Games - PS3 - XBOX - Wii » same

[Review] Shank 2

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:10:50 +0000

Shank 2, by all means, is not a technical breakthrough and it doesn’t bring anything new to the table either. What Shank 2 is: a well animated 2D brawler that exceeds its predecessor in every department. Beginning with the improved game mechanics and the very addictive survival mode, to the bloody awesome animated scenes and the few extra unlockables that keeps you coming back for more. The Story All you need to know is: Shank is back to fight a dictator and save the day , which seems to be the theme lately. Well, the story has no purpose, other than serving big boss battles at the end of each level. The cut scenes are mildly entertaining, but again, I didn’t care much. I was busy shooting and stabbing stuff. Each of the 8 levels offers different enemies and environments, all for the purpose of building your momentum to the final fight. The bosses themselves are not much of a challenge, as each boss will require different strategy, which once you figure out, the fight shouldn’t last more than minutes. I finished the campaign in merely 4 hours on normal difficulty, but you are always welcome to crank the difficulty up a notch and get yourself some good old 2D beating! The Gameplay If ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? Shank 2 formula haven’t changed much since the first game. It is still the same 2D fast based action you love and expect. Klei Entertainment added some minor improvements to the combat system, including a load-out screen that can be accessed at any time and exclamation marks that pops above enemies heads when they are about to launch a vicious attack on your character, which can be countered simply by pressing the L2 button or dodging to side with the right analog stick. I’ve also noticed that Shank responsiveness to switching between weapons during combos have increased, which is very appreciated since the enemy AI are not as forgivable as the first game and they will attack you constantly from both sides. In Shank 2 the environment plays a bigger role in this installment. Weapons that enemies leave behind (spears, axes, shovels, fish .. yeah, you can slam enemies with fish) can be used to your advantage, as each weapon has a different finish move and some have trophies for you to collect. Some levels also offers mounted weapons which can be used for the same purpose of killing more enemies. While there is a variety of left over weapons available for you during the game, the main load-out screen still doesn’t offer much in this department. In Shank 2 you carry a heavy weapon, a throwing weapon and some explosives of your choice, all limited by 3 choices for each category. Shank and Corina are the only playable characters in the campaign and they both have a different arsenal of weapons. You can change your character skin at any given time, but the weapons will remain the same, which was a bit of a letdown. Survival Mode The unlockable skins in Shank 2 This is where you will be spending the majority of your time in Shank 2. The online/offline cooperative Survival mode offers multiple waves of enemies, 30 waves in each map to be precise. Your task is simple, prevent enemies from planting bombs on the supply caches available in each level. Once a bomb is activated, you will have a few seconds to deactivate it by standing next to it and pressing the R1 button. During this process you are vulnerable to enemies’ attacks and you will have to communicate with your partner. You also can revive your partner during the game. If you both die the game will end and all your previous progress will be lost. Killing enemies will grant you cash, which you can spend to purchase in-game items, keeping in mind that not all items will be available for immediate purchase. You will have to work through each wave in order to unlock some of the items, which ranges from a wild bore that knocks enemies down, to a missile strike that wipes the entire map off. Playing through survival mode will unlock more characters and trophies. Each of the 16 different characters in survival mode has different statues and bonuses, unfortunately, they all share the same weapons load-out. Say ‘what’ again, I dare you, I double dare you Final Thoughts Shank 2 is an improvement in every aspect. Despite the lack of a captivating story, the survival mode will keep you and your partner busy for hours and for the price of $9.99, this awesome, well animated, revengeful 2D blood path is a must play for all fans of the genre. Review Pros Cons An improvement over its predecessor Well animated 2D action Survival mode Replay value Weak story Limited load-out menu Rating 84% Price on PSN is $9.99 Disclaimer This review is based on a PS3 edition of Shank 2 developed by Klei Entertainment and published by EA.

