 2 is like a great book that you just can’t put down. Even after your first play though, you’ll want to play again, if only to see how different decisions impact the ending of the game. Speaking of the ending, without giving anything away, it is incredible, and worth the hours that are spent reaching it. I’d highly recommend saving before you begin the final mission (you’ll know when you’re there), because then you can make different decisions and see how they affect the final outcome. Also, remember to save your character if you enjoy the game, because you will be able to continue the story from where you left off when Mass Effect 3 comes out. There might be people who are concerned that this game is too nerdy or niche for them, and I can understand how some people would take that position. That said, I think if there is any set of “nerdy” games to try, the Mass Effect series is it. Nerdy or not, this game is going to be a major contender for 2010 Game of the Year, and is one that every XBOX 360 and PC Gaming fan should put in their collection. Crappy mining included, I couldn’t justify giving this game anything less than a 10 out of 10.

10 out of 10

Released January 26, 2010 for XBOX 360 and PC.

New Super Mario Bros Wii Review

2009-12-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

To say Nintendo has had success with first-party games on the Wii would be a bit of an understatement. It’s probably better to just say that Nintendo-made games have been a license to print money. While third party games by major developers continue to flounder and struggle, Nintendo has created hit after hit for their family-friendly gaming leader. Mario Kart, Wii Fit, and Wii Sports Resort are a few examples of Nintendo-published games that have been huge sellers, even without consensus critical acclaim. The key to Nintendo’s success has been the attention paid to the causal gamer, which has become a large part of the Nintendo install base. The focus on casual gamers is one that has left hardcore Nintendo fans feeling scorned, as they have had to patiently wait for Nintendo to live up to its promise to deliver games for gamers. When New Super Mario Bros Wii was announced at E3 2009, it was to be the game that brought hardcore and casual gamers together in harmony to celebrate the world’s most famous plumber. There was no question that the game would sell. The question was whether the game would match the lofty expectations of casual and hardcore fans alike. Were those expectations met? For the most part, the answer is yes.

The first thing you’ll notice about New Super Mario Bros Wii (NSMB) is that it is full of nostalgia, and that feeling starts right when you put the game into the Wii. The game starts, Bowser captures the Princess, and Mario and friends begin a quest to rescue her. Where have we heard this before? You are instantly thrown into level 1-1, and begin to make your way through a level that should look wonderfully familiar. After jumping on a couple of Goombas and sending a Koopa Troopa shell flying, you’ll feel right back at home in the world of Mario. The first 2D Mario game since New Super Mario Bros DS (released in May, 2006), you’ll immediately recognize worlds, levels, and enemies. The game is seemingly designed as a tribute to the great Mario games of yester year, and as someone who grew up playing Mario games this resonated greatly. It’s also not a bad strategy, considering these were some of the best games ever made. The feeling of nostalgia flows all the way into the controls, allowing you to hold your Wiimote like an NES controller and play through the game with controls that feel second nature.

Graphically, this game is not one of the best looking games you’ll see on the Wii. Usually, I would say that with some disdain, and while I don’t want to let NSMB off the hook, I tend to give it more of a pass because the game is played in 2D, limiting how graphically impressive the game could really look. To its advantage, with so many 3D games out there that almost put too much emphasis on graphics and not enough on gameplay, this 2D Mario game feels like a breath of fresh air. As 2D games have become less common, young gamers have mostly missed enjoying the genre of Mario-type platforming games that are largely responsible for making gaming what it is today. This is also true of Mario himself, as many of his more recent games (Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, etc) feature the pudgy plumber in 3D, drifting him away from his 2D days of glory. The graphics in this game are by no means stellar, but the basic look of the game fits what it is trying to accomplish. Nintendo has correctly guessed that keeping things simple and familiar would resonate with long-time Ninetendo gamers, and this adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.

Nintendo has taken a similar approach in regard to the sound, finding a nice mix of classic Mario favorites and new-to-the-series tunes. Nothing is innovative or spectacular, but that is by design. All of the memorable Mario sound effects are in the game, from the exciting mushroom power-up to the infamous death jingle, and they go a long way in adding to the nostalgic feeling the game has. Nintendo also finds situations to use sound to create adorable moments, such as the brief times during levels where the enemies will dance along with the music. The sound also integrates well with the flow of the game, staying light-hearted during necessary moments and jacking up the intensity when entering a world dungeon. While not ground-breaking, Nintendo found a solid balance of old and new sounds that fit well within the context of the game.

While graphics and sound are important, Mario has always rested his laurels on his engrossing and memorable gameplay, and gameplay is the reason this game is such a success. Along with the regular game, there are two additional modes that are multiplayer based: Free-For-All and Coin battle, but both modes feel like throw-ins and are inferior to playing multiplayer through the regular game. That said, the regular game is a lot of fun. Using the Wiimote in an old-school NES fashion, the game only utilizes two buttons, which makes it easy for Mario rookies and veterans to pick up the controller and play. There is also an option to play with controls using the nunchuck, but I found that I preferred the sideways Wiimote. The controls are easy to pick up, and work exactly like Mario games of the past, save for a few motion control additions that prove to be a nice touch. True to classic side-scrolling Mario games there are a number of familiar features that you will instantly recognize if you’ve played any 2D Mario game. There are mini-games, power-ups, and secrets to discover along the way to assist you in trying to beat the evil Bowser. That said, this game is no walk in the park, providing challenging gameplay that punishes you for speeding through with anything short of expert Mario ability. I don’t think the difficulty is too overwhelming, but be advised you are going to die a few times on your way to the eighth world.

That is not to say that NSMB is all rehash of old standards. There are a number of new power-ups for Mario to take advantage of such as the Ice Flower, which works opposite the Fire Flower, allowing Mario to shoot balls of ice and freeze his enemies. There is also the Penguin Suit, which, in addition to shooting ice balls, allows Mario to comfortably walk on ice and improve his swimming ability. These seem to fit perfectly into the game and are both useful and necessary to progress through the game. Also new are the aforementioned motion controls, which feel more natural than pushing a button to do the specific action. The controls are solid for the most part, though on a few occasions they unexpectedly sent me flying into the air. Hint Movies are another key addition to NSMB, allowing you to use your gold star coins as currency to buy movies that will reveal some of the games secrets. These can be very effective for Mario beginners, showing you how to clear tough areas or revealing where you can find a few more 1-ups if you find yourself stuck.

The biggest addition to NSMB though is multiplayer, and I’m not talking about that old “you play then I play” from Mario games past. NSMB allows up to four people to play through each level simultaneously. It might sound scary, but trust me, it works wonderfully. Nintendo did a great job of balancing the levels in NSMB so that they are fun and challenging regardless of how many people are playing. Each box containing mushrooms releases enough power-ups for everyone, assuming one person doesn’t hoard them. You can also use your teammates as springboards and barriers, allowing players to reach areas they would otherwise be unable to reach without the right power suit. If you are playing multiplayer and you happen to die, you return in a safety bubble for your teammates to spring free.

Players are able to jump in and out of the game at any time, which is wonderful for those areas where a new player simply feels like the game is too hard or if someone needs to take a break. This is equally as effective when you are playing with friends and one of your friends is late, because they can just jump into the game upon arrival. With four players, the game becomes controlled chaos, as it is almost as fun to sabotage your teammates battling for power-ups as it is to help each other through the level. It should also be noted that continues are infinite, so if you are playing with someone who happens to be dying a great deal more than you, they can continue playing as long as they’d like. There is a lot of fun to be had playing multiplayer, and I found it more fun to progress through the game this way as opposed to alone.

While NSMB is a good game, it is by no means perfect. The biggest issue I have with the game is the lack of online play. While it seems to be a consistent issue with Wii games, the lack of online multiplayer in NSMB is almost criminal. Nintendo put all this work into making a wonderful multiplayer Mario game, and decided that it wasn’t worth it to include any online feature. While the game has good replay value, the value would be tenfold if you were able to enjoy the game online. Additionally, the Free-For-All and Coin Battle game modes, which would seem to be interesting online ideas, feel like worthless throw-ins since the multiplayer must be played on the same console. The other issue I have with NSMB is the difficultly. While I found the game challenging, those that I played the game with that were less talented Mario players found parts of the game to be too difficult and simply gave up. I worry that the game’s difficulty curve might leave first-time Mario gamers behind, but I understand that Nintendo had a tough line to walk here balancing the difficulty between too easy and too hard.

While this isn’t a perfect game, Nintendo has done a tremendous job making a Mario game that will appeal to both sides of the gaming spectrum. This is a game that will allow a new generation of youngsters to enjoy Mario in the same manner I did when I was a kid, and for those that played the originals this is a nostalgia trip with many elements that breathe fresh air into the genre. The addition of multiplayer to a 2D Mario game is ingenious; I just wish Nintendo would admit that putting effort into their online gaming capabilities would improve the Wii. Nonetheless, this is a must have title for Wii and Mario fans alike, and is the perfect game to bring to a party, holiday or otherwise.

8.5 Out of 10

Released November 15^th, 2009 for Nintendo Wii

Left 4 Dead 2 Review

2009-11-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

Left 4 Dead 2 arrived this holiday season with excitement, anticipation, and controversy. Valve, publisher and developer of the Left 4 Dead series, is best known for their dedication to their hardcore games and community, particularly when it comes to creating new (and free) content for their games, extending the replay value from hours to months, and in some cases, years with no additional cost. So while many mainstream gamers and media were excited about this timely sequel, hardcore loyalists were angry, feeling like their investment in a nearly identical game that seemed to only be new maps and an additional game mode should have been a (free) add-on to the original Left 4 Dead. There were petitions and boycotts, with many convinced that Valve had turned a cold shoulder to their loyal and dedicated fanbase. While many (including myself) disagreed with this minority, one thing the outcry did was raise expectations of what Valve needed to deliver to ensure gamers got their full value for Left 4 Dead 2. Lucky for us, there was more value than you could shake a blood-covered chainsaw at.

I will mention now that Left 4 Dead 2 is not for everyone. This is one of the goriest games on the XBOX 360 or PC, so use your judgment when purchasing for children. The blood, mutilation, and intensity make this one of those games that could keep people up at night. If the gore is too much, you are able to turn it down in the options menu, which was a nice touch. Also, this is a hardcore PC game at heart, so there is a learning curve for you casual gamers. If you have never played a Left 4 Dead game, it will take you some time to find your comfort zone with the controls and pace of the game. That said, Valve has always known who their target audience is, and for those that love a good ol’ zombie killer, you can’t do much better than this. Add in the co-op play that the original game in the series is known for, and this is a must have title for hardcore gamers. Left 4 Dead 2 is the epitome of an “is what it is” game – you will either love it, or you won’t.

For those wanting to jump right in, Campaign is the way to go. Campaign contains five individual battles, each of which takes about 45 minutes all the way up to 2 hours, depending on which difficulty you choose. The overall story, there simply to weave the individual missions together, follows the foursome of Nick, Rochelle, Ellis, and Coach as they battle their way through the deserted southern United States towards New Orleans. Following the tracks of those who had been rescued before them, they believe if they reach the Big Easy they will be rescued themselves. The only thing standing in their way is thousands of zombies, ready to ensure that the four are slaughtered long before they ever reach their goal.

