Thursday, September 29, 2011
Gaming and Giving for Good Love blog Marathon
This Saturday, I will be providing a running LIVE blog of my marathon gameplay session to raise money for the Shands Children's Hospital in Gainseville Florida. Check back here to follow the action, take part in polls and get a front row seat to the suffering one will go through for the sake of charity.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
MONDAY....NIGHT....COMBAAAAATTTT!!!
I have been waiting for Monday Night Combat to finally be released since I first caught wind of the game at PAX East. The mere description of the game as "Team Fortress 2 meets Defense of the Ancients" was enough to sell me. Defense of the Ancients (DOTA), is a Warcraft 3 mod that ranks in my Top Ten all time games. Well until League of Legends came out, but my point still stands.
Basically DOTA has two teams of 5 battling to see who can destroy the others HQ first. You're aided by a constant stream of minions, some ranged, some melee and a series of towers along three possible paths. Each side attempts to "push" their way through the towers into the other's base. Monday Night Combat's Crossfire mode is *exactly* like this, except that anyone on the team can spend cash to build and upgrade towers. You can also spend cash and get a slightly stronger wave of minions to spawn on that side.
The big difference is of course, that Monday Night Combat is a third person shooter. The cash you earn by killing enemies can be spent to upgrade one of 4 skills, 3 actives and one passive. The classes are all fairly interesting, though as of now, the Gunner is pretty Over-powered with Support right behind him.
The Gunner is like a Team Fortress 2 Heavy, complete with a minigun that has to keep spinning for full potential. Support is a Medic/Engineer hybrid that can lay down unique turrets called "firebases" which lay down a WORLD OF PAIN. Support can heal turrets, minions or teammates, the only class which can do so...oh, and he can call in an air strike. It's more like a direct bomb drop then a carpet bomb.
Assault is the token average character. Yes, I did do that on purpose.
Sniper is a sniper with a point'n'shoot style instead of worrying about wind like in CoD. Aim, and the bullet goes there. Headshots can one shot everything except a tank.
The Tank is a dude in an ugly egg shaped suit. With a blowtorch like weapon that's barely better then using a melee attack (especially since melee attacks do CRAZY damage.) The Tank can take damage, but he has issues dishing it out.
The Assassin can stealth and pull off one hit backstab kills. Fairly standard, but also a bit gimped as she can not handle enemy turrets at all and struggles against larger minions, such as the Jackbot or Brute.
I only played for a little over an hour today but it was a blast. Going to take awhile to get used to it and find which class/skills work for me. For those that care, the achievements are very easy.
Basically DOTA has two teams of 5 battling to see who can destroy the others HQ first. You're aided by a constant stream of minions, some ranged, some melee and a series of towers along three possible paths. Each side attempts to "push" their way through the towers into the other's base. Monday Night Combat's Crossfire mode is *exactly* like this, except that anyone on the team can spend cash to build and upgrade towers. You can also spend cash and get a slightly stronger wave of minions to spawn on that side.
The big difference is of course, that Monday Night Combat is a third person shooter. The cash you earn by killing enemies can be spent to upgrade one of 4 skills, 3 actives and one passive. The classes are all fairly interesting, though as of now, the Gunner is pretty Over-powered with Support right behind him.
The Gunner is like a Team Fortress 2 Heavy, complete with a minigun that has to keep spinning for full potential. Support is a Medic/Engineer hybrid that can lay down unique turrets called "firebases" which lay down a WORLD OF PAIN. Support can heal turrets, minions or teammates, the only class which can do so...oh, and he can call in an air strike. It's more like a direct bomb drop then a carpet bomb.
Assault is the token average character. Yes, I did do that on purpose.
Sniper is a sniper with a point'n'shoot style instead of worrying about wind like in CoD. Aim, and the bullet goes there. Headshots can one shot everything except a tank.
The Tank is a dude in an ugly egg shaped suit. With a blowtorch like weapon that's barely better then using a melee attack (especially since melee attacks do CRAZY damage.) The Tank can take damage, but he has issues dishing it out.
The Assassin can stealth and pull off one hit backstab kills. Fairly standard, but also a bit gimped as she can not handle enemy turrets at all and struggles against larger minions, such as the Jackbot or Brute.
I only played for a little over an hour today but it was a blast. Going to take awhile to get used to it and find which class/skills work for me. For those that care, the achievements are very easy.
Monday, August 9, 2010
(TrueAchievements Repost) Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper Review
In order to write this review I first had to find the address for a computer technician to fix my keyboard. I needed to go old school and use an actual phone book as my computer was out of order of course. Sadly, the only phone book in the area was up on the balcony of a third floor apartment. No one was home, so I had to mug a fireman and take his ladder. In order to mug this fireman, I had to first secure a hefty wooden tree branch for use as a makeshift club. This meant I had to distract the squirrel on the branch since I did not want to hurt him. To do this, I had to find my nuts.
Okay, so I did not actually have to do any of that, but if that was tough for you to read just stop right now and do not play this game. Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper is an old school adventure game. I am talking Myst adventure games here. Originally a PC Game in the U.K., now a 360 game here in the States (as well as the U.K.), Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper is an acquired taste.