Original post:
[Review] Shank 2

Releases for the Week (February 13th-19th)

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:47:09 +0000

Did you know that a proper full release for the PS Vita is just around the corner? Those that pre-ordered the first edition package will get theirs this Wednesday, but the rest of the gaming public will have their chance on February 22nd. Therefore, this week marks the first time we’ll be listing Vita releases during the “Releases for the Week” posts! There are a LOT of games that want your money (but not your lunch money), and if you did indeed get a Vita, you’re in for a treat! You can choose from over 16 releases and, in case you never owned a PS3 or a PSP, you’ve got HUNDREDS of games that demand your attention. Full list of games after the break. PS3 Retail Releases You Can Buy Twisted Metal Right Here! You Can Buy UFC Undisputed 3 Right Here! You Can Buy Grand Slam Tennis 2 Right Here! PSN Releases You Can Buy Gran Theft Auto IV Right Here! PS Vita Releases You Can Buy Uncharted: Golden Abyss Right Here! You Can Buy Wipeout 2048 Right Here! You Can Buy Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational Right Here! You Can Buy ModNation Racers: Road Trip Right Here! You Can Buy Lumines: Electronic Symphony Right Here! You Can Buy Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Right Here! You Can Buy BlazBlue: Continuum Shift EXTEND Right Here! You Can Buy EA Sports FIFA Soccer Right Here! You Can Buy Asphalt: Injection Right Here! You Can Buy Michael Jackson The Experience HD Right Here! You Can Buy Rayman Origins Right Here! PSP Releases You Can Buy Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom Right Here! Or Maybe you Want the Limited Edition!

Originally posted here:
Releases for the Week (February 13th-19th)