For those that only play single player and do not wander into the online worlds, this game does not have a lot to offer you. While there is a tremendous amount of replay value in the Campaign mode, it is immensely more fun to play co-op with friends as opposed to playing with the artificial intelligence (AI) that controls the three characters you don’t in single player. While the AI has incredible aim and loves to heal you, they cannot be commanded, which means that you will have to charge into ambushes alone, take on the majority of attacks from the Special Infected zombies, and frustratingly wait for your teammates to keep up with the pace you try to set. The AI has improved compared to the original game, but becomes more of a hindrance as the game difficultly increases. Playing through expert difficultly on Left 4 Dead (1) was near impossible on single player, primarily because the zombies were smarter than your AI teammates. This is also a problem with Left 4 Dead 2, making expert difficultly almost unplayable without human teammates.

The only other thing I find issue with is the graphics. This is not to say that the graphics are bad, they just seem too similar to the original Left 4 Dead. I have always thought of Valve as a powerhouse for PC graphics, but there are many facets of Left 4 Dead 2 that seem to have received a strong tweak which led to improvements in the game, and the graphics are not one of them. This is particularly true of the console version. Bashing aside, the game still looks solid for a next generation title, with the zombies being the stars of the show. Watching zombies be ripped by a chainsaw is a very enjoyable experience, and much like the first Left 4 Dead, the way the zombies look and move during battles increases the intensity during the game. Additionally, the Special Infected, boss zombies that have special abilities, look particularly gruesome. Their design and movement are well done, and seem to be where Valve spent additional time with the look of the game.

The sound in Left 4 Dead is terrific. The background music is subtle, which allows more important features of the game to shine. Special Infected each have their own musical alert, proving to be a huge help in both the Campaign and Versus modes. The voice acting is well done; with each character showing individual personalities throughout the game that further bring you into the experience. All of these facets are enjoyable, but it is the in-game sounds that I found most memorable in Left 4 Dead 2. The sounds of the guns, melee weapons, and enemy attacks skyrocket the intensity level of the game, really putting a player into the zombie apocalypse. I found myself continually going back to use a melee weapon, determining that there was nothing as fun as ringing a frying pan off of a zombie’s head. This in addition to the zombie grunts, growls and screams made the game that much more engrossing and fun.

Graphics and sound notwithstanding, the original Left 4 Dead was all about multiplayer gameplay. The simple formula put forth by Valve led to some of the most addictive fun we had seen in this generation of games. Whether playing co-op Campaign, Versus or Survival, the necessary teamwork needed to have success in the game had scores of gamers coming back for more. Luckily for us, Valve has tweaked many things in the gameplay to ensure that gamers would feel justified in spending their $60 to return to the zombie apocalypse. The in-game melee weapons, seemingly novelty items in the many previews seen for Left 4 Dead 2, are not only incredibly fun to use, but balanced enough that they can be used as your primary weapon. This adds an entirely new element to balancing your team out with the right weapons, and allows those who too often get caught in close quarter combat a weapon that will prove effective.

In addition, the new enemy monsters help balance out the zombie side of things as well. The Charger is a smaller version of the tank, which not only deals major damage to the Survivors, but can also single out a player to split up a team, making survival that much more difficult. The Spitter is present to punish teams that like to spend too much time in one area, spitting acid onto the ground and forcing Survivors to stay on the move. Finally, The Jockey is the most unique of the three, able to jump onto a Survivor and take control of their movement, leading them straight into the horde or even worse, the evil witch. These new monsters add terrific variety to the online versus matches, something that made the original Left 4 Dead versus mode turn a bit stale.

The three excellent online modes from Left 4 Dead return in the sequel. Campaign, Versus, and Survival are each on their own extremely fun and challenging modes. Campaign mode is the story playing through online co-op, with players doing battle with the zombie horde on each of the individual five missions. Versus uses these same missions, but has two teams that take turns battling each other as Survivors and Infected. Survival is a mode in which teams of up to four battle the clock to see how long they can hold out against the zombie horde. Whether playing with friends or strangers, each has their own pluses, and many players are likely to find one they like more than the rest. Versus is particularly enjoyable with a large group of friends, as there is pure joy in attacking your frantic friends as a zombie.

In addition, Valve has added two fantastic new game modes. Realism mode is similar to Campaign, but with the difficulty turned up. This mode is designed for those hardcore Left 4 Dead fans who want the toughest Campaign challenge they can get. Zombies are more difficult to kill, and game assists such as item and teammate highlights have been turned off. This mode is not for everyone, but for hardcore Left 4 Dead players that love the challenge of expert; this was designed with you in mind. Additionally, Left 4 Dead 2 brings a new versus mode called Scavenge. Scavenge is a round-based competitive battle in which teams attempt to avoid the horde and capture more gasoline cans than the other. For those that feel that regular Versus mode has become old, this brings a whole new fun factor to playing as the Infected. The mode is quick paced and fun, and is a nicely unique addition to the multiplayer options. Both new match types are great fits into the Left 4 Dead rotation, giving the two most popular groups of online players - those that love the challenge of Campaign and those who love playing as the Infected - new and fresh game modes to enjoy on top of what they already had.

Left 4 Dead was one of 2008’s best games, and Left 4 Dead 2 has improved most facets of the original. While the first had great gameplay, the feature set was so basic that it felt like the game survived on addiction alone. Though each play through was unique in the sense of where battles took place, the game staled after so many times of playing the same levels the same ways. Left 4 Dead 2 has fixed this, building out every facet of the game. Whether talking about monsters, weapons, or even game modes, everything in Left 4 Dead 2 feels fuller than the original. All of these improvements while keeping the addictive and exciting gameplay of the original Left 4 Dead lead to Valve having another huge winner on their hands. I recommend trying out each of the online modes to determine which is your favorite, as you might be surprised by which you love once you give each mode a shot. Personally, I am very excited to dive into Realism and see how far I can get, then breaking in frustration to play some Scavenge and see how far I can ride a Survivor with The Jockey. Valve showed their confidence in this game by releasing it a mere week after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and for good reason – this is a great game. For those that were concerned that they would not get value out of Left 4 Dead 2, let me put your fears to rest. This should be considered one of the best multiplayer games not only of the year, but of this console generation.

9.5 out of 10

Released on November 17^th2009 for XBOX360 and PC

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

2009-11-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

If Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 isn’t the most anticipated game ever, it’s on a very short list. In this modern age of internet blogs, video previews, and major video game conferences like e3, it easy for the hype machine about a particular game to wheel out of control, building up said game to almost impossible to deliver heights. There are rare times when a game that is expected to be genre-changing or console-defining delivers an epic experience, but much more often expectations of perfection lead to very good games lacking that certain something that makes it everything you could want. Grand Theft Auto 4, LittleBigPlanet, and Gears of War are examples of games in this generation that were somehow able to meet (and in some cases exceed) the lofty expectations set forth for themselves. I can tell you without a shadow of doubt, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is ready to join that list.

To say Infinity Ward had their hands full would be a huge understatement. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare came on the scene in 2007 and surprisingly captured the majority of “People’s Choice” awards for game of the year. This was particularly impressive when you remember not only the great games that came out in 2007, but specifically the games in the First Person Shooter (FPS) genre. Games like Bioshock, Half Life: The Orange Box, and Halo 3 were hugely anticipated and acclaimed games, and all had impressive sales numbers to back up their claims to the game of the year throne, but it was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare that rose to the top of the very impressive heap.

Looking back, the numerous awards were justified, as the riveting single player campaign along with perhaps the most addictive multiplayer experience in a console FPS have scores of gamers continuing to play CoD 4 multiplayer to this day. If you need more proof, the stats speak for themselves: In reviewing the top 100 mulitplayer scores for CoD 4 online, the average top-100 player has committed 75-80 DAYS of actual in-game playing time, with many players topping 100 days worth of game play. Think about that. For someone to match that time played, they would need to play Call of Duty 4 for three straight months non-stop just to reach the average time these people have invested. Needless to say, the Call of Duty online community is a little excited about this game.

The online community soon expanded to the entire gaming industry after an incredible e3 demo that was shown this summer, when suddenly anticipation turned into anxiousness to finally get to play the game. Add to that the numerous tidbits regarding the multiplayer overhaul, the shock over a particular level in which you open up an attack on innocent civilians (more on this later), and the teaser commercials that have been running for the past month, and I think it’s fair to say that everyone is frothing at the mouth hoping this game lives up to the hype.

I’m here to tell you. It not only lives up to the hype, it exceeds it.

The solo campaign picks up five years after the events of Call of Duty 4 (you don’t need to have played CoD4 to jump into the story). After the death of Imran Zakahev (who was the primary antagonist in CoD4), his former associate Vladimir Makarov is picking up where his boss left off, hatching a plan to drive an unsettled world into chaos. You play members of Task Force 141, a secret military group crated with one goal in mind: stopping Makarov before he plunges the world into anarchy. From there the story takes you from Washington DC to Russia, Brazil to the Middle East in a desperate battle against terror and time in an attempt to keep peace before the civilized world comes tearing apart.

Playing through the story, the one word that kept coming back to my mind to best capture the experience was intense. I have played through my fair share of video game plots, and I can say that Modern Warfare 2’s single player campaign is the most intense gaming experience I’ve ever had. There were times I simply had to take a small break, grab a bit of fresh air and let my shoulders relax because the story had drawn me in so much. This is not to say it is overwhelming, but rather leads to an incredibly enjoyable journey that I couldn’t wait to go through again. From the moment you begin the campaign, the game trains you on the controls and literally throws you into a heated warzone. From there, you spend the duration going back and forth between wild firefights and tiptoeing stealth missions, working toward the goal of capturing Makarov. The overall story flows wonderfully through the eyes of different Task Force 141 team members, keeping the plot moving while at the same time proving minor individual moments that are a nice change of pace.

There has been some controversy regarding a particular level in the game which has you involved in a terrorist attack on a Russian airport. Without giving too much away, the game walks the tightrope of balancing the development of the story with some very sensitive material. It is certainly pushing the boundary, but the game does give you the option to skip the scene if you feel the need to. After playing through it, I felt that the brief moments of civilians being attacked served the purpose of developing the story and creating an understanding of how dangerous Makarov is and why he must be eliminated. The civilian scene is brief, and quickly flows into a battle with police and military that felt like any other level in the game. The level certainly pushes the envelope of what we find acceptable, but I appreciate that video games as a medium continue to evolve, and force us to ask questions and hold discussions regarding sensitive topics. I mentioned the game was intense, and this is certainly one of the moments of highest intensity.