Plot
You play as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, attempting to solve the infamous Jack the Ripper murders that took London by storm in 1888. The world's first sensationalized serial killer (Jack the Ripper stirred up media interest like no one's business) was never actually caught, making this an excellent case for Sherlock Holmes. The game, surprisingly, uses the actual timeline, locations and suspects of the Jack the Ripper murders. By playing this game, you will know the actual history of the Jack the Ripper murders.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - LEARNED SOMETHING FROM A VIDEO GAME
Gameplay
Unlike the PC version, you can play in either a first or third person perspective. Third is easier to get around the drab rooms and corridors of 19th century London, but first makes it much easier to grab clues and items. Which you will be doing. A lot. The same scenario plays out over and over again. Sherlock and Watson will be in the office and then will get a clue. You rush off as one of the Dynamic Duo to investigate the clue but in doing so, must go on the sort of subquest hell not seen since Breath of Fire 2.
The solutions to most of the puzzles are quite logical. So logical in fact that I found myself missing an important clue right in front of my face. A few will most likely, require a guide, despite having one by my side I actually enjoyed figuring some of them out on my own. I know! this day and age, someone taking the time to figure out logic puzzles! Go figure.
Control
The controls will make a few of those puzzles significantly harder then they should be as this was originally a PC game, a mouse and keyboard is clearly the control scheme this was designed to use in the first place. Finding the right pixel can reach annoyance levels akin to finding the loose brick in the dungeon of Maniac Mansion.
Combining items in your inventory and flipping between menu screens is a bit convoluted, but you get used to it. There is a term for control schemes like this...Stockholm Syndrome.
Graphics
Horrible. Good thing you are not playing this for them.
Sound and Music
The voice acting is spot on and did not drive me to the brink of insanity. With the amount of British accents present, you would think it would be incredible grating and over the top, but no, the voice work actually enhances the story. Nuances can be picked up if you actually stop and listen to the plot advancing, one suspect at a time.
Music is nearly non-existent but the ambient noise is not intrusive either, so given the excellent voice work, we will just call this one a wash.
Achievements
With a guide, this is one of the fastest 1k's available. Only 4 achievements are miss-able and the rest you will earn naturally by finishing the story.
Conclusion
Well, the graphics are horrendous and the control will make you scream before you submit and accept it as your master, but to be brutally honest?
I found the game to actually be fairly amusing.
Granted, that is almost entirely because of the historical accuracy on display throughout the entire game and my own background in History. The old-school adventure gameplay is also charming once you realize exactly what it is you are getting yourself into with this game. Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper is such an acquired taste that I can not recommend this for everyone.
If the thought of old school adventure in a historical setting sounds remotely appealing to you, then grab this one on the cheap and have a fun weekend.
If the thought of having to read while playing a game confuses you, then stay away.
Okay, so I did not actually have to do any of that, but if that was tough for you to read just stop right now and do not play this game. Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper is an old school adventure game. I am talking Myst adventure games here. Originally a PC Game in the U.K., now a 360 game here in the States (as well as the U.K.), Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper is an acquired taste.
Plot
You play as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, attempting to solve the infamous Jack the Ripper murders that took London by storm in 1888. The world's first sensationalized serial killer (Jack the Ripper stirred up media interest like no one's business) was never actually caught, making this an excellent case for Sherlock Holmes. The game, surprisingly, uses the actual timeline, locations and suspects of the Jack the Ripper murders. By playing this game, you will know the actual history of the Jack the Ripper murders.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - LEARNED SOMETHING FROM A VIDEO GAME
Gameplay
Unlike the PC version, you can play in either a first or third person perspective. Third is easier to get around the drab rooms and corridors of 19th century London, but first makes it much easier to grab clues and items. Which you will be doing. A lot. The same scenario plays out over and over again. Sherlock and Watson will be in the office and then will get a clue. You rush off as one of the Dynamic Duo to investigate the clue but in doing so, must go on the sort of subquest hell not seen since Breath of Fire 2.
The solutions to most of the puzzles are quite logical. So logical in fact that I found myself missing an important clue right in front of my face. A few will most likely, require a guide, despite having one by my side I actually enjoyed figuring some of them out on my own. I know! this day and age, someone taking the time to figure out logic puzzles! Go figure.
Control
The controls will make a few of those puzzles significantly harder then they should be as this was originally a PC game, a mouse and keyboard is clearly the control scheme this was designed to use in the first place. Finding the right pixel can reach annoyance levels akin to finding the loose brick in the dungeon of Maniac Mansion.
Combining items in your inventory and flipping between menu screens is a bit convoluted, but you get used to it. There is a term for control schemes like this...Stockholm Syndrome.
Graphics
Horrible. Good thing you are not playing this for them.
Sound and Music
The voice acting is spot on and did not drive me to the brink of insanity. With the amount of British accents present, you would think it would be incredible grating and over the top, but no, the voice work actually enhances the story. Nuances can be picked up if you actually stop and listen to the plot advancing, one suspect at a time.
Music is nearly non-existent but the ambient noise is not intrusive either, so given the excellent voice work, we will just call this one a wash.