[Review] Soul Calibur V

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:44:45 +0000

For the first time in series history the fifth installment to Namco’s Soul Calibur franchise moves the story forward significantly. Set seventeen years after the events of the fourth game, Soul Calibur V introduces long time fans of the series to a fresh new, younger cast of characters while keeping the right mix of familiar faces around. With this edition of Soul Calibur Project Soul ( the developers behind the series ) took several bold steps with the fighter as an attempt to attract new players but was it enough to keep the soul burning? Story Welcome back to the stage of history . The story in Soul Calibur V is told differently than previous installments. No longer do each of the game’s 24 main playable characters ( not including guest character Ezio Auditore da Firenze or Patroklos’ and Pyrrha’s alternate forms ) have individual story paths. In the new story mode -which is actually called Story 1607 A.D.- you’re mostly in control of nineteen year old protagonist, Patroklos Alexander, the new wielder of the Soul Calibur sword. Patroklos is in search of his long lost misguided sister Pyrrha, who wields the evil blade Soul Edge and serves as the story’s deuteragonist. Patroklos and Pyrrha are the children of series veteran Sophitia. In story mode most of the returning cast now play a supporting role while others are no where to be found. The engaging tale of brother versus sister unfolds not only through battles against numerous AI opponents but with an anime style narrative combined with instances of CG as well. The compelling story was told rather well throughout the 20 Episodes. While the new story mode did a good job of introducing us to Patroklos and his family struggles at the same time it left too many unanswered questions for other fighters. As someone who enjoys following the plot of the series I personally found it disappointing that new characters such as Xiba and Viola weren’t fleshed out. Xiba obviously has some form of relation to franchise veterans Kilik and Seong Mi-na but exactly how wasn’t explained. Viola could be Amy, Raphael’s missing adoptive daughter, however since this wasn’t explained we’re left up to our imagination until the next installment, hopefully. Modes Soul Calibur V features five offline modes, Arcade, Quick Mode, VS Battle,Training and Legendary Souls . When you’re not playing online, Quick Mode and Legendary Souls Mode will keep you busy. In Quick Mode you battle against different AI controlled characters who you must defeat in order to gain new titles. You’re given the option to select which character you want to fight against however depending on your choice the AI can either be a push over or extremely challenging. Quick Mode is also where you’ll find special non playable character, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada. Harada uses Devil Jin’s fighting style, and as a high ranked character, is pretty hard to beat. When you do conquer Harada you’ll be rewarded with his title and a trophy for your collection. In Legendary Souls mode you face off against seven AI controlled bosses across as many stages. Your Soul Calibur skills will be put to the test as the difficulty level of the enemy’s AI increases with each boss. After nearly an hour of trying I only made it to the fourth boss, the pirate Cervantes. I can attest that a lot of skill, luck and well placed ring outs will be needed in this mode. And if you give up at any point during Legendary Souls you’ll have to start over from the first boss, Kilik. In both Quick Mode and Legendary Souls you’ll be rewarded with points needed to level up in the game. As you increase your level you’ll unlock new weapons, items and stickers to be used in Character creation mode. A look at one of my edited versions of protogonist Patroklos. First featured in the third installment of the series Character Creation mode has a lot more to offer in Soul Calibur V. Players can change every characters’ outfit in the game ( with the exception of Assassin’s Creed II star Eizo ) and edit their appearance from their hair down to their underwear with numerous unlockable goodies. You can also create a character from scratch and dress him or her with many of the same items. While you can choose from any of the game’s default characters’ fighting styles to base your created character off of ( again, with the exception of Eizo ), it would have been a nice touch if styles from characters not found in SCV ( i.e Zasalamel, Talim or Yun Seong ) were selectable. You can also create a weaponless character that uses the moves of Tekken’s Devil Jin. Once you’re done editing you can save your character on any of the 50 customizable cards and show them both off online. Soul Calibur V has three online modes; Ranked Match, Player Match and Global Colosseo . The first two modes are self explanatory if you’re familiar with online fighting games. Global Colosseo is Project Soul’s attempt at creating an in game social experience with Soul Calibur V. In this particular mode players-represented by their custom cards located onscreen-can take part in tournaments, talk to each other ( via voice chat or text ), spectate or challenge one another to random battles all without waiting in rooms. If I could rate Soul Calibur V based on its online netcode I’d give it a 9.9. After the online mess that plagued Tekken 6 right out of the gate it was refreshing to see how Project Soul managed to create a near perfect online experience in Soul Calibur V. Of the 30+ online sessions that I’ve played I didn’t experience an ounce of lag. However there were several instances when I’d loose connection with the other player. Thankfully when this happened I was sent back to the same room I had been in and not the online lobby. When you join an online room you can watch others duke it out and chat away with whoever else may be waiting for their chance to pumble the winner of the current match. The online search method in Soul Calibur V is also well thought out. Not only can you search for matches or rooms by region but you can also search by pre-selected cities. This will help players locate people closer to them which will result in a lot less lag. In the US New York is the city where you’ll find the most people to fight against online. Another new online feature in this game is Soul Link. Players can use this to monitor the status and activities of up to 3 different players. And in Replay Mode you can save replays of matches via a separate file on PSN then upload it to YouTube for the world to see. Gameplay To keep the series fresh Project Soul made some major tweeks to the gameplay in Soul Calibur V. Sidestepping your opponent by double tapping up or down on the direction arrows allows your character to avoid certain attacks leaving the other guy exposed. This form of maneuvering has become extremely important in Soul Calibur V. For defensive play a new feature called Just Guard has been implemented. If timed correctly with your opponent’s attack players using Just Guard will obtain a brief yet strategical advantage over the match as it can also be used against unblockable attacks. The newly implemented cinematic attack called Critical Edge will unleash crucial damage on an unsuspecting rival.These attacks are cool to watch even if you’re on the receiving end of one. Some Critical Edges can be blocked if you catch them in time.Combos are also important in Soul Calibur V. Launch an opponent into the air or unleash an attack that temporary stuns them to kick off your combo. While Soul Calibur V features 27 stages only four of them are multi-tiered.The second portions of these stages can be accessed by ringing a player out or by other requirements. The multi-tiered stages are a nice addition however they aren’t as well executed or as flashy as those found in Tecmo’s Dead or Alive series. The stages themselves are well detailed but they aren’t much different than the ones found in previous games despite the activity taking place in the backgrounds of certain stages. 2012 will likely be one of the biggest years for fighting games and Soul Calibur V gets thing started with a medium sized bang. While Project Soul went the extra mile with certain aspects of the game there’s still much that needs to be done with the series to help it stand out from the crowded pack of fighters. With that said, Soul Calibur V is an excellent edition to the series that no fan of the genre should miss. Review Pros Cons Stellar graphics Impressive online play Very deep character customization Dual audio Fun, fast gameplay Too few fighters Forgettable soundtrack -only Eizo’s Assassin’s Creed Remix is worth mentioning Lack of new moves for returning characters Rating 85% Disclaimer This review is based on a PS3 edition of Soul Calibur V provided by NAMCO Bandai Games.