The balance between moments of chaos, stealth, and focus is sublime, and the game does a wonderful job of maintaining your involvement in the plot by changing what you are doing right when it seems that anymore of the same would be repetitive. Infinity Ward has described the game not as a First Person Shooter, but rather a First Person Action game, and after playing the game I can tell you the shoe fits. Modern Warfare 2 is much more than just a shooting game, and that can be credited to how the plot brings together the various things you’ll find yourself doing throughout the story. Whether you are hopping on a snowmobile, jumping off a roof reaching for a helicopter, or using predator misses to take out vehicles, Modern Warfare 2 weaves many different small moments and intricate battles into one engrossing storyline, dazzling your senses and emotions along the way.

Easy to learn and addictive gameplay, Infinity Ward staples, play a large role in making the game so great. If you have ever picked up a Call of Duty game, the controls will feel second-nature to you. The simple controls also work terrifically in the games multiplayer mode, allowing for many different match types to be played without sacrificing anything on the control end. Each of the many in-game weapons feels unique. You can feel the kickback on each gun, and your sprint and movement are affected based on how heavy of a weapon you currently employ. Sniping, something that some found particularly difficult in Call of Duty 4, feels tweaked and improved, giving those who might have been scared off of using sniper rifles in previous games another chance to add to their arsenal. While the guns are fun, there is special enjoyment to be found in major weapons like predator missiles, javelin rockets, and even AC-130 gunships. These weapons are a wonderful change to the monotony of rifles in single player and prove to be huge advantages if you are able to secure them in multiplayer.

The graphics in Modern Warfare 2 are good, if not groundbreaking. What really deserves notice here are the nuances and backgrounds that are found within the levels and maps. Trees and bushes seem like they actually provide cover from enemy sight. When it is snowing in the game, visibility is affected as if you are actually in the snow. If you are fighting in a house or office, you will see papers, pots, and other items fly into the air when hit by stray bullets and grenades. While character models themselves might remind you of Call of Duty 4, what stood out most for me was the detailed development of the backgrounds and buildings. Whether you are playing online multiplayer or grinding through the campaign, the backdrops in which these battles take place are beautiful. I found this particularly noticeable while playing multiplayer, having almost as much fun exploring the landscape as I was enemy-hunting. The in-game cutscenes are well put together and effectively timed, progressing the story without being overbearing or too numerous.

Along the same lines, the in-game sound will seem familiar to those who played Call of Duty 4. Again this is a good thing, with wonderful voice acting, lush background sounds, and bone-rattling explosions that encourage you to turn your stereo up to increase the enjoyment. The single player campaign relies on subtle dialogue to push the story forward without being overbearing, which is perfectly executed in the game. The characters are memorable and drive the story without going over the top. The sounds of gunfire, footsteps, and explosions are particularly noticeable in multiplayer mode, where they serve to further draw you into the world in which you are playing. You can hear attacks coming from the sky, alerting you to try and find cover just as easily as you can hear someone’s footsteps trying to sneak up behind you. If you have surround sound set up with your system, use it, as this will further enhance your gaming experience.

I was able to play through the campaign in about seven hours on regular difficulty. I usually play through Call of Duty games on Veteran (hardest difficultly), so I would put the length of the campaign for the average gamer somewhere between 8 or 9 hours, with extra time added on for each subsequent difficulty. I was pleasantly surprised with the challenge of regular difficulty, which in turn made me nervous about playing on Veteran. After playing a bit on each difficulty though, I do believe that all difficulties are manageable with some patience. Similar to previous Call of Duty games – if you play on Veteran you are going to die. A lot. It is not as easy in Modern Warfare 2 to go into each battle guns blazing as it has been in previous iterations. One reason in particular is that the blood that shows up on your screen to show that you have been hit can make it very difficult to see where you are getting attacked from. To make things easier on yourself, use cover when necessary. Another excellent feature that has been added is the ability to lower the difficultly level at any point during the solo campaign if you get stuck. This allows those that are just trying to get through the game another way to try to advance through a level without having to restart it.

Personally, I would have been content to pay full price for the single play campaign only, but luckily Modern Warfare 2 offers two additional game modes. The first of which is the all-new Special Ops mode. This mode consists of 23 individual missions that each have a certain set of conditions which need to be met to be passed. You can earn a total of three stars per mission, which are awarded based on mission goals such as completion time or difficultly level, for a total of 69 stars possible. These can be earned by playing alone, or multiplayer via split screen and online. This mode is the hidden gem in Modern Warfare 2 due to the addictiveness of trying to acquire all 69 stars. The challenges vary widely, and the fact that you can recruit friends or strangers online to help assist you in completing the tasks adds to the fun. There is something for everyone here, as the challenges start off pretty easy and get progressively more difficult as you unlock more of them. For experienced gamers who enjoy the challenge of playing Call of Duty games on Veteran, these challenges basically double your gaming experience, and are a great way to experience Modern Warfare 2 in a co-op style game with your friends.

Then of course, there is the online multiplayer mode, a follow-up to what has been one of the best multiplayer games to come out this decade, let alone this console generation. It’s hard to say that the new multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 is revolutionary, but Infinity Ward has certainly built on the successes of the original. The first thing to note is that the number of guns, along with the unlockables on each gun, has been increased. There were attachments to guns in Call of Duty 4 that you were able to use in the campaign and not in the multiplayer, and you will not find that here. The kill streaks, which have been standard for Call of Duty games, have been expanded, allowing each player to pick from a variety of options as opposed to being locked into pre-set kill streaks. Each kill streak has its own advantages, with the better weapons requiring more consecutive kills to attain. For example, a care package drop is unlocked after four straight kills, while if you are able to amass eleven straight kills, you can take control of an AC-130 gunship. Also among the new additions are call signs, which are titles and emblems that are unlocked as you play to further allow you to customize and personalize your character. Death streaks are new to the game as well, allowing those that are consistently finding themselves watching replays of their deaths a little advantage to try to help them out.

The match types have largely carried over from previous Call of Duty games, with popular options such as Team Deathmatch, Ground War, Domination, and Headquarters making a return appearance. New match choices include Demolition, which is a team battle focused around two bomb sites, almost like Sabotage with respawns for you experienced Call of Duty players. These match options are available to play both online as well as in private games if you just want to do battle with your friends. Game modes must be unlocked by gaining playing experience, but all available match types are unlocked once you reach level 19, so it should not take too long before you are able to play whatever you’d like. Each match type is quite different, so it should not be difficult to find something that you enjoy playing. I will note that War mode, made popular by Call of Duty: World at War, is not present in this game, and though I can see how it doesn’t really fit the style of game that Modern Warfare 2 is, there is part of me that wishes it had been included.

Finally, I’d be remiss not to talk about the maps. Modern Warfare 2 ships with 16 playable multiplayer maps, each inspired by a particular scene from within the campaign. The maps are beautiful, detailed, and (most importantly) well balanced, keeping each multiplayer game flowing and making it very difficult for any team to get pinned down unless they are completely outmatched. The maps are much more intricate than previous Call of Duty games, with usable buildings and rooftops sometimes 5 or 6 stories high. In addition, the spacing is well thought out, requiring more attention than ever to ensure that you are well-protected from attack. I would advise jumping into these maps with a few friends to get the lay of the land before you dive into multiplayer, but trial by fire has certainly helped me learn the ins and outs of the maps if that is your preference. There is something for every kind of player on each map, whether you are a sniper or riot shield user, you can find ways to use each maps’ qualities to your advantage.

I would say that this game would be worth your $60 if it only contained the single player campaign and the special ops mode. I’d also tell you it would be worth $60 for the multiplayer mode alone if you loved the multiplayer experience of Call of Duty 4. To combine these two together makes it a clear knockout and clearly the favorite for 2009 Game of the Year so far (with apologies to Uncharted 2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum). Infinity Ward had their work cut out for them just to have this game meet expectations, but they truly hit a home run and have created one of the better games I have ever played. I don’t think there is such thing as the perfect game and along those lines I don’t believe giving 10/10 score means a game is perfect. A 10/10 for me means the game is as good as you could possibly expect, and in this case, Modern Warfare 2 achieves that and even more. If you are at all serious about video games, this is a must-have. If you have ever been curious about the First Person Shooter genre but have never really gotten into them, you’ll want to give this game a shot. To Infinity Ward: mission accomplished. I have no idea what you will do to follow this up, but I can’t wait to see.

A year from now, it will be interesting to see how many days people have committed to this game compared to Call of Duty 4.

10/10

Releases on XBOX 360, PS3, and PC on November 10,2009

Batman Arkham Asylum Review

2009-10-24T13:21:00.001-07:00

I’ll be honest. I was worried about this game. Okay, very worried. I mean, I’d heard good things during the development, and the art had looked extremely well done throughout the production of the game. The problem was it was still a Batman video game, and in my 20 or so years of gaming experience, the words “Batman” and “video game” have mixed like oil and water. I remember trying to force myself though bad Batman games when the first Batman movies came out, and I shudder at the thought of even placing those games back into my NES for another go round. I’ve always wanted to play a good Batman game, as growing up Batman was easily one of my favorite superheroes. I’ve especially wanted to play a good Batman game recently, as the new series of Batman movies have revived the ‘Caped Crusader’ in both superhero stature as well as pop culture. Luckily for me, and thanks to the efforts of Rocksteady Studios and EIDOS, calling Batman: Arkham Asylum a good video game is a severe understatement. It is a great video game.

Batman: AA is a 3^rd-person action game where you control the Dark Knight himself as he attempts to thwart the evil plan of his arch-nemesis, The Joker, from taking over Gotham City. Sounds basic enough, but the number of twists, turns, and battles that get Batman there are great, with the story taking a classic “villain always one step ahead” approach. The canvas for the cat-and-mouse game is Arkham Asylum, a psychiatric hospital located on the outskirts of Gotham City, and best known in the Batman series as the jail of super villains. Our story begins with Batman capturing Joker and returning him to Arkham, seemingly to place him back behind bars. Once inside Arkham though, Joker’s plot begins to unfold, and suddenly the inmates are literally running the asylum. Batman has no choice but to go after Joker, stepping into a world where everyone wants him dead. As “Bats”, as Joker affectionately calls him, attempts to unravel the madman’s plot, he will have to do battle with some of the best known enemies from the Batman series, including Poison Ivy, The Scarecrow, and many others.

One thing to note right off the bat (no pun) is that this game is not for everyone, and by everyone I mean children. Similar to the more recent Batman movies, there is a very adult theme that flows throughout the story of Batman: AA. Death, torture, and dismemberment are commonplace in Arkham Asylum, and this combined with the colorful language and female outfits that leave little to the imagination are things that parents should be aware of. With that said these adult features of the game combine with the dark atmosphere to beautifully draw the player into the world. While one will find gore, death, and evil wherever they turn in the asylum, it always maintains a connectedness with the story, never being over the top or distracting. This is certainly an adult themed game, and it is due to this fact that the game offers up such a wonderfully dark but enjoyable experience.