Achievements
With a guide, this is one of the fastest 1k's available. Only 4 achievements are miss-able and the rest you will earn naturally by finishing the story.
Conclusion
Well, the graphics are horrendous and the control will make you scream before you submit and accept it as your master, but to be brutally honest?
I found the game to actually be fairly amusing.
Granted, that is almost entirely because of the historical accuracy on display throughout the entire game and my own background in History. The old-school adventure gameplay is also charming once you realize exactly what it is you are getting yourself into with this game. Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper is such an acquired taste that I can not recommend this for everyone.
If the thought of old school adventure in a historical setting sounds remotely appealing to you, then grab this one on the cheap and have a fun weekend.
If the thought of having to read while playing a game confuses you, then stay away.
(TrueAchievements Repost): Alan Wake Review
Alan Wake is a very tough game to review. The major draw for this game is the storyline, which stands head and shoulders above most other 360 games. The influences of Stephen King and David Lynch are felt all throughout the game, in particular, the closing music of Episode 1 which is straight out of David Lynch's Blue Velvet, starring the late, great Dennis Hopper. Ultimately, as with the work of David Lynch, everyone will walk away with a different experience from Alan Wake.
Gameplay
The theme of light and dark is taken quite literally when it comes time to actually play the game. Using a flashlight, you have to remove protective layers of darkness before opening fire with a trusty sidearm. I for one, never got bored of this, not once environmental hazards such as loose power lines and red exploding barrels were introduced. The cast of enemies is very, very small and the constant need to shine light first, shoot second could get old for some people very, very quickly.
When you are not shining light on the denizens of darkness you are engaging in some very light puzzle solving. This is basic "hit a switch" puzzling and only serves to break up the gunplay. Vehicle sections also break up the action but they work nicely into the plot and when they do pop up, are a welcome diversion.
A major problem with the puzzle solving, running and gunning gameplay however is that at all times you are reminded Alan Wake is a video game. The ever present HUD always shows you where to go and as a result, the tension level is not as high as it could be had the game been HUDless. The option to turn it off does not exist.
Graphics
It is painfully obvious that the majority of the graphical horsepower went to the lighting effects. The lighting is amazing, easily the best I have ever seen. The character models on the other hand would not be out of place in a PS2 game. Do yourself a favor, and when characters are talking, try not to look at their mouths.
They did manage to make Alan's wife appear to be wearing painted on jeans, so that is a plus.
Controls
Clunky is a nice way to put it. The game demands tight control while playing on Nightmare difficulty but it will fight you. Alan turns slowly and the aiming can be very awkward, both with your flashlight and a gun. Alan is not a space marine, he is a writer, but moving *that* slow is just annoying.
Sound and Music
Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick is the soundtrack for this game amazing. Every chapter ends just as television episode would, with a closing song that accurately captures the mood. The song choice at the end of Chapter 1 is what hooked me, but it was one sequence during Chapter 4 that had the best dichotomy of music to in game action that I have witnessed in years. In fact, that moment gets its very own call out.
The Moment
Every game, no matter what genre or platform, has The Moment. That One Thing which happens and makes you sit up and go "DAMN!" Final Fantasy 7, with the murder of Aeris, is perhaps the easiest example to recognize. Alan Wake, towards the end of Chapter 4 as you're approaching an old, decrepit stage in the middle of a field....it has one of those moments. Gameplay and music meld and make you feel like you are an unstoppable force of destruction.
Achievements
Some of the collectibles in this game, such as the manuscript pages, tv shows and radio shows reveal bits about the world of Alan Wake and are worth your time to collect. TV shows, especially those that are showing "Night Springs", think The Twilight Zone, are really cool. A guide is recommended if you want all the achievements, and a second play through is mandatory, but if you skip the story completely it is a quick game.
Conclusion
Gameplay is fun and different but not for everyone as it can get old quick if the plot does not grab you around the neck like Andre the Giant. Music is amazing and an example of the right way to work it into a game. The abundance of collectibles can be daunting for achievement seekers but the real issue comes from the horrible character models and clunky controls.
The very best part of the game can not be mentioned, as that is the plot. If you are looking for something different, Alan Wake is an unique experience. It may just last you a weekend, but like a good book, you will go cover to cover.
Gameplay
The theme of light and dark is taken quite literally when it comes time to actually play the game. Using a flashlight, you have to remove protective layers of darkness before opening fire with a trusty sidearm. I for one, never got bored of this, not once environmental hazards such as loose power lines and red exploding barrels were introduced. The cast of enemies is very, very small and the constant need to shine light first, shoot second could get old for some people very, very quickly.
When you are not shining light on the denizens of darkness you are engaging in some very light puzzle solving. This is basic "hit a switch" puzzling and only serves to break up the gunplay. Vehicle sections also break up the action but they work nicely into the plot and when they do pop up, are a welcome diversion.
A major problem with the puzzle solving, running and gunning gameplay however is that at all times you are reminded Alan Wake is a video game. The ever present HUD always shows you where to go and as a result, the tension level is not as high as it could be had the game been HUDless. The option to turn it off does not exist.