View original here:
[Review] Soul Calibur V

Send In The Clowns | Twisted Metal Coverage & Super Awesome Giveaway! [Update]

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:49:37 +0000

Production value. I got it in spades. Theme music and high quality props are what you get when Foo Productions takes over. As you can tell with the picture, I wrote everyone’s name down and carefully sliced those into tabs – all about the same size – wanted to make it as fair as possible. Who won? Well, I guess you’ll have to watch the video and get my YouTube views up – won’t you? Special thanks goes out to Mrs. FooBear for filming this contest with her academy award-winning style. Congratulations goes to the winner and I’ll be contacting them like a midget. Shortly.

Originally posted here:
Send In The Clowns | Twisted Metal Coverage & Super Awesome Giveaway! [Update]

PS3BlogCast Episode 36

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:10:07 +0000

Another week is here, and though the news is light, we’re back with another episode of the podcast. It’s FooBear, Isli and I discussing what news there was as well as what we are playing, while also giving tips to a listener on what PS2 games to play. Enter the secret word(s) mentioned in the PS3BlogCast to earn 75 points. The first 10 people to enter it correctly get double points! As always, we want to remind you that the PS3BlogCast is listed on iTunes! So please subscribe and rate/review us there. You can also leave a voicemail for us by calling PS3-888-BLOG or if you want to contact us via email for us you can do so here . We have a dedicated forum for the PS3BlogCast so you can leave your questions and feedback there as well. Here’s a list of some things (or everything) we discussed: New Releases Skyrim 1.4 Patch Battlefield 3 VOIP Patch David Jaffe to Leave Eat Sleep Play LittleBigPlanet Kart Racing? TV Show Talk What We’re Playing FooBear’s Giveaway Details Secret Word Listener Email

Original post:
PS3BlogCast Episode 36

[Review] Lord of the Rings : War in the North

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:10:57 +0000

Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a hack and slash game based on the fantasy created by J. R. R. Tolkien. This story takes place during the same period as the books (or movies), but in the game, the tale told is that of another group of adventurers. There have been many attempts to translate the rich world of LotR into video games, and many have failed. However, while still not the definitive Tolkien experience, I’ll agree with the bold statement made in the cover: “this is the best LotR game yet”. After the movies came out (2001, 2002 and 2003), everyone started looking at this universe differently. Peter Jackson really raised the bar when giving life to Tolkien’s stories, and I was glad to see this represented in the game. Environments are rich and varied; weapons and armor also have a very unique feel to them. Character models are simple, but you’ll certainly note the resemblance of some of the known characters, like Elrond, Aragorn and Bilbo. Effects are few, even when casting spells or using special skills, but this works out for the best because it does not get in the way of your view of the battlefield, which gets really busy at times. Textures are decent, but what really upped the visuals a bit was the lighting. Animations are the only thing that disappointed me a little bit, but only during cut scenes (and there are many), because combat looks really good and fluid. Like most action games, it’s really simple to switch between weak, strong and ranged attacks. Special skills acquired through leveling are just as easy to use and can change the tide of the battle. You’ll play as one of 3 classes (ranger, warrior or mage), each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but since they’re always together it doesn’t really matter which you choose. Just make sure it’s the one more suited to your play style. The ranger (based on Aragorn, a.k.a. Strider) is more of a DPS character and a great archer. His bow and arrow skills are extraordinarily useful, but he also handles close combat pretty well (unless surrounded by stronger enemies). The warrior (a dwarf that looks a lot like Gimli) is your tank character, with a bunch of war cries that will boost your party’s stats. Finally, the mage (which doesn’t resembles much any of the members of the fellowship) is an elf with some great control abilities and also works as the healer and ranged defender. You can play as any of these characters (and change in between major checkpoints if you feel like it) while the computer (or someone else) controls the other two. Working together is the key to overcome the biggest challenges. Based on the epic score of the movies, I was expecting the soundtrack to be more remarkable, but it ended up being a bit repetitive and otherwise uninteresting. Sound effects are good and do justice to the fun combat. Unfortunately, not the same can be said about the voice acting, which is very inconsistent. In a game with as many cut scenes as this, you’d expect more, especially since Nolan North lends his voice to the ranger. However, the dialogue does not sound like Tolkien, which only serves as aggravation. The story has you running after a sorcerer by the name of Agandaûr to prevent a massive attack at the North ( ! ) while helping those who are somehow hindered by his evilness along the way. I thought it worked fine for the game, and while it might not be as epic as Frodo’s journey, it certainly didn’t feel out of place or sounded unbelievable in the overall scheme. Please note that I’m a fan, so don’t take this lightly. Like many action games, combat can get a bit tiresome at times. Fortunately, you can switch between characters and mix it up a little bit by trying different play styles every once in a while. I only wish you could do this on the fly right in the middle of fights, instead of having to quit and reload to do so. Co-op is certainly the way to go, since your AI partners aren’t really bright and don’t usually take orders that well. I also enjoyed having a New Game + option, since, for some reason, I always appreciate starting the game more and more powerful (however, at least 3 playthroughs on increased difficulties are required to platinum the game). Overall, I was pleased with Lord of the Rings: War in the North. It certainly scratched my itch for something related to the subject and it was really interesting to see something new created for this rich universe, even if it’s not nearly as good as the original. A hack and slash RPG with solid combat and placed in the best fantasy world ever created; this is how I’d describe it. A great time for anyone interested in one great cooperative game or just looking to revisit Middle-Earth. Review Pros Cons A Lord of the Rings game! Solid and rewarding combat Fun co-operative experience Lots of loot to hoard and secrets to uncover Bland soundtrack and voice acting Overly complicated menus make it annoying to switch characters and manage equipment Story is fun, but fails to deliver a true LotR feeling of epicness Rating 87%