The graphics in the game are mostly impressive, with beautiful dark backdrops and buildings for the game to take place in. The campus of Arkham Asylum itself is particularly impressive, and largely responsible for keeping the player immersed in the world. It is an excellent complement to the storyline, matching its intensity with awesome detail and textures on Batman’s surroundings. It is worth climbing to the top of buildings just to fly through the grounds and appreciate how well put together Arkham Asylum is. The character builds, while nice, are too bulky for my taste, making Batman look more like Marcus Fenix from Gears of War as opposed to Bruce Wayne. The same can be said even more comically for Batman’s confidant and closest thing he has to a partner in the game, Commissioner Gordon. This is really the only problem with the graphics, and it does not penetrate the entire cast of characters. Both Poison Ivey and Harley Quinn have been able to keep their, ahem, female charm, and Joker’s cronies in the game are well designed. It should also be mentioned that while Joker looks a tad bulky as well, his voicing, done by Luke Skywalker himself (and Joker from the Batman animated series) Mark Hamil, is wonderful. Throughout the entire game The Joker is always quipping and poking fun at everyone, whether it is Batman, his cronies, or even his main squeeze Harley Quinn. It does a great job of keeping the pace of the game moving forward, and will have you laughing a few times during a stressful stealth battle.

While Batman might be bulky, he makes up for it with an intuitive array of fighting moves, gadgets, and sneaking around. The fighting system is very well balanced. It is easy to learn and difficult to master, focusing on building a combo meter with kicks and punches designed to reward you for planning your attacks and not just mashing buttons on the controller. As the player begins to understand the fighting system better, battles move from brawling to artsy, with Batman flipping, somersaulting and flying across the screen to deliver kicks and punches to Joker’s henchmen. Also crucial to the combat is your ability to counter henchmen attacks, which will send you into mini-cuts of Batman kicking tail close up, as well as keeping your combo meter going. At your arsenal as well are a number of Batman’s best-known gadgets, including the Batarang, and Grappling Gun, all of which are necessary to help guide you through the maze of the asylum, eventually leading you to Joker.

There are a number of boss battles in the game, which are particularly enjoyable due to the fact that while there is some repetition with bosses who have multiple battles, each boss battles the Caped Crusader so differently that each villain has their own identity and strengths utilized in battle. This creates a wonderful uniqueness to each enemy, as well as keeping the story loyal to the Batman world. The fights Scarecrow has with Batman are nothing like Poison Ivy’s, and seeing the strengths and weaknesses of each individual villain keeps the story fresh by constantly changing the pace of the game along with what Batman must do to succeed. These battles also help you develop Batman’s entire arsenal of abilities, many of which will come in handy when it is time for your final battle.

I’d be remiss not to mention the wonderful detective and riddle system, an excellent addition to the game, particularly for completionists like myself. A wonderful side quest of the game is solving the 240 riddles that have been placed throughout Arkham Asylum by Edward Nigma, better known as The Riddler. These range in difficulty from basic to maddening, and would be impossible if not for one of the best parts of the game: Batman’s detective mode. With the push of a button Batman is able to analyze the entire room for enemies, riddle clues, and things that move the story such as fingerprints, alcohol traces in the air, and other items. This innovation is one I loved, and found myself keeping on during the majority of the storyline, always looking for that next riddle to solve. Solving the riddles is far from meaningless, as they net you a great deal of experience which lets you upgrade everything from Batman’s armor to the strength of his gadgets. In addition, there are many unlockables that are received upon solving the riddles, of which I particularly enjoyed the dark patient interviews with some of Arkham’s best known inmates.

The replay value in the game is solid, with multiple difficulty levels to tackle, as well as a large number of fight and stealth challenge modes that are unlocked as you complete the story. This is where the majority of the replay value of the game is found, as you try to achieve medals for high scores and fast completion times. You can also compare your scores against your friends as well as the gaming world to see where you stack up. These are a good change of pace, and increase in difficulty as they are unlocked, providing a good challenge beginner and veteran alike. It is also worth nothing that once you complete the story, you can go back and solve all of the riddles you might have missed, so you don’t have to feel like you have to finish everything before the final boss. There is no multiplayer in this game, but I really didn’t see the need for it, as there is plenty of value here for a single-player only title. The story will take around eight hours, with additional time needed for riddles and challenges. Personally I have no problem with a game not including the multiplayer if it brings the goods the way Batman: Arkham Asylum did throughout the experience.

I went into Batman: Arkham Asylum unsure of what to expect, and left not only knowing I had played a very good game, but definitely a title that will be a game of the year contender. This is a game that is a must play for any Batman fan, and really any fan of action games. This game certainly was one of the best games I have played in 2009, and could very well be the best to date. While there is no multiplayer, the single player experience is top notch. Extra credit goes to Rocksteady and EIDOS for releasing this game earlier in the calendar year, which allowed the public to get their hands on it before the saturation of the market come the holiday season. They should be proud to know that regardless of when you get your hands on this game, it is one that is a must add to your XBOX 360 or PlayStation 3 collection, and I couldn’t be happier to finally say that there is a great Batman game out there for fans and gamers alike to enjoy.

Rating: 9.5/10

Patface Video Blog - August 27, 2009

2009-08-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Do you sell your used games? Does it depend on how much you are going to get back?

Are you a hoarder (like me), who still has 100 Nintendo games even though your Nintendo isn't plugged in?

The idea of selling back games is an interesting (and very profitable) dilemma that each gamer handles differently. How do you handle it?

Hope you enjoy the blog!

As always, comments, questions, and hate mail are always appreciated!

Kotaku Article: PS3 vs 360 Head-2-Head

Why I Won't Give Up My Clunky PS3 for a PS3 Slim

2009-08-26T15:36:00.001-07:00

New Years Eve, 2006. My roommate and I headed into Best Buy looking for random things, and we made our way over the video game section of the store. While he was looking at Wii games, and I was checking out XBOX 360 games, a blue shirt (Best Buy employee) came up to us and asked us if we were interested in Purchasing a PS3. Barely a month old, and sold out everywhere, this guy told us that the store had just received a new shipment of brand-spaknin' new 60GB PS3's, and for a mere $600 (which caused a tad of controversy when the price was announced), this could be ours!

We each purchased one that day, with the thought of taking it straight to eBay and seeing if we could make any coin off of them. I wasn't exactly sure what they were going for online at the time, but I held hope that we could make some money off of the new toys, because I knew what would happen if we couldn't.

My roommate would go straight back to Best Buy to return his console. I, on the other hand, would not show such willpower.

As the story goes, the online prices had fallen to where there was little to no money to be made, and I unexpectedly found myself the new owner of a $600 PS3. Shocking to anyone who knows me, I am aware :)

Fast-forward to today. I went into Best Buy, just to do some window shopping, and there it was. The PS3 Slim staring me in the face. Exactly HALF the price that I had paid for mine almost three years ago. Compared to my gigantic PS3, this slick, light, and better looking piece of equipment clearly had its benefits. I, though, walked past it without blinking an eye, thankful that I had overspent on my comically sized PlayStation those three years ago.

Why you ask?

The PS3 is pretty awesome. It can play Blu-Ray dics. It can play PS3 games. It can even play copied movies to DVD. It can do nearly everything.

Except play every PS1 and PS2 game.

In fact, out of the many different versions of the PS3 that have been released since its inception in November of 2006, there has been only 1 version of the console that allows you to play ALL PlayStation 1 and 2 games, a collection approximately 13 years old and thousands of titles large.

Yep, that clunky, old, overweight $600 PS3 that I bought that looooong time ago.

Now, some iterations have had some level of backwards compatibility. But the PS3 Slim? Zero. Zilch. NA-DA.

The feature of backwards compatibility is one that Sony has basically said people who buy the PS3 don't want. Oh really? Nobody wants to play a Twisted Metal game on their PS3? Nobody wants to play any Final Fantasy game on the PS3? There are so many PS2 games that many people never played that were excellent games!

Speaking of Final Fantasy, one could look at Final Fantasy VII, an RPG classic, and a game many consider to be the best of all time. Now, I have spent a long time taking care of my original copy of the game, which, even now, over a decade after its release, goes for a pretty penny on eBay. Lucky for me, if I want to play this game on my PS3, I can. (I mean, I had to pay an extra $300 to do so, but I can.) If someone wants to play this game on the PS3 now, they can also. They just have to buy it from the PlayStation network. Yep, a game they've owned since 1998 must be purchased again online. That classic title that came on three glorious discs is now worthless to you. Well, unless you want to plug your PS1 or PS2 in.

Seriously?

The Wii and the 360 aren't perfect by any means, but at least I can play (all) Gamecube or (most) Xbox games on the respective consoles.

Sony did so much right with the PS1 and PS2, and I am happy that they are getting back into the console war with the PS3 Slim selling for $300. It's good for the gaming industry when Sony does well. If you don't believe that, just look where the gaming industry was (and was headed) before the PS1 blew everything out of the water.

I just don't understand how Sony could do everything right with the PS1 and PS2, and keep making mistakes with the PS3.

And who knew that the wallet-pounding I took on that New Years Day would make me thank the lucky stars I picked up my PlayStation 3 when I did.

Patface Video Blog - August 25, 2009

2009-08-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone, and Happy Tuesday! Are you picking up Batman: Arkham Asylum today?

In today's post, we look at the impending release of the PS3 Slim at $299, and we look at whether it is time that PlayStation gets back in the console race.

Thanks for watching. Comment below, and have a great day!

Patface Video Blog - August 24, 2009

2009-08-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

Lots of life stuff going on, with a baby girl on the way due September 28th, plus lots of travel meant that I neglected you, you lovely viewer/reader. But we are back and ready to roll full steam heading into Q4!

Today's blog is just looking at current games that are being played, and some games coming out next month that ooze potential! Enjoy, and comments and thoughts are always appreciated!

Have a great day everyone!

Motion Control: How Far Behind is the Wii... Really...?

2009-06-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

Ed. note: These vids are old, if you've seen them, I'm not surprised, the reason for showing these is to emphasize the point of the post. Thx--

Motion control has been the big talk of e3 this year, with Microsoft's Project Natal and Sony's motion control tech demo dominating headlines from the two companies press briefings earlier this week. Both demonstrations were awfully impressive, showing incredible scope and opening our eyes to what could very well be the future of gaming.

Many have asked what this means for Nintendo, who has been resting pretty comfortably on the laurels of the Wii's success, sitting comfortably on that couch made of soft, cushy money. With what many consider to be pretty basic motion control technology, people have begun to wonder aloud what benefit will the Wii have if both Microsoft and Sony pass up Nintendo with motion sensor/recognition technology. Will Nintendo and the Wii become obsolete as quickly as it became revolutionary.

Not so fast my friend.

Former Carnegie Mellon PhD student Johnnie Chung Lee, now ironically working for Microsoft on Project Natal (snicker) did some really cool hacks using the Wii to take its motion control technology far further than Nintendo had intended. In this first video, he shows how the Wii's sensors can be used with a PC to do head-tracking:

I mean, how cool is that? Who knew, right? Yes, you smarty-pants engineers might have known, but put your gamer hat on for now. The 3D that is shown off is pretty awesome, and it does not take any more that what technology the Wii already has (sensor-wise, software wise is another story).