Graphics
It is painfully obvious that the majority of the graphical horsepower went to the lighting effects. The lighting is amazing, easily the best I have ever seen. The character models on the other hand would not be out of place in a PS2 game. Do yourself a favor, and when characters are talking, try not to look at their mouths.
They did manage to make Alan's wife appear to be wearing painted on jeans, so that is a plus.
Controls
Clunky is a nice way to put it. The game demands tight control while playing on Nightmare difficulty but it will fight you. Alan turns slowly and the aiming can be very awkward, both with your flashlight and a gun. Alan is not a space marine, he is a writer, but moving *that* slow is just annoying.
Sound and Music
Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick is the soundtrack for this game amazing. Every chapter ends just as television episode would, with a closing song that accurately captures the mood. The song choice at the end of Chapter 1 is what hooked me, but it was one sequence during Chapter 4 that had the best dichotomy of music to in game action that I have witnessed in years. In fact, that moment gets its very own call out.
The Moment
Every game, no matter what genre or platform, has The Moment. That One Thing which happens and makes you sit up and go "DAMN!" Final Fantasy 7, with the murder of Aeris, is perhaps the easiest example to recognize. Alan Wake, towards the end of Chapter 4 as you're approaching an old, decrepit stage in the middle of a field....it has one of those moments. Gameplay and music meld and make you feel like you are an unstoppable force of destruction.
Achievements
Some of the collectibles in this game, such as the manuscript pages, tv shows and radio shows reveal bits about the world of Alan Wake and are worth your time to collect. TV shows, especially those that are showing "Night Springs", think The Twilight Zone, are really cool. A guide is recommended if you want all the achievements, and a second play through is mandatory, but if you skip the story completely it is a quick game.
Conclusion
Gameplay is fun and different but not for everyone as it can get old quick if the plot does not grab you around the neck like Andre the Giant. Music is amazing and an example of the right way to work it into a game. The abundance of collectibles can be daunting for achievement seekers but the real issue comes from the horrible character models and clunky controls.
The very best part of the game can not be mentioned, as that is the plot. If you are looking for something different, Alan Wake is an unique experience. It may just last you a weekend, but like a good book, you will go cover to cover.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Transformers Multiplayer: How I Learned To Sneak Up and Insta-Gib
Transformers: War for Cybertron has an actual, Call of Duty influenced online mode that shockingly, is quite good. It is class based with each class having its own abilities, weapons and vehicle mode. The Scout can cloak, use both a shotgun and the sniper rifle. They transform into very quick moving, machine gun packing cars. Oh, and if you sneeze on them, they die. Yup, each class has different health bars. The Scout only has 4 bars of health.
Now the Soldier, the bulky longest health bar in the game minigun packing tank (no really, they turn into tanks) is my least favorite class. They move soooo slow and with the exception of the minigun, their weapons are horrible.
The Leader is front line support with heavy, explosive weapons. Buff allies, shield allies and blow the crap out of things with grenades and a high powered ion cannon. Like Optimus Prime, they turn into trucks. I also hate this class. Again, slow, unwieldy and my aim is horrible with that Ion Cannon.
The Scientist, widely considered to be the weakest class with a health bar of 3 blocks, can be killed by being looked at funny. They turn into Jets, can fly (or hover really), heal allies, spawn a defensive sentry or, my personal favorite, disguise themselves as a Scientist on the enemy team. In a great touch, the Autobot/Deception emblem does NOT change. Easily the best part of multiplayer is disguising yourself, weaseling your way in close to an enemy, and blowing them away in one shot with the EMP shotgun. Your not invisible, so you have to play the part and "hide in plain sight" in order to succeed. The playstyle required is unlike anything, outside of course of the Spy in Team Fortress 2. Even then, the spy had to backstab someone, the Scientist?
Shotgun to the face. Much more satisfying.
Sadly Tranformers uses the Gears of War 2 ranking system. Halfway to level 25 is level 18. Yup. I'm going to spend a very long time playing this game in order to max out each class.
Now the Soldier, the bulky longest health bar in the game minigun packing tank (no really, they turn into tanks) is my least favorite class. They move soooo slow and with the exception of the minigun, their weapons are horrible.
The Leader is front line support with heavy, explosive weapons. Buff allies, shield allies and blow the crap out of things with grenades and a high powered ion cannon. Like Optimus Prime, they turn into trucks. I also hate this class. Again, slow, unwieldy and my aim is horrible with that Ion Cannon.
The Scientist, widely considered to be the weakest class with a health bar of 3 blocks, can be killed by being looked at funny. They turn into Jets, can fly (or hover really), heal allies, spawn a defensive sentry or, my personal favorite, disguise themselves as a Scientist on the enemy team. In a great touch, the Autobot/Deception emblem does NOT change. Easily the best part of multiplayer is disguising yourself, weaseling your way in close to an enemy, and blowing them away in one shot with the EMP shotgun. Your not invisible, so you have to play the part and "hide in plain sight" in order to succeed. The playstyle required is unlike anything, outside of course of the Spy in Team Fortress 2. Even then, the spy had to backstab someone, the Scientist?
Shotgun to the face. Much more satisfying.