View post:
[Review] Lord of the Rings : War in the North

Twisted Metal Demo Lands Today on PSN

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:57:34 +0000

The highly anticipated Twisted Metal PS3 lands on PSN today just in time for the community event being held on their facebook page, which can be found here .They have some nice prizes for the winners. Read on below. Winner of the Twisted Metal Multiplayer Tournament will receive a Twisted Metal laser-etched PS3, and special prizes will be given away to participants and the top 10 players. David Jaffe and company will also be handing out special Twisted Metal items (exclusive to this event!) all night long. You’ll need to be present to win! David Jaffe has just jumped in on some of the community’s questions over at Sony. Will Twisted Metal feature a Party System for easy play with friends? 100%! The new Twisted Metal supports Party and Clan systems allowing players to easily jump into ranked and unranked matches together. The party system was key, not just because it’s a staple for online games, but because we heard from so many players who came up playing this game with friends (be it as little kids, or college students) and now their crew have scattered across the globe and they were asking us for a fast, easy way to jump into games with friends so they could relive some of those fun memories (and ideally make a lot more new ones)! Will Twisted Metal have splitscreen coop missions? Split screen local co-op has been a staple of the series since TM2 and it’s back and better than ever. The campaign that you and a buddy can go through together is more varied than any other TM campaign we’ve done. And the other split screen modes- for 2 to 4 players on the same tv- allow for free for all and team games with lots of host options for players so they can tweak and adjust the game so it always says fresh. In 2 player split the players have 30+ levels to choose from. In 3 and 4 player split, players can choose from 10 battlegrounds. Is there any gameplay relevance related to the pedestrians in the environments, mechanics and trophies? Yes to all three questions . A good example: in the level called BLACK ROCK STADIUM- which is this ‘hi tech meat grinder-meets-Roman Gladiator Colosseum’ players can park their vehicles on pressure plates. Sitting on these plates long enough causes audience members to get ejected from the stands. Each audience member that is ejected is wearing one of two kinds of vests: a vest with a cross on it and a vest with a question mark. Hitting cross vested peds yields health. Hitting mystery peds yields a random weapon pick up. If you kill an enemy, the drive and gunner eject from the explosion and their burning bodies go running around in terror. After a few seconds they die, but if you can hit the gunner before he dies, you get a random weapon. If you hit the driver before he dies, you get a little extra health. Which characters are some of the Twisted Metal team’s other favorites? All of the human characters in the new Twisted made it in mainly because they represent the team’s favorite from a 50+ roster of characters that live in the Twisted Metal universe. So besides Tooth, we’re all big fans of Calypso, Mr. Grimm, Dollface, and Preacher. We also tend to dig No Face and Minion. As for vehicles, we love the cast of vehicles in the new Twisted and that’s a big reason they made the cut. We do miss some of our old friends however, such as Thumper, Pit Viper, Yellow Jacket, Twisted, and Mr. Slam. Source: Sony