In this next video, we see Chung doing some very similar stuff to what we saw Sony do during their e3 motion sensor tech demo. He is basically creating a multi-touch whiteboard using the Wii remote.

Granted, these aren't hacks that everyone can probably go out and do, but the point is to show off the technological possibilities that the Wii has built inside of it. Certainly the engineers at Nintendo could unlock these technologies to make the Wii much more functional than it is now. If you had asked me without seeing these videos what the Wii was going to do once Natal and Sony brought their new stuff to store shelves, I wouldn't have been able to tell you.

Now, though? Who knows how many aces Nintendo still has up the sleeve of the Wii. I wouldn't count out anything from Mario Land, especially now that they know what the other big two are working on.

Final Fantasy XIII Demo/Game Impressions

2009-06-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Side note: Adam Sessler is hilarious when he can't get an answer he wants.

Will we ever get to play Final Fantasy XIII? We assume so, but who really knows. There is a scheduled release date of Spring 2010, which would make the game's development length anywhere from 3 to 5 years. It looks amazing, both CGI-wise as well as the in-game battle glimpses that we have been shown so far. It can be assumed that the scope of the game, as with all FF games, will be quite massive, and the environments will likely be as visually impressive as anything we have seen on this generation of systems so far.

During an interview on G4TV, a Square employee discussed the updated Active Time Battle system, but until we get the game in our hands, I think this is going to be difficult to appreciate. Even seeing it on a screen leaves me confused as to how it is going to work, but be sure that most RPG fans will have no problem figuring it out. It looks fast paced and responsive, and Square Enix has never had any problem making an addictive battle system.

I'm obviously excited (as many are) to finally get my hands on this game, but at this point I've been waiting so long that I'll just be happy whenever it comes out. It doesn't have me on my tippy-toes the way, say Modern Warfare 2 has me begging for a BETA so that I don't have to wait until November. Lets just hope at this point that there will be no delays on that Spring 2010 release timeframe... it's a good time for a life-and-time-sucking RPG to come out.

Patface Video Blog - June 3, 2009

2009-06-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings all, and happy hump day!

A few thoughts on what we've seen so far at e3, along with potential Zelda news!

I think we can all agree that this e3 has been pretty packed so far. What games are you interested in hearing more about that haven't received much pub? I'm curious to see what else we get out of the event as well.

Can't shake the feeling that Nintendo had a big opportunity to drop Zelda on us as well, even if it is not close to being a finished product. What do you think?

Have a great day!

Patface Video Blog - June 2, 2009 (part 2)

2009-06-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, Sony is done, all of the big 3 have had their shows, and the gamers are winners.

Lots of big news, no major letdowns, and Microsoft and Sony really bringing it!

I'm off to take a little nap :)

Patface Video Blog - June 2, 2009 (part 1)

2009-06-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

So the Nintendo presser is complete! I know I sound a little frustrated with Nintendo, and it's because for 61 minutes or so, I was! But damn, that Metroid game looks so good!! That CGI was amazing.

I'm also really excited about Golden Sun DS. Those were very well done and solid RPG's on the Advance.

The Vitality-Sensor though? Ouch. Seriously?

Plus, a few too many games for Becky - at least she'll have games to play post-preggo.

Soon to come - Sony presser reactions!

Patface Video Blog - June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Wow... just wow.

So after the Microsoft presser, while I was taping the blog, this gets announced:

XBOX 360 Games on Demand.

Full retail games on demand! No MS points needed to do it - just a credit card.

The news keeps coming. Microsoft's presser was incredible. Just check the video.

We'll have more on this stuff through the week, and we will see what Nintendo and Sony bring to the table tomorrow to try and match. What a big day of news!

Patface Video Blog - May 29, 2009

2009-05-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

We Return Kids!

As mentioned, we will be rolling out full time again come Monday. In the meantime, Fight Night Round 4 is now available for demo. So go get it. NOW.

Have a good one folks.

Back! Call of Duty: Modern Warface 2 Dated for November 10th... (YESSS)

2009-03-26T08:19:00.001-07:00

Greetings all! We've had some webcam issues the last 10 days or so, and instead of just letting the blog go quiet, I figured I would drop some good ol' written blogs in between playing Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. (If you haven't tried this game, you're missing out if you were a Genesis fan.)

The 2009 Game Developers Conference has been pretty quiet this year, all things considered. Some are blaming the economy, others are waiting for the end of the show and hoping that it brings some blockbuster news. Nonetheless, Infinity Ward did give us a bit of good news with the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 teaser trailer.

While it is a teaser without really showing any good stuff, the one detail found in the trailer is a release date, November 10th. While this seems like a long way away, it falls right in line with Call of Duty releases over the past two years, and the Call of Duty 2 release for the XBOX 360 launch in 2005. November is becoming known for Thanksgiving dinner and Call of Duty desert.

The first Modern Warfare game was widely considered the game of the year for 2007, and for good reason. Heading into Q4 of 2007, it was actually under the radar thanks to Halo 3, which had all XBOX fans giddy with excitement. With the Call of Duty series becoming stagnant stuck in World War II, this effort was a refreshing entry to the series. And it was good. REALLY GOOD. The single player story was well put together, giving players a variety of mission goals and situations, with Veteran mode being enough of a challenge to keep the best coming back.

The single player in this game took a backseat, though, to the incredible multiplayer mode, which is still going strong with thousands of people still fragging each other on a daily basis. The game is a mainstay on the XBOX 360 Top Ten Played list each week, nearly 18 months after its original release.

I state all this to put the upcoming sequel into perspective. Before it is all said and done, this game will likely have a GTA IV or Halo 3 level of anticipation and expectation. Infinity Ward will have a lot to live up to, and while we haven't seen anything yet, there is no reason to think that IW will not provide another classic.

I'm just hoping there is another open beta so I don't have to wait eight months to get my hands on it :)

Patface Video Blog - March 12, 2009

2009-03-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

Pardon the nasalness :) Enjoy!

Patface Video Blog - March 10, 2009

2009-03-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Back on the saddle with these things after about 10 days off. Hope you enjoy!

BTW, if you want to try Peggle, click here!

Patface Video Blog - February 26, 2009

2009-02-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Hi all. Sorry about the technical problems the last couple of days. Hope you enjoy!

Patface Video Blog - February 23,2009

2009-02-23T12:03:00.001-08:00

Enjoy!

Patface Video Blog - February 19, 2009

2009-02-19T10:44:00.001-08:00

Hi all. Quick blog today. Same with this post. Enjoy!

Patface Video Blog - February 18, 2009

2009-02-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hey All, hope you enjoy the blog today!

I mentioned the great Oregon Trail images posted on Kotaku. Enjoy them here!

Have a great day everybody!

Patface Video Blog - February 17, 2009

2009-02-17T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Retro Tuesday here, and I hope you enjoy today's game. It certainly is a classic.

Get out there and try the GTA IV DLC today. It is freaking sweet.

Patface Video Blog - February 12, 2009

2009-02-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. Quick blog today - enjoy! :)

Patface Video Blog - February 11, 2009

2009-02-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

Hi All.

Hope you enjoy today's blog. Let me know what you think about 3D gaming. I think this video from XPLAY puts an interesting spin on it.

Also, I mentioned Joystiq's interview with Bob Barr of Blockbuster, which can be reached here.

Have a great hump day everyone!

Patface Video Blog - February 10, 2009

2009-02-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

It's Retro Day here on Patface Gaming, and which game merits our Retro Game of the Day? Only one way to find out ^^

I mentioned in the blog the Mass Effect DLC conversation. Here is Cinema Blend's blog post.

Hope you all have a great day!

Patface Video Blog - February 9, 2009

2009-02-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone! I hope your week gets off on the right foot and you enjoy today's blog. To our new viewers, welcome!

I mentioned the Berkeley Starcraft class going on right now, and you can find videos, information, and even HOMEWORK(!) at this link here.

Also, thanks to EA for directing anyone interested in seeing some Boom Blox gameplay to this youtube.

Finally, credit to the blog Joystiq (link on the right) for digging up the Halo 3:ODST Map news. Bonus points for them finding this deal for any and all 360 gamers with a XBL Gold subscription near expiration.

Patface Video Blog - February 6, 2009

2009-02-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings All! Happy Friday, and I hope you enjoy today's blog.

For those of you interested in the Genesis Collection achievements, click here.

For those of you 'The Warriors' fans interested in the new game, here is MTV's Multiplayer Blog announcement of the game.

Have a great weekend!

Patface Video Blog - February 5, 2009

2009-02-05T12:21:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone, here is today's blog (sorry about the rant, lol). Enjoy!

Patface Video Blog - February 3, 2009

2009-02-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

Greetings Friends!

It's Retro Tuesday here on Patface Gaming, and we decided to go back to the very game that made us buy a SEGA Genesis way back in 1993. Does "Boomshakalaka!" mean anything to you? :)

Really one of the more addicting and entertaining games of the 16-bit era, right up there with Super Street Fighter II and other great party games. It TOTALLY holds up to this day and is still a blast to play.

For those of you curious to see the Amazon.com game store, you can click on this link here.

Have a great Tuesday everyone! See you back here tomorrow!

Patface Video Blog - February 2, 2009

2009-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

Hope you enjoyed the SuperBowl. It was memorable for sure. My 24-20 prediction was awfully close, wasn't it? :) As for the Madden simulation.... uhh yeah.

Anyhoo, hope you enjoy today's blog. I'd love to know what games you'll be playing this week.

Have a great start to your week everyone!

Patface Video Blog - January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

(Ed. note - It's long, I know, sorry! If you're looking for the Superbowl simulation, skip to about the 6:35 mark)

Greetings everyone, and happy Friday! I hope you enjoy today's blog, choc full of news tidbits and SuperBowl predictions!

You can find the new Starcraft II photos here.

If you're interested in checking out the Stephen Totilo piece I referred to in the blog today, you can find that here.

Finally, I mention the DS and Wii title release schedule for around the world - Kotaku has a great breakdown of these that can be reached here.

Thanks again for tuning in, and I hope you have a great weekend!

Patface Video Blog - January 29, 2009

2009-01-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday everyone! Hope you enjoy the blog, and the links below.

Interested in finding out more about the UC-Berkeley Starcraft class? Click here.

Didn't get to see the Final Fantasy XIII trailer? Click here or here.

Take care all!

Patface Video Blog - January 27, 2009

2009-01-27T16:32:00.000-08:00

Hi All!

Here is today's blog entry. It's retro game day here at Patface Gaming, and this game is truly one of my all time favorites. Enjoy!

PS - I mention the Blizzard Awesomeness that is saving your game keys, you can sign up for an account by going here.

Have a great day!

Patface Video Blog - January 26, 2009

2009-01-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! Hope you had a great weekend! Enjoy the blog!

I wanted to include a direct link to the Resident Evil 5 demo, so you can get it on XBOX Live here! Remember, this will set your queue to download the game once you turn your 360 on.