Sadly Tranformers uses the Gears of War 2 ranking system. Halfway to level 25 is level 18. Yup. I'm going to spend a very long time playing this game in order to max out each class.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Dante's Inferno: From AWESOME to BLAH in 3 Levels
I have tried a few times now to put my thoughts regarding Dante's Inferno into writing. An essay on how the level design is a great strength for the first two levels, and a major weakness through the backend of the game. Starting off with the very first soul you can punish or absolve is Pontius Pilate really sets the mood. By the end, you're encountering such legendary historical figures as "Merchant from Florence." If you're going to adhere to the actual epic poem, well, don't. You already have Dante wandering through Hell using Death's Scythe to cleave demons in half. "Faithfulness to source material" is a Charon that has already sailed.
Again, after writing that paragraph, I had to pause for a few minutes and do something else (reading a WWE Money in the Bank PPV recap) before continuing. I am THAT ANGRY over what a WASTED OPPORTUNITY this game is! The great moments just...run out...and by the time you get Heresy, which has no boss....at all....it's like the designers gave up. Anger is another circle that is just dull. No boss, just a series of fights while dealing with a giant demon that in turn, leads to a fairly cool moment. For five seconds. Then poor design brings it right back down to earth again.
I can not fault the graphics or the control, which is tight like the backside of Emma Watson. (She's 18 right?) The music, well that I can fault. There is not much music to be found in the depths of Hell. What little is used, serves to highlight the action on screen which is cool and all but the ambient sounds gave the Wife of Thunder (WoT) a headache.
In fact, the ambient sounds are perhaps more annoying than the seagulls from Deadliest Catch. Climbable surfaces are made of screaming souls that DO NOT SHUT UP. Some of them shout things specific to that circle, such as "I'll slit your throat and feed it to you" in the Circle of Violence. Most though, are just moanings and wailings. Nevermind the disturbing noises of the evil demonic babies with razorblade arms.
This is a game that for the first two levels, I thought was amazing. Then merely good for the next two (Gluttony and Greed), but once it hit the fifth level, Anger, I just wanted to get it over with as soon as I could. The final boss fight against Lucifer was satisfying at least. The ending? Not so much.
Is Visceral really, honestly planning on a sequel for Purgatory? I've read that poem too, and unlike the Inferno which lends itself quite well to a video game translation actually, Purgatory does not. The essence of Purgatory is that it is a place of...well...waiting. Not good, not bad, just boring.
Which sounds an awful lot like a game they already made.
Again, after writing that paragraph, I had to pause for a few minutes and do something else (reading a WWE Money in the Bank PPV recap) before continuing. I am THAT ANGRY over what a WASTED OPPORTUNITY this game is! The great moments just...run out...and by the time you get Heresy, which has no boss....at all....it's like the designers gave up. Anger is another circle that is just dull. No boss, just a series of fights while dealing with a giant demon that in turn, leads to a fairly cool moment. For five seconds. Then poor design brings it right back down to earth again.
I can not fault the graphics or the control, which is tight like the backside of Emma Watson. (She's 18 right?) The music, well that I can fault. There is not much music to be found in the depths of Hell. What little is used, serves to highlight the action on screen which is cool and all but the ambient sounds gave the Wife of Thunder (WoT) a headache.
In fact, the ambient sounds are perhaps more annoying than the seagulls from Deadliest Catch. Climbable surfaces are made of screaming souls that DO NOT SHUT UP. Some of them shout things specific to that circle, such as "I'll slit your throat and feed it to you" in the Circle of Violence. Most though, are just moanings and wailings. Nevermind the disturbing noises of the evil demonic babies with razorblade arms.
This is a game that for the first two levels, I thought was amazing. Then merely good for the next two (Gluttony and Greed), but once it hit the fifth level, Anger, I just wanted to get it over with as soon as I could. The final boss fight against Lucifer was satisfying at least. The ending? Not so much.
Is Visceral really, honestly planning on a sequel for Purgatory? I've read that poem too, and unlike the Inferno which lends itself quite well to a video game translation actually, Purgatory does not. The essence of Purgatory is that it is a place of...well...waiting. Not good, not bad, just boring.
Which sounds an awful lot like a game they already made.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
I Write Like....
So I plugged in one of my reviews from 360voice, Dog Reviews The Internet, into the site I Write Like/ and Chuck Palhniuk came out. Who's Chuck you ask?
He wrote the book Fight Club.
Not at all who I was expecting (I would have loved oh, say, Kurt Vonnegut or even Chuck Klosterman myself) but hey, writing in the spirit of one of the oddest authors of the last 30 years? I will take that.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Blizzard's RealID System Removed Before It Went In
In case you haven't heard, Blizzard was planning, with the launch of Starcraft 2
later this month, to have your actual, legal name show up in all of your postings on their official forum. All of the internetz lost their minds with this news. Showing your real name was supposed to lead to decreased trolling and generally bring down people acting like douchebags.