View post:
Twisted Metal Demo Lands Today on PSN

Modern Warfare 3 Had 1.4 Million Simultaneous Users

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:54:27 +0000

Activision has corrected their error when it was reported that on November 8 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 set the record for the number of players online at the same time on Xbox Live with 3.3 million. A press release was sent out yesterday that there were 1.4 million concurrent online players and 3.3

Original post:
Modern Warfare 3 Had 1.4 Million Simultaneous Users

2011 GOTY VGA Awards – My Two Cents

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:00:33 +0000

Loyal minions! Thought I’d contribute a bit more to this quality website than my weekly effort of our award winning podcast. Get off my rump and type another page-turner of an article for you to read and then tell all your friends about. Something Mr. Andy Rooney would be proud of. Articles usually take me about 10 minutes to write, this one has taken me over a week. Let’s begin! Variety. People have been known to say that it’s the spice of life. Variety is a good thing in many aspects. It can make you grow, life and smile…which is fantastic in itself. People, and even the community you live in – loyal reader -, is made up entirely of variety. Different kinds of people, doing different kinds of things – all of whom are trying to live their lives the way they seem fit. And then there’s the other end of the spectrum: Repetition. Repetition can make people’s lives possible and bearable. And that’s where the comparisons end, although in itself, it’s boring and drab. It’s a black and white photograph of the underside of a bridge, and placed on a wall in a dentist’s office. Repetition is having the same meal over and over again, because you’re too afraid to try anything else. It serves no point and has no drive, no ambition, and no fortitude. Repetition is actually Variety’s arch nemesis. The two are not even close. It’s not the same sport, it’s not even the same league. The team has picked up, relocated and moved away to another country. Get my drift? Pertaining to video games though? Variety isn’t always the best policy. Variety is hardly recognized – except for when a development company receives the coveted, and highly sought after, game of the year award. The GOTY doesn’t always go to the most deserving development company, but the development company that shows it has the insight to be different. To be courageous enough to step across that blurred line of reality and gaming and say,” This is ours. This is out best effort. This is what we have created and would like to share with the world.” Who would’ve thought a game about a renegade outlaw, gun-wielding, horse riding, cowboy – would’ve won the prestigious GOTY award? And it did. I, of course, am talking about “Red Dead Redemption”. The developer, Rockstar Games, is known for making a line in the sand and double-dog daring you, as a gamer, to blindly step over it. With recent releases like L.A. Noire and newly announced GTA5. Using far beyond tech like face motion capture and implementing a riveting music process that goes along with everything they touch. One would agree that every step Rockstar has taken has only furthered game technology. They won it last year in 2010. How about a game that looks like a movie? A game that features a brash man with sweet tooth for treasures and rare artifacts? A man that runs towards gunfire and welcomes a fist fight with a gritty smile? Nathan Drake is the name and Uncharted is the game. Developer Naughty Dog is no stranger to the GOTY award, winning it for Uncharted 2 back in 2009. Naughty Dog, being a small Santa Monica based company, employs the gamers’ imagination not to take hold and grow roots when any gamer picks up and plays any of the Uncharted series. And they make the main character not only dear to any PS3 gamers heart – but relatable. A hero you can relate to? A game with a riveting story and even more impressive gameplay? An exclusive only to the PlayStation console? Naughty Dog sets their own rules and outshines in their latest effort, Uncharted 3 – which is one of the GOTY nominees. Everybody loves a dark horse. Everybody loves the underdog. Everyone roots for the not so lucky guy to get the girl and get that happy ending and go riding off into the sunset. This year, there’s: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Now believe me when I tell you. My friends list always seems to be full, a minimum of at least 20 people online at any one time. And over half of those fine folks are playing Skyrim. And not for 20 minutes or an hour. We’re talking for a non stop session of 12-16 hours. Any game that can wrap you up and say “have a seat” should be worthy of contention, and, personally, Skyrim is my pick for the dark horse for the 2011 GOTY award ceremonies this year. I’ve seen gameplay, I’ve seen peoples’ lives consumed. I’ve seen their rabid love of this game develop into its own thing. Something unexplainable, something so fevered and yet so revered at same time. To even try and badmouth this game – makes my legs shake with fear. People are in love with this game and the game loves them back with fascinating gameplay and jaw dropping visuals. Bethesda, the development company behind this title, knew exactly what they were doing when they unleashed this game to the hordes. They, as well, are in contention for this years 2011 GOTY award. The other three games on the 2011 GOTY nominee list, whereas, are not blockbuster material. They, indeed, have their own cult following and each of their own respected developer company’s sat up and refused to not go quietly into the night. They wanted to make a game for all to enjoy. For all to talk about, for all to try and come to their own conclusions. I want to take this moment to congratulate all the developers for their effort and their hard work for crossing that line in the sand and making this the new standard in video games. Thank you for all your sacrifice and hard work to give the entertainment that we know and had come to love. Thank you for not being cookie cutter and churning out another piece of garbage that’ll be in Gamestop’s bargain bin in a month and when we see it – it’ll instantly make us regret buying it new for $60. Thank you, most of all, for the one thing all video games need these days…variety.