Have a great day!

Patface Video Blog - January 23, 2009

2009-01-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Enjoy today's blog!

Pat

Patface Video Blog - January 22, 2009

2009-01-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

Tough times in the economy continue today unfortunately, as both Microsoft and major developer Tiburon both announce staff cutbacks today. We wish those that are let go the best and hope they land on their feet soon.

In brighter news, Ubisoft has announced a number of awesome games will be released before March 2010. Huzzah!

Enjoy today's feature, and have a great Thursday everyone!

Patface Video Blog - January 21, 2009

2009-01-21T12:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!

It's retro-gaming day here at Patface Gaming, and our game today takes us back to the Genesis. Did you love playing Mike Tyson's Punch Out? Have you even TRIED this game?

It's pretty awesome, I'm not gonna lie, and I'm sure it's easy to find an emulation of it.

In the News:
Sony releases new firmware patch for PS3.
Killzone 2 dated in Europe.
New Gears 2 patch on XBOX 360.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Patface Video Blog - January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Inauguration Day!

In honor of today's historic events, the video blog is dedicated to President Obama. Here are some thoughts as I watched the events unfold today.

Also, I mentioned the Fallout 3 rendered Washington DC in the Blog - pictures of that can be found here.

I hope you are all filled with hope and confidence, as I am on this great day!

Patface Video Blog - January 16, 2009

2009-01-16T13:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! Please enjoy today's blog. It includes a public service announcement for how to get those who don't play games with you in! The best part? You can do it for cheap!

Have a wonderful weekend all!

Pat

Patface Video Blog - January 15, 2009

2009-01-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone! Sorry I missed yesterday, but back today with awesome blog action!

Sorry about the wrestling rant, I couldn't resist :)

Hope you have a great day!

Super-Awesome Too Human Review

2009-01-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here is my review for Too Human. As always, questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

If you’re a casual gamer, there’s a decent chance that you never heard much about Too Human (360, PC; M Rating). While it might just seem like another title on the shelf, Too Human’s history might be as long as any game ever created. Originally supposed to be a PlayStation ONE game, development began in 1999 – 10 years ago. In the gaming world, length of development often leads to endless hype. Hype that swells so large, the game could never be good enough to exceed, or even meet expectations. The hype machine ultimately impacted Too Human, making what was a pretty good game seem like a disappointment in many eyes.

In this Action-RPG, you jump into the world of futuristic Norse Mythology as Baldur, a God associated with light in traditional Scandinavian belief. As member of the Aesir, or council of Gods, you are responsible for the well being of the entire population. At the Aesir’s disposal, cybernetics have become commonplace among the Gods as a way of physical advancement. Recently, cybernetic monsters have been attacking the human population, and when Baldur is attacked he decides it is time to find out what is plaguing the world. While the story background might seem like a bit much, for the most part it works. The story flows well and is easy to follow, though at times is a bit easy to solve. The storytelling holds up impressively against Norse Mythology, with all of the characters you would expect present within the game.

The sensory aspects of this game are particularly strong. The game is beautiful, and the frame rate fares well even during fast-paced action. Cut scenes are also impressive, as the cybernetic tie-ins in each of the Aesir are a credit to the art direction and execution in the game. The sound in the game is also very well done. The music and sound effects are timed well and work within the context of the game situation, and the voice-acting should be specifically noted for how well put together it is. These features add to the gaming experience and help put you in the center of Nordic Mythology.

However, all of these positives are secondary in the game. The true focus of developer Silicon Knights was to make epic, character-development driven gameplay, and incorporate a co-op feature similar to that of the popular PC series Diablo. The right-stick attack feature was pretty well done, especially considering it was a first-go of sorts for anyone to incorporate that into a game. The transition between melee weapon and range weapon was also well done, making it easy to switch between one another. At times, the fast-paced fighting, intricate item collecting, and character skill development work together in tremendous gameplay harmony. At others though, too often for me, the game moves in a frustrating manner.

My two biggest complaints about the game were not deal-breakers for me, but drove me nuts particularly as I advanced in the game. First, the player does not control the camera, outside of a camera centering button. As you play the game more and more, it becomes increasingly frustrating that one cannot circle the camera around. As much as I enjoyed the right-stick attacking, I was annoyed that I could not move the camera to look behind me to see what was going on. The lack of camera control was increasingly noticeable when I played multiplayer, as it was a pain in the neck to find my teammate to assist them in fighting enemies.

Secondly, the pacing of the game was inconsistent throughout the four large battle scenes. One moment you might be fighting 70 monsters and mini-bosses, and then next moment you are running (slowly!) for 15-20 seconds with nothing happening, breaking the flow and intensity of the game. The other part of the pacing that I found frustrating is when death occurs. You do not lose any of the damage you inflicted on enemies, and you start right at the same point. The failure here is the 30 second scene in which a valkyrie comes down from Valhalla (think afterlife) to pick your body up and take it away. This scene cannot be skipped, and must be watched in full each time you perish. The scene is especially frustrating when playing co-op, since you are left to fend for yourself while your teammate is slowly being revived. By the time you’ve reached the maximum level 50 playing the game, you’ve seen enough valkyrie’s to last you a lifetime.

The character development and item selection aspects in the game are both serviceable, and the 5 different character classes and class specific items enhance the replay value of the game. The maximum level of 50 is a little disappointing, as items tend to stale once you’ve maxed out your character. The ability to craft one’s own weapons is an interesting and welcome feature, making the character responsible for developing his elite equipment and keeping the item hunting fresh.

The two-player co-op is also decent, while underwhelming at times. I would have enjoyed more than two-player co-op, pushing the number to four or even eight. It is easy to quickly jump into a game on any level, as well as creating a game to play a specific section of a level with a friend. The game itself runs exactly the same whether you’re playing single or multi player, with the only difference being that the single player campaign has cut scenes and story development.

I almost feel disappointed in myself giving this game a 6.5 out of 10, because truth be told I enjoyed it more than that. If you like the Diablo series, which I love, you will find more than enough enjoyment in this game to justify the purchase. Additionally, I am hopeful, as this is the first game in a scheduled trilogy, that Silicon Knights will be able to improve on the shortcomings of this game in future releases of the series. Overall, Too Human is a pretty good game, and is worth at minimum a rental. The potential for the next two entries in the series to be epic games is certainly there. This entry, though enjoyable, falls short of the overwhelming hype it has faced for the last 10 years.

Too Human (PC, 360): 6.5 out of 10. So close to being great, but enjoyable overall.
Patrick Duggan

Patface Video Blog - January 13, 2009

2009-01-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

It's Retro Tuesday! I have to admit, I heart going back and finding an old game to enjoy, though I'm dreading actually doing a bad retro game. This one though is great, and if you have the XBOX 360, you should get this today, then send me a game invite.

I played it again this morning, and it is too darn fun. What is it? Well watch the video, silly!

In the News Today:
Fable II DLC Out! Get it now!
Castle Crashers DLC out tomorrow. (Just played the demo of this yesterday and it seems like a blast - I'm going to have to get this game.)
Fallout 3 Patch out, Operation Anchorage announced for 1/27
Sony's Financial Situation = Uh-Oh!

Oh, BTW, bought Braid yesterday and played through the first world. Can you say addicting (and frustrating!)?

Have a Great Tuesday Everyone!

Patface Video Blog - January 12, 2009

2009-01-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Greetings Everyone! Hope you had a great weekend. Here is today's video blog. Enjoy!

Remember to subscribe on YouTube at Patface Gaming!

Have a great day everyone!

Pat

Patface Video Blog - January 9, 2009

2009-01-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday Everyone! Hope you enjoy today's video blog. Today we discuss the necessity of Blu-Ray and whether you find it to be a must-have.

As promised, the link to the Diablo III screen shots can be found here.

Also, the Resident Evil 5 screen shots can be seen here.

Have a great Friday and get the weekend started right!

Patface Video Blog - January 8, 2009

2009-01-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone, here is our video blog for today, complete with a BCS National Title Game simulation! The most interesting part? Tim Tebow, starting quarterback of Florida went down!

Have a great day everyone!

Patface Video Blog - January 7, 2009

2009-01-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

Lots of news in today's edition of the blog, so check it out!

Also:

Want to remind you to subscribe to my youtube channel - you can reach my page by clicking here.

For LBP Levels, either post here or on the youtube so others can enjoy what you enjoy!

Have a great day everyone!

Patface Video Blog - January 6, 2009

2009-01-06T14:02:00.001-08:00

It's Retro Tuesday! Which game is our retro game of the week? Find out above, along with news updates for Today, 1/6/09

Also, as mentioned in the blog, here is a link to new Starcraft Screenshots!

Patface Video Blog - January 5, 2009

2009-01-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

In this edition of Patface's video blog, we look at Too Human and the connection between it and Diablo III, and whether Diablo has any chance of possibly being a console game.

Super-Awesome Fallout 3 Review

2008-12-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

I can say with some confidence that you've never played a game like Fallout 3 (360, PS3, PC; M Rating). The former PC-faithful RPG series makes its first jump to consoles with a truly enthralling experience. Fallout 3 is sort of a hybrid game. There are RPG (Role Playing Game) elements. There are FPS (First Person Shooter) elements. There are even GTA (sandbox) elements. Add in an incredibly rendered Washington, D.C. circa 2277, an addictive fighting style known as VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System), and full control over the development of your character, and what you get is not only one of the best games of 2008, but one of the best games to come along in a long time.

In Fallout 3, you play as a character you develop from birth… literally. You begin in Vault 101, a post-apocalyptic safe haven that has housed people for the 200 years that have passed since nuclear war destroyed the known world. Eventually, you must leave everything you’ve known in chase of your father, who has left the vault without saying a word to you and without leaving you any clues as to how to find him. From here, the Capitol Wasteland is yours to explore as you search for your father, and you are left to create your own destiny.

This open-world aspect is where the game truly succeeds. You the player get to decide your own strengths. Whether you sneak around picking locks and pockets, influencing people with your charisma, or simply carrying the biggest gun, how you live out your life in the Capitol Wasteland is for you to decide. Not only do you decide your strengths, but you also decide what kind of moral code you live by. Are you the noble warrior who only fights for the good and innocent, or the evil terror who would pickpocket an innocent villager and replace their valuables with an exploding grenade? Each decision you make not only has an impact on your character, but on the local communities and the entire wasteland.

If anything, it is worth checking this game out to see the amazing job Bethesda Softworks has done in recreating Washington D.C. in post-apocalyptic times. The Capitol Building, Washington Monument, even the D.C. Metro system has been beautifully captured and weathered appropriately for a post-nuclear world. The Potomac River is even present, though be wary of its radiation-filled waters. One could spend hours traveling through the large world hunting down different landmarks, but thankfully the game’s quests will often lead you right to these famed buildings so you get to experience them as you play through the game’s story.