Tuesday night, I asked the Wife of Thunder about this, as she is a female gamer and has a very different outlook on things then I do. For example, when she first saw the Tzeentch Lord of Change model for Warhammer, she commented that it looked like he was wearing one of Elvis' jumpsuits:
Her first thought was that now women would stay away from World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2 out of fear of being targeted. Both online and offline, it's a major issue for female gamers. Exactly how much of an issue was unknown to me then, but after a few more days of uproar, oh boy do I see how much it means for a female gamer to be anonymous. Stalking, both on and offline, is a major issue that well how to put this nicely....ummm....hmmm...well the sort of World of Warcraft player that gets REALLY REALLY into it is exactly the sort of guy that would stalk a female. See Guild, The. Episode 1.
Penny Arcade today brought to light a connection, just hours before Blizzard pulled the plug on RealID, of a business deal with Blizzard and Facebook: Well, from May, but I never noticed it...which is what Blizzard wanted!
No wonder they wanted to use real names for their games.
Considering I do everything under the name "Dog of Thunder" I'm not exactly on board with the whole "real name" concept, though it's not a huge secret either (just "like" me on Facebook!). ARGH! See what I did there? Facebook has wormed its way into every aspect of the internet, but for now, its evil tentacles are leaving our internet forums alone.
Give it time. This issue will come up again, and again and again. In a few generations, the whole concept of anonymity will be a historical relic. Like the Wii or the 8 track.
later this month, to have your actual, legal name show up in all of your postings on their official forum. All of the internetz lost their minds with this news. Showing your real name was supposed to lead to decreased trolling and generally bring down people acting like douchebags.
Tuesday night, I asked the Wife of Thunder about this, as she is a female gamer and has a very different outlook on things then I do. For example, when she first saw the Tzeentch Lord of Change model for Warhammer, she commented that it looked like he was wearing one of Elvis' jumpsuits:
Her first thought was that now women would stay away from World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2 out of fear of being targeted. Both online and offline, it's a major issue for female gamers. Exactly how much of an issue was unknown to me then, but after a few more days of uproar, oh boy do I see how much it means for a female gamer to be anonymous. Stalking, both on and offline, is a major issue that well how to put this nicely....ummm....hmmm...well the sort of World of Warcraft player that gets REALLY REALLY into it is exactly the sort of guy that would stalk a female. See Guild, The. Episode 1.
Penny Arcade today brought to light a connection, just hours before Blizzard pulled the plug on RealID, of a business deal with Blizzard and Facebook: Well, from May, but I never noticed it...which is what Blizzard wanted!
No wonder they wanted to use real names for their games.
Considering I do everything under the name "Dog of Thunder" I'm not exactly on board with the whole "real name" concept, though it's not a huge secret either (just "like" me on Facebook!). ARGH! See what I did there? Facebook has wormed its way into every aspect of the internet, but for now, its evil tentacles are leaving our internet forums alone.
Give it time. This issue will come up again, and again and again. In a few generations, the whole concept of anonymity will be a historical relic. Like the Wii or the 8 track.
What's Next?
For the last 2 years and 2 months, I have been an active member and contributor to 360voice.com, an amazing 360 site. On my year anniversary of joining, I was raised to become a 360voice Community Expert (Mod basically). Even dealing with a death threat, well three, when reworking the way that Genre Badges worked on the site did not chase me away. So what finally did?
At first I thought it was my annoyance over dealing with people all the time through the veil of anonymity that is the non-Blizzard internet. Little support issues here and there, whining about updates not happening fast enough, all these minor things were adding up. Once I realized I could not handle one more posting that looked like it was written by a lemur, I knew I was at a breaking point. Thankfully there was a waiting idiot to push me over the edge where I needed to go in the first place.
It is not that I want to abandon 360voice, it is just that I want to take the time I devoted to others and use it for myself. I am removing all those time sinks that stopped me from updating my own little piece of the internet like I wanted. Instead of dealing with an existing community and helping it function on a daily basis, I want to build my own community. Carve out a little piece of the internet for myself and see what grows. Who knows, it could be nothing, it could be something.
At first I thought it was my annoyance over dealing with people all the time through the veil of anonymity that is the non-Blizzard internet. Little support issues here and there, whining about updates not happening fast enough, all these minor things were adding up. Once I realized I could not handle one more posting that looked like it was written by a lemur, I knew I was at a breaking point. Thankfully there was a waiting idiot to push me over the edge where I needed to go in the first place.
It is not that I want to abandon 360voice, it is just that I want to take the time I devoted to others and use it for myself. I am removing all those time sinks that stopped me from updating my own little piece of the internet like I wanted. Instead of dealing with an existing community and helping it function on a daily basis, I want to build my own community. Carve out a little piece of the internet for myself and see what grows. Who knows, it could be nothing, it could be something.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
WANTED: Weapons of Fate - The Perfect Movie-Tie In
I just finished up Wanted: Weapons of Fate earlier today and it was incredibly satisfying. Wanted had spent a long time on my "wish list" of games that I really wanted to play for one reason or another. The list includes such luminaries as 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, WET and The Wheelman. Not exactly the top of the metacritic or anything. Wanted, with very low expectations, managed to meet each and every one of them. Sadly, this makes it one of the best movie games I've ever played.