Original post:
2011 GOTY VGA Awards – My Two Cents

[Review] Dark Souls

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:50:42 +0000

Dark Souls is one of the best games I’ve ever played. I have no doubt about that. Being a huge Demon’s Souls fan, this has been on my radar ever since it first was announced and I honestly can say this is one of the few games that lived up to its own hype. After all, I’ve bought 3 copies of it and I still don’t think I wasted money. One of those is the Collectors Edition I got from pre-ordering the game, amazing content for no additional costs (all publishers should follow this example), the second I’ve bought because I’m only going to get the first late in December and I simply needed to play the game before that, however that one got terribly delayed, so I went on and bought another one. Long story short, I was dangerously excited and had extremely high expectations for the game. Fortunately, my expectations were surpassed and my excitement only got bigger. I’ve spent an astonishing 60 hours with the game over just one week and I didn’t skip work once! But enough about this rambling and, like Monty Python and the Holy Grail would say “GET ON WITH IT!”. Oh, and I’ll be making this review newbie friendly, so you’re welcome if you’ve never played Demon’s Souls or Dark Souls. The first thing you’ll notice when you start the game is the dark and eerie setting, and soon you’ll be introduced to the unforgiving nature of it. Shortly thereafter, you’ll discover the most amazing thing about it: the best control scheme I’ve ever seen. Trust me, it’s that good. Skyrim is partially copying some of it. I have no doubts that this combination is what makes the game so great, because you’ve got a huge challenge ahead of you (especially if you’re not used to RPGs and more so if you haven’t played Demon’s Souls extensively), but all the tools needed to overcome it are there. You only need to learn how to use them. The world of Dark Souls is huge and totally open for your exploration. You can finish the game and be completely unaware of many areas. Everything is permitted and whatever you see far in the horizon is a place you can go. In this sense, it is very rewarding, because some of the most precious moments of it will only be shown to those who take the time to look for them. The diversity of environments really impressed me. There are dozens of different ones, from foggy forests, to crystal caves, to creepy abandoned castles and some disgusting poisonous swamps; you’re never tired of looking at the same thing for too long. The lightning is impressive, reflexes, humid walls, fire and so much more set the tone perfectly. Most of the game is pretty dark, which makes you appreciate it even more. I’ve noticed some weird shadows under platforms where monsters stand, but it didn’t bother me. Textures are also very well done. Most of the time it’s difficult not to pay attention to the great amount of detail put into each room and corridor. Weapons, character models, and especially armor sets are a work to be reckoned. I constantly took a little break from all the killing and dying just to take a look at what beautiful gear had I amassed during my latest travels. As I said, the controls are perfect, shoulder buttons control each hand individually (L1 and L2 for left and R1 and R2 for right) and you can choose the intensity of each move (L2 and R2 for a stronger attack), the same goes for blocking or casting. The chain of commands will trigger different combos, all of those you should be very aware of, because they’re needed. You can also combine that to other actions such as rolling and jumping for even more results. The great thing about Dark Souls is its flexibility. For example, I play as a melee heavy class, but with zero investment in any stats I can wield very strong fire magic, it’s all about equipment. This shines when you’re having trouble getting trough an area and realize all you need is a change of strategy. Another great thing is that the developers decided each group of weapons should have a very similar damage output, so in the end, you’re faced with the question “What is your favorite move set?” This is interesting because you won’t be seeing the same weapon over and over again like in some other games. There’s only a little problem here: very rarely there’s an input delay and sometimes this means a gruesome death. A couple hours into the game I was thanking NAMCO for including the soundtrack with the Collectors Edition, because it is very beautiful and immersive. The deep tones made me feel hollow and scared, weary of each corner, and at times, excited and ready to conquer this magnificent world. I’ll be honest though, I’ve missed the terrifying singing of the Once Royal Mistress in Tower of Latria. Sound effects are also spot on, be that the clashing sound of a sword against a shield, or the creepy noise of some abomination down