What ties all of this together is the attack system, titled VATS (as above). This allows you to target individual body parts, or even the weapons enemies are carrying, and fire shots based on the number of action points a player has, all with the touch of a single button. If you are someone who enjoys your traditional first person shooting, don’t worry, that is present in the game. Believe me though, VATS not only becomes fun to play with, but both necessary and effective as the game progresses and the enemies get stronger. All weapons, even bare hands can use the VATS system, and mastering it will reward you with some memorable kill scenes that are over-the-top and highly enjoyable.

Fallout 3 is not for everyone. If you’re a shooter fan who doesn’t like to get caught up in the whole RPG phase, this game might not be for you. It’s probably not for you if you were not a fan of Bethesda’s last open-world game, Oblivion IV, though there are significant differences between the two. The main quest is relatively short, which emphasizes how completing the side quests and exploring the world truly make the game experience complete. The VATS, while quite awesome, is not always perfect, and often you will find that you need to close in on your enemies more than you would think to find your best shot (even with a Sniper Rifle).

What Fallout 3 is, however, is one of the best games I have played in 2008. Bethesda has claimed that there is around 100 hours of game play to be found within Fallout 3, and with all there is do to in the Capitol Wasteland, I tend to believe them. The scary thing about this game is that there are multiple endings, and even multiple ways to play through the story (good vs. evil, for example), so there is a great deal of replay value in the game, not words often uttered when talking about an RPG. It is the best RPG I have played in 2008, and is a must-play for any hardcore gamer, but beyond that I believe any FPS fan or Sanbox fan should give this game a chance. It is one of those hugely-anticipated games that simply becomes everything a gamer hopes for, and far more. This is the kind of game that simply gets it right.

Fallout 3 (XBOX 360, PS3, PC): 10/10

Paragraph Reviews Continued!

2008-07-03T17:52:00.001-07:00

Wanted to continue those quick reviews I started yesterday of games that I am currently playing (Ed. Note: Completed Mass Effect today - WOW - more complete review to come soon). Here are some of the other games that are currently making their way into my consoles.

NASCAR 08 (XBOX 360, PS3)

Honesty note: I hated this game when it first arrived. I thought it was very poorly put together and had a horrible, horrible time controlling my stock car with my 360 Wheel. I put this one away for a good six months, but as I have been getting more and more into the NASCAR season (read: Dale Jr. doing well), I decided to pull this title back out and see if I could get any more out of it. And I did... not a lot, but I did.

The graphics in this game are nice, but specifics like damage and accidents are quite poorly done. Also, there are just some things in the game that just do not make any sense. When I roll my car over six times, I should not be able to simply hit the pits, change my tires, and be ready to roll. The actual gameplay options are limited, though it is nice to have the chase mode there, along with the Craftsman Truck series (ooo truckies!). Overall, this game had a long way to go. Interestingly enough though, I have heard that the new and updated version, NASCAR 09, has fixed a number of these issues. I will be curious to find out.

5/10. NASCAR really deserves better, but we saw the first next-gen Madden game be terrible and make a comeback.

Medal of Honor: Airborne (XBOX 360, PS3)

I am still really getting into the meat and potatoes of this game, but I feel bad for it. I have played the majority of previous MoH games, and for the most part enjoyed them quite a bit. Then Call of Duty 4 came out. Needless to say, bar raised, and raised just a little too high for this WWII FPS title. This is by no means to say that it is a poor title, it just has some awfully bad timing.

The controls are standard for a MoH game, though I've had some frustration using the sniper rifle. I enjoy the graphics just fine, and the upgrade system for the WWII style weapons is well done. The unique part of this game though, is the parachute drop in feature. As each mission begins, you are able to parachute to any area of the map that you would like, whether you want to land in the safe zone or go right into danger is up to you. This was a first for me that I am still finding enjoyable, now that I have the actual process of landing down.

7/10. It's not a bad game, but I bet there aren't a lot of people playing it anymore.

Paragraph Reviews of Games Currently Being Played, 7/2/08

2008-07-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

I figured with the many games I am juggling right now, I needed to shoot some brief reviews along for each of them. Some are 4A titles that you probably have already picked up. Others though, you might have gone right past without thinking twice about ever playing, or maybe didn't even know existed. Lets do the darn thing.

Call of Duty 4 (XBOX 360, PS3)
Shocking, I know, but my roommates and I are still going strong on the multiplayer portion of this epic first person shooter. With millions still going blasting away 8 months after this game's release, this is an urgently necessary pickup if you have yet to grab this game. I am also still working hard to try and complete the epilogue on Veteran. Talk about brutal (The closest I have gotten is halfway down the hallway before time expires). I believe this game to be head and shoulders above any other offering we had in 2007, and I expect that long after the next iteration in the series, World at War, hits shelves, many gamers will still be playing this FPS classic.

10/10. As close to a perfect Call of Duty as you can get.

Rock Band (XBOX 360, PS3, Wii)

With the Wii release of this music revolution finally hitting shelves, it has encouraged my friends to break this game out again for some good ol' sober (and less sober) entertainment. This is an excellent game, price aside, and is a great way to get some friends together for an evening of enjoyment. As opposed to tell you everything that you already know, I'd like to mention a couple of issues I have with the game.

First, I think the game could have done a better job of balancing the instruments. I appreciate how much time it takes to make a full Rock Band song, but there is no doubt that the drums are significantly more challenging than the other instruments. At first, I put this to the fact that I had played Guitar Hero and never "Drum Hero", but as more and more first timers struggled much more with the drums than the guitar, I have determined that it can't just be me.

Secondly, and this is more my experience, but NOBODY WANTS TO SING! Why I can't get any of my 25 year old friends to jump on the microphone without massive amounts of alcohol still baffles me. I LOVE to sing on Rock Band, and I know I can't be the only one, but I basically have to beg to get anyone to take singing duties over. (Ok, probably not the same trouble you all have, but you see my point.)

Nevertheless, this game is a total blast. The sequel has been announced over the weekend, and now we wait on pins and needles for the upcoming song list. Besides, all you need to know about this title is the following: Jimmy Buffet Downloadable Content.

9/10. I honestly can't see how this game will get old.

Mass Effect (XBOX 360)

To be honest, I am only halfway through this game at this point, so the score itself will come at a later date. This might be the most in-depth game I have ever played. I continue to be surprised as to how well received this game has been in popular gaming, as I could see many being turned off by how much you almost need to immerse yourself into this world. That is not to say that this game shouldn't be played, as it has been just wonderful so far. The character development is as good as I've seen on the XBOX 360, the freedom of the game's linear and side quests seem endless, and one can already tell that the replay value of the title is through the roof. Not only am I excited to complete the game for the first run, but just as excited to replay the game as a renegade instead of a paragon (jerk instead of hero, for those scoring at home).

Incomplete Score. I can tell you it will be higher than a 7!

So I have five more games to review, but I have decided to avoid making these posts too long, I will break it into two. Coming in part two of these reviews are the following:

Nascar 08
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Super Smash Bros. BRAWL
Wii Fit
The Bigs

PS, Can I have NCAA Football already? Pretty Please?

Diablo III Announced! (AKA - OH MY SWEET JEEBUS!)

2008-06-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

So I go into a nothing-special ho-hum weekend just looking to have some fun. Standard stuff: catch some sun, have a brew or two, nothing outside of the norm. So leave it to me to be shocked when I find out that "DIABLO FREAKING THREE is announced for the PC. Talk about making my weekend early!

For those that don't know or haven't played any games in the Diablo series (and my word, I feel awful for you - go buy them now), Diablo is a game made by the one and only Blizzard Entertainment, creators of the hugely popular World of Warcraft games. Within the PC gaming realm, the Diablo series is best known as being THE definitive hack-and-slash game for any PC gaming fan. The original Diablo took the PC word by storm, dominating PC's and online play during the late 1990's. Diablo II, its direct sequel, is still played by thousands of gamers (including myself) now 8+ years after its initial release. Both games were widely hailed as classics, and play as such.

Now, not only did Blizzard make this major announcement over the weekend at their Blizard Worldwide Invitational in Paris on Saturday, but they provided us 3 videos for fanboys like myself to oogle. The first, seen below, is the official cinematic trailer for Diablo III.

Above and beyond this though, they provide a cinematic art video, as well as a 19-minute gameplay preview, in which two of the five (as of now) characters are introduced (all media related to Diablo III can be found here.).

Needless to say, I among many gamers are still buzzing over this long awaited news. Interviews with Blizzard have given indication that while the game has been in development for 4 to 5 years so far, it is not close to being complete, and no release date has been provided. Blizzard, unlike, many major video game companies, will not hesitate to spend as much time as necessary to make their product perfect. Instead of setting expectations that they cannot meet in terms of release dates, they will hold off (and rightly so) releasing any game that is not 100% ready in their mind. Put this news along with the upcoming (early 2009 probably) release of Starcraft 2, 2009 is truly shaping up to be an amazing year for PC gaming. These two titles have me actively preparing to go PC shopping, as I will need to ensure that my desktop is prepared to run both games at full speed and specs.

That, along with me having been floating on clouds for about the past 85 hours...

THANK YOU BLIZZARD!

Post GTA Thoughts (Non-Spoiler)... Wow.

2008-05-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

I know, you're still playing GTA IV. You're still 100% immersed in its awesomeness.

Well to show you how much of a loser I am, the game is complete. I blasted out Niko's final (storyline) mission last night, proud and surprised to have banged out the game as quickly as I suddenly had. Obviously I've still got about 50 hours to play in the free world, as I need to go back and kill another 198 flying rats, but I felt the need to reflect on my experience in Liberty City.

This game had so much hype, it was unreal. Hell, I've had this game pre-ordered since June of LAST YEAR. I've spent many hours of my life playing through GTA, and not just starting at 3. I played both of the awesome predecesors on the PC. To say I was excited might be mild. I wondered after being frustrated about how the driving was *too* real for the first couple of hours whether this game would live up.

That was during the first two hours of a nine hour gaming session. I hadn't blasted through a game like that in a long, long time. I was hooked.

I think what really made this game for me was the amazing story that Rockstar wove. Niko, GTA's version of a protagonist, is not like previous main characters in the series. It seems he actually has a soul. He is trying to deal with what is going on around him, and at many times questioning his very existence. When I say good stuff, I mean good stuff. He leads along an incredible story with many twists and turns, along with an awesome if not slightly anti-climatic ending (flame bait).

The characters that assist you along the way have never done better. My favorite being Little Jacob, who I dare anyone to understand without the subtitles on (he's not much of a shot with a rocket launcher either - I was hoping for the guy from Money Talks. Building relationships is cruical with these people, as the more they like you, the more they're willing to help. This includes the new girlfriend feature, which gleefully allows you to perform coitus with someone besdes a prostitue. Now you simply need to talk her bowling. Or to play darts. Or to the Cluckin' Bell. The sheer volume of memorable characters could take up an entire blog, so I will leave the points at that.