While Wanted may actually be based off of the comic series by Mark Millar, it's well, very loosely based. VERY. The comic series, released in 2003, answers the question "What would have happened if the Legion of Doom had defeated the Justice League?" The universe of Wanted is a dark parody of the DC Universe with no heroes and only villains. Wesley in the comics goes through training, but it's to become a straight up EVIL~! super villain that can "rape an A list celebrity and get away with it." The Wanted comic book series is not for the faint of heart, but at least the movie made an attempt to capture the spirit of the series.
The movie introduced curving bullets, which did not exist in the comics, and thank Jabootu that they did because that one mechanic is done so well in the video game, I did not mind playing it twice and then another 3 runs of the last level. I LOVE picking off fools that think their safe hiding behind cover with a gorgeous slo-mo curving shot to the head. The cover system sucks, aiming is rough sometimes, but the mere existence of the easy to use curving bullets raise this game to a higher level.
Why is that? One thing, just one gameplay mechanic makes me overlook the monotonous enemies, drab locales, horrendous color choices and hysterically poor plot with some of the worst voice acting since Transformers 2. Curving bullets is just pure fun. The slo mo sequences? Also just fun. Once you get a rhythm, you can actually move like The Killer, flowing from cover to cover, popping off curving headshots and just generally being an unhittable avatar of death.
It's short, the last achievement is really annoying, but for just balls out action, Wanted: Weapons of Fate is a great game.
While Wanted may actually be based off of the comic series by Mark Millar, it's well, very loosely based. VERY. The comic series, released in 2003, answers the question "What would have happened if the Legion of Doom had defeated the Justice League?" The universe of Wanted is a dark parody of the DC Universe with no heroes and only villains. Wesley in the comics goes through training, but it's to become a straight up EVIL~! super villain that can "rape an A list celebrity and get away with it." The Wanted comic book series is not for the faint of heart, but at least the movie made an attempt to capture the spirit of the series.
The movie introduced curving bullets, which did not exist in the comics, and thank Jabootu that they did because that one mechanic is done so well in the video game, I did not mind playing it twice and then another 3 runs of the last level. I LOVE picking off fools that think their safe hiding behind cover with a gorgeous slo-mo curving shot to the head. The cover system sucks, aiming is rough sometimes, but the mere existence of the easy to use curving bullets raise this game to a higher level.
Why is that? One thing, just one gameplay mechanic makes me overlook the monotonous enemies, drab locales, horrendous color choices and hysterically poor plot with some of the worst voice acting since Transformers 2. Curving bullets is just pure fun. The slo mo sequences? Also just fun. Once you get a rhythm, you can actually move like The Killer, flowing from cover to cover, popping off curving headshots and just generally being an unhittable avatar of death.
It's short, the last achievement is really annoying, but for just balls out action, Wanted: Weapons of Fate is a great game.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Record of Agarest War Unboxing
Unboxing video guest starring the Wife of Thunder. I would've bet money on her response being that it was a Hentai game.
I'll hopefully start playing and recording on Monday, but due to the sheer amount of other games coming in the mail, that'll be pushed back to Wednesday. I've got to run through CSI: Hard Evidence, provided by the 360voice Free Rental program, first and then LEGO Batman....and then WANTED....and THEN I can really get going on my own games.
It's going to be a busy summer of gaming, but with my new Dazzle HD Pro, everyone will get to enjoy it with me!
I'll hopefully start playing and recording on Monday, but due to the sheer amount of other games coming in the mail, that'll be pushed back to Wednesday. I've got to run through CSI: Hard Evidence, provided by the 360voice Free Rental program, first and then LEGO Batman....and then WANTED....and THEN I can really get going on my own games.
It's going to be a busy summer of gaming, but with my new Dazzle HD Pro, everyone will get to enjoy it with me!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Never Judge A Game By Its Cover
Again, trying this out for submission to TA, I'm taking another stab at the RPG's influence across other genres next week, especially after a lively debate about Borderlands on 360voice.
By day I may be an avid gamer, but by night I work as a college librarian. Part of my job is suggesting books for the students which is a lot harder then going for "Grand Pearl Poo-bah" in Hexic HD. A major problem I have is getting students to even look at a book without the book jacket. It is disturbing how many college students will read a book if it "looks good." It's a book! It looks like someone was writing on paper!
This got me thinking about Onechanabra: Bikini Samurai Squad. Not only is this game cursed with an obnoxious title (or a great one depending on your point of view), but it also has some of the worst cover art. All that is depicted is Aya, one of the main characters, standing there in her cowboy hat and bikini. Normally a cover would not dissuade people from picking up a game but this particular cover of a scantily clad Japanese woman can, and most likely has, turned people away from what is actually a really good game.
Here's a linkie to the cover art so you can see this for yourself: http://www.forevergeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/onechanbara.jpg
Now, how many people would lump that in with other scantily clad covers such as X-Blades and even Dead or Alive Extreme 2? I will hazard a guess and say most of you did just that. Well don't, because what this cover is concealing, beside a pair of legs that go for miles, is some of the best hack and slash gameplay on the 360. No really, do not be fooled by the bikini or the school girl outfit, the timing based combo system of Onechanabra takes serious skill to reach the full potential.
Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad is the perfect storm of a bad title and a bad cover masking great gameplay. Even if the cover was changed to show Aya fighting off a horde of zombies, it would be a more accurate representation of the game. I mean come on, zombies! Every gamer's favorite mindless cannon fodder! I know people that buy games specifically because it has zombies! The back of the Onechanbara box does mention the zombies, but to reach that, you have to pick up the bikini clad cover and turn it over.
The dilemma Onechanbara faces is akin to a Playboy with a really good article inside. Do not be embarrassed to pick it up. Just like I tell male students, there is nothing wrong with picking up a "girly" looking book such as Pride and Prejudice....the version without the zombies....or even Emma, another great work by Jane Austen. Along those lines, I also enjoyed Vanity Fair. You already have an image in your mind about those books based off of society but those books are also some of the greatest of all time.
Do not play a game simply because it might be embarrassing to walk up to the cash register with it, you might be missing out on a great experience.
By day I may be an avid gamer, but by night I work as a college librarian. Part of my job is suggesting books for the students which is a lot harder then going for "Grand Pearl Poo-bah" in Hexic HD. A major problem I have is getting students to even look at a book without the book jacket. It is disturbing how many college students will read a book if it "looks good." It's a book! It looks like someone was writing on paper!
This got me thinking about Onechanabra: Bikini Samurai Squad. Not only is this game cursed with an obnoxious title (or a great one depending on your point of view), but it also has some of the worst cover art. All that is depicted is Aya, one of the main characters, standing there in her cowboy hat and bikini. Normally a cover would not dissuade people from picking up a game but this particular cover of a scantily clad Japanese woman can, and most likely has, turned people away from what is actually a really good game.
Here's a linkie to the cover art so you can see this for yourself: http://www.forevergeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/onechanbara.jpg
Now, how many people would lump that in with other scantily clad covers such as X-Blades and even Dead or Alive Extreme 2? I will hazard a guess and say most of you did just that. Well don't, because what this cover is concealing, beside a pair of legs that go for miles, is some of the best hack and slash gameplay on the 360. No really, do not be fooled by the bikini or the school girl outfit, the timing based combo system of Onechanabra takes serious skill to reach the full potential.
Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad is the perfect storm of a bad title and a bad cover masking great gameplay. Even if the cover was changed to show Aya fighting off a horde of zombies, it would be a more accurate representation of the game. I mean come on, zombies! Every gamer's favorite mindless cannon fodder! I know people that buy games specifically because it has zombies! The back of the Onechanbara box does mention the zombies, but to reach that, you have to pick up the bikini clad cover and turn it over.
The dilemma Onechanbara faces is akin to a Playboy with a really good article inside. Do not be embarrassed to pick it up. Just like I tell male students, there is nothing wrong with picking up a "girly" looking book such as Pride and Prejudice....the version without the zombies....or even Emma, another great work by Jane Austen. Along those lines, I also enjoyed Vanity Fair. You already have an image in your mind about those books based off of society but those books are also some of the greatest of all time.
Do not play a game simply because it might be embarrassing to walk up to the cash register with it, you might be missing out on a great experience.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Preview Image
So I've been really busy wrapping up course work for the semester, grad school applications and the such. Here to tide you over is the title screen of...well...see for yourself...Jabootu knows it's large enough to get your attention...
Monday, March 15, 2010
Know Your History: The RPG
Test running this for eventual submission at TrueAchievements as a running series
My first exposure to Role Playing Games was with Dragon Warrior 3 for the NES back in 1991. My uncle brought it over when he watched my brother and I for the weekend, so I had a first row seat for his fight against the Orochi. On screen, all I could see where the enemies sprites, which would flash when successfully hit by your invisible party, but in my mind, it was a swirling melee with the fighter and soldier characters at the front lines, the wizard behind them flinging ice spells and the hero, decked out in blue and green armor, plunging his sword into the neck of the Orochi and bringing it down. From that moment, I became a fan of Role Playing Games forever.
What appealed the most to a young Dog of Thunder, was leveling up my characters, finding new weapons and armor, that constant forward progress. Even in the fourth grade I was hooked on getting to that next level. I did not even need anything major, just an extra 10 HP, some more STR and maybe some LUCK (always the most useless stat, always.) Character progression was, to me, more important then the story or the graphics. Video games were simpler back then, where if you wanted persistent character progression, you would only be able to play an RPG.
Take a look around today then and find me a game that does not use elements of the early RPGS. Modern Warfare took the concept of leveling and experience to a whole new genre, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a straight up hack and slash title with an XP bar and a skills system. Even Sports games, such as MLB 2k10 and even Madden have begun using leveling systems for their characters. What happened?
When did the defining feature of the RPGs of my youth become so commonplace as to be cliche? Where was the tipping point? Was there one moment when the industry sat up and took notice of all the things that RPGs were doing right? Just how much do modern games owe to the classic RPGs of the 80s and early 90s?
Modern RPGs are understandably influenced by the classics. If you hate the segmented story telling of Final Fantasy 13, then you need to go back to 1990 and Dragon Warrior 4, the first RPG to introduce the concept of separate chapters for separate characters alongside a combat system where you controlled just the main character and set "Battle Options" for