the hall. The music is complemented by constant screams and moans, sure to make you tremble with fear of the unknown. For those who have played Demon’s Souls you’ll be reintroduced to some sounds you’ve heard before, which can feel weird, giving how used you may be to some of those. And more times than I’d have liked to, I heard my own footsteps after I stopped walking, that could be an echo, but it just felt really strange. Possibly one of the greatest improvements over Demon’s Souls is the unbelievable level design. No level feels one directional, and if you intend to get the best of the game, thorough exploration is necessary. Taking risks is more than once rewarded, jumping off to far ledges or falling to some platform down below is advisable, most of the times treasure lies in wait, or perhaps a trapped NPC that is sure to help you for your troubles. There are dozens of shortcuts and hidden passageways you should take advantage of. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting a lot of time killing some enemies over and over again. This might not be the best news for people who are easily sidetracked, or those in a a hurry, but it’s certainly well worth your time. However, be warned, even though unknown paths are difficult to find, doesn’t mean they aren’t well guarded and filled with traps, so always proceed with caution. This is rule #1 for this game. While Dark Souls is not a story focused game, there’s an impressive quantity of lore scattered around Lordran. Most of it in form of dialogue with one of the many suspicious inhabitants of this worlds, but also description texts on weapons and sorceries for example. There are a few dozen NPCs, most with their own story arc, that you should be on the look out for (some of which I’ve missed on my first playthrough). Those make for a fine change of pace, to the mostly lonely journey, usually rewarding your efforts and shedding some light on what you should be doing. Most have possibly heard about the difficulty of Dark Souls and all the rumors are true, well, partially. Personally, I haven’t found the game that hard, although my good friend Jason told me NG+ is where things get interesting, but I’m not a newcomer to the genre. The cautious nature of the game is where most get lost. Used to easy healing or enemies that don’t really hurt you? None of those are present here. The key to survival is not getting hit, and playing as a heavy tank, for example, can prove to be very tricky. Every enemy has a pattern and to succeed you should learn it. This game is more about dodging and stepping in at the right moment than it is about sheer damage. Another important thing is to commit to your build, so don’t spread your points too much, otherwise you’ll be stuck with a useless character. I was very pleased with the fact grinding is a lot less necessary in this game. Simply playing will get you enough souls (aka experience points/money) to progress (that is of course if you’re careful). The last important part of the game is the online component of it, an incredible innovative way to interact with others. You can either play cooperatively or invade others and claim their souls, both can be tackled in various ways. Playing this game with others is a completely different experience. It gets a lot easier (even though enemies get tougher) and sometimes is the only way for those who are stuck. It is nice to give a helping hand once in a while, it feels good. Personally, I prefer PvP and I think it’s one of the best and most balanced systems around. It’s exciting and fresh every time and you’ll be sinking hours into it once you’re familiar with everything. The game wants you to play online so much, there are actually offline characters that simulate online play, which is very fair in my opinion. Some people are complaining about the matchmaking, but I’ve never had any problems myself. Finally, Dark Souls is impressive. It has everything an excellent game needs: amazing looks, perfect controls, and engaging gameplay. It’s also terribly addicting. Playing it for at least 60 hours is practically mandatory, but I doubt anyone that gets to that mark will be able to stop before a couple hundred more. There’s so much to be said about it, I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface with this review (and I haven’t) which only proves how great it is. If you’re interested in a challenging, yet extremely satisfying experience, than you should look no further. This game certainly isn’t recommended for everyone. It’s a masochistic experience at times, but it is more satisfying than any other game I’ve ever played. Review Pros Cons Beautiful environments Perfect gameplay Extremely addictive Extensive content As satisfying as a game can get Never cheap, always instructional Disappointing for those who are not up for it Occasional slow down on some areas Rare input delay Rating 95%

Continued here:
[Review] Dark Souls