The missions were the only thing I was slightly dissapointed by, as they proved to almost be too easy. Whether it was easily getting away from the police, taking out 100 gangsters, or chasing down guys in cars after I'd badly wrecked, I think Rockstar could have really challenged us with some of those missions that made us all so frustrated in previous entries in the series. Not that this takes away any sense of accomplishment for completing the game.

I have played some of the multiplayer, but not enough to really give any educated thoughts on it outside of saying that I think it is awesome. So let me spend some time and I will get back to it. I wanted to document how much I really enjoyed this game, and how I 100% the wait was worthwhile.

And this is before I've even tried the 5 minutes on 6 stars achievement that would have been the first thing I did 2 years ago. I don't know if I'm appreciating games more, or just getting old.

Currently Playing (in order):GTA IV, COD4, Boom Blox (more to come on this), Mario Kart Wii, Haze Demo, NCAA 09 (can it be July already), Nascar 08 (growing on me big time), and will anyone play Forza 2 with me? Please? Anyone?

I Hate When Games Are Dissapointing...

2008-04-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

Isn't that the worst. You hear about a game, especially a game (not to mention the game by name or anything) with a plot that sounds interesting. How about this one? SPOILER ALERT

Churchill dies when he visits New York (this is in fact when he injured his leg and famously need the cane), and the Germans take over all of Europe. They attack the US, and you, a noble construction worker, take on all comers and become a hero, saving the US from an Atom Bomb attack.

I read the reviews, which were mediocre, but I said, ah hell, I'll rent it and see what I think, because I think the story is so creative. Unfortunately, at the same time, I had rented Bully, which was a great game to play through. So I never really gave Turning Point: Fall of Liberty a fair shot. No harm no foul, but the curiosity over the game was still there. I mean, that story is damn creative, and I was really interested in seeing what they were able to do with it.

So I am at Costco (because that's what I do, I hang out at Costco), and I see that Turning Point is on sale for $30. Thirty bucks! That's half off - even if it was brutal I could basically sell it back for the same price. So I take the jump. I pop in the game and get ready for the ride. And what do I get?

Disappointment.

The graphics? Eh. The sound? Eh. The Controls? Suck. (And related to this, haven't people realized that anytime you are making a FPS, you can just copy Halo or Call of Duty controls? Not only do they work well, but even bigger than that PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW THEM! arg..) The story was not bad, it was interesting, but with all of the other areas of the game lacking, the story was lost. I played on the insane difficulty, and it is frustrating because the game is not consistent with difficulty. Some areas on insane mode are cake, and others are brutal.

I've still got two levels to finish, but I can't see anything really turning my thoughts on the game. I can't really comment on the multiplayer aspect, as every time I've tried to play multiplayer, there are no games available...

Overall, if you're really bored (or just curious), you might be able to justify giving this game a shot.

When you buy it.

Used.

In 2 years.

For $8.99.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Grade 4/10. One word - Disappointment.

No April Fools For Rock Band, Portal Fans

2008-03-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have played through Portal, either as its own game or as part of the wonderful 'Orange Box' collection, you most likely know and love the song, 'Still Alive', the ending song of the game. Created by Jonathon Coulton, the song is a wonderfully fitting end to a challenging (and at times hilarious) game. For those that have not played through, I've added the video ending (with song) below (If you haven't played the game, please note: If you don't get it don't blame me - I'm not giving the ending away as to not ruin it for those who have yet to play.):

Anyway, tomorrow, the song will be downloadable for free on XBL (Xbox Live) or PSN (PlayStation Network) for play on the smash hit music game Rock Band. With all of the items that gamers are forced to pay for, whether it be additional content, downloadable games, or videos, it is a nice treat for two companies (Valve and Harmonix, in this case) to get together and do something nice for the gamers who have made both games so popular (and made a lot of people a lot of money).

One thing to note - the XBL version will be out tomorrow, April 1st, but with PSN closed down to do some internal work on redevelopment of the marketplace, it will not be available on PS3 until April 17th. Sorry PS3 Rock Band owners! You can come over to my pad and jam if you'd like.

I'm not going to lie - I'm excited. I freaking love this song, and think it is the perfect way to end the game. I can't wait to get back to LA so that I can give singing this song a whirl (matching robotic pitches is something that I find entertaining - shoot me).

Gamefly Testing Trade-In Program

2008-03-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

I got an email today from Gamefly (the Netflix of video games, if you will) that told me that I'd been selected to test out a new "Trade-In Program" that Gamefly has. I've never been one to sell games, either back to a store, through EBay, etc, but I am a little curious about this program. Obviously, an easy way for Gamefly to procure additional copies of games at a discounted price, while giving their customers an opportunity to peddle away the games that they have used and tossed aside.

Will I use it? I'm not sure. Just out of curiousity, I punched in Call of Duty 2 on the XBOX 360 (the oldest next gen game I own) to see how much they would give me for it. It came to about six dollars, which I think is more than I would get from Gamestop. The kicker, of course, is that I get "Gamefly Credit", not actual cash. Gamestop is known to do this as well, offering more store credit than they do cold-hard-cash.

It's an interesting idea that I'm sure will find it's share of users though. There are many out there who are happy to rid themselves of old games as quickly as possible. I've just never been that way - I've always been the guy with the last 5 years of Madden video games lying around the house. Do I play any of them besides the most recent? Of course not. But there they sit, collecting dust.

Maybe I'm going to have to give this little program a try. Especially considering that I've done everything I could possibly do in the game, and I think there are one or two (million) more people playing COD4 these days...

Do you guys sell your games? Do you keep them forever? Do you trade them with friends?

I will keep you posted as to what I end up doing and how I feel it's working out.

Today's Postings

2008-03-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

All,

Got stuck at the hosptial for a length of time today - I will do my best to get a post or two up tonight, otherwise we'll make tomorrow a day of posts just for you!

Thanks for the understanding.

Just What America Needs, A 50 Cent Bulletproof Video Game Sequel

2008-03-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I can't believe I just wrote that.

Believe it or not, the first 50 Cent game actually shipped 1 million copies even though reviews were, lets, say, less than Editors Choice. Seriously? A million copies? Who in the blue hell is buying this game to the tune of a million copies shipped?

Anyway, thanks to all of those wonderful kids and great parents, we get to have a second 50 cent game! Whoo Hoo! Eh, I guess if there are people out there who enjoy it, who am I to complain?

Well, I'm going to complain just a tad more, as IGN recently had an interview with a Producer of the game, titled 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. The producer describes the game as follows,

What's inspired the title is, 50 and G-Unit are putting on a sold-out performance somewhere in a fictional Middle Eastern setting. This is where the 'blood on the sand' comes in. They put on the performance; the people are pleased, but the concert promoter stiffs them and doesn't give 50 and G-Unit their payment.

So, of course, 50 isn't going to leave until he gets paid, so he hassles the concert promoter, [saying] if he doesn't come up with the money now, there will be consequences. And instead, the promoter offers him a very valuable gift – something that's valuable to this particular country – a diamond encrusted skull.

So 50 gets the skull, and as he's about to leave this war-torn country, when they're ambushed and the skull is taken. They escape the ambush, but they're without the skull. So 50's motivated to get what belongs to him. So basically, throughout the game, he's trying to track these people down and find out who they are and why he was ambushed.

Oh goody, I can't wait for this one. I guess you can say it's got potential? An interesting story? It's using the Unreal Engine (UT3, Gears of War), so may it will be Gears of War meets 50 cent?

Can I possibly try any harder to justify this game?

I dunno, I think I need a cocktail after reading this interview.

Retro Game of the Day - March 26th, 2008

2008-03-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ahh, back to the days of my youth.

Times were simpler. Hulk Hogan captured the minds of a generation. Children actually played outside in neighborhoods. My parents house had a hot-tub. No Internet. Sports center was actually a good show. Those were the days.

More directly related to this area, it was the days that the Nintendo Entertainment System ruled the world. There are so many great games from the NES, but none that I played more than this:

The Greatest Game Ever?

I know many discuss the greatness of the original Tecmo Bowl, but I could never understand how there are people who actually prefer it to Tecmo Super Bowl (the sequel, if you will). I mean, this was the first video game ever to include the following:

Both NFL and NFLPA licensing
A FULL NFL season that one can play through (the 1991 season, to be exact)
REAL full rosters with REAL NFL players
The legendary QB Eagles

Among many other features of course. I will admit that as a Raiders fan, this game brings back especially fond memories (the Raiders were actually good, though I can't say that I liked that they were in LA). Bo Jackson was one of the more unstoppable forces in the game, and who doesn't like Steve Beuerlein as a backup-QB?

I am still playing this game these days, as it is always fun around a party to break out the ol NES on the big screen and watch people battle on it. One of the unheralded great things about this game is just how easy it is to pick up and play. Pick a team, pick one of the 8 possible players, and smash the A button as hard as you can to tackle. Does it get easier?

If you have this game lying around, I strongly encourage you to pop it in for old times sake just to see how insanely good some of the players were (Jerry Rice, Bo, Deion Sanders, and as my room ate Nick would tell you, Christian Okoye (side note - can't you just tell how awesome this game is from these youtube clips??).

The game still has a great cult following, and will forever be considered the game that allowed the hugely successful Madden series to become what it is today.

One more thing - that soundtrack? I could listen to it for hours :)

Call of Duty 4 Map Pack - Coming April 3rd (insert giddyness here)

2008-03-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

If you haven't had an opportunity to wander over to a gaming site and check out the new preview videos of the new map pack coming for smash-hit Call of Duty 4 (for PS3 and 360 to be purchased online), here is a gift for you.

IGN's First Look at COD4 Map Pack.

Looking through these maps, they all look like they will be a great addition, and will likely be worth picking up regardless of price. I know a lot of people on different message boards have been complaining about the fact that those of us who already have the game will have to purchase the map pack, but to those of you out there I say,

"Seriously?"

A look into the number of hours that my friends and I have tallied on COD4 show that hundreds of thousands of people have already put 60+ hours into the game, which can be proven by looking at the scores of your friends in the barracks of the game (side note: this does not include the time spent on single player). Hell, there are people who have put over 240 hours into the game. In my book, the $60 I spent on the game have provided me entertainment at a clip of less than $1 per hour (assuming I have spent more than 60 hours on the game). You really can't beat that! You think that going to see a movie costs $10 these days, and that is for 2 hours of entertainment. Say these maps cost $10 - think about how many hours of entertainment you're getting out of that! What value!!

Getting back to the maps, I think the map I am most excited about is Chinatown. I think the map just looks great, and gives a view of what could come in terms of future Call of Duty games. The map is based off of the COD2 map Carentan, which was a map I enjoyed playing a lot when I played COD2, and I love the close-quarter insanity that the map looks like it will bring.

The map pack looks like it will be released April 3rd on both PSN and XBL, so there is not a lot of time that you will have to wait to get your hands on these great additions to the COD 4 series. Seriously, the obsession with this game has yet to slow down, and I don't see it happening anytime soon, so you will be getting good value on your maps that should easily move into the rotation of the many great maps currently on COD 4.

Let me know your thoughts on these maps and what you think XBL and PSN should/will charge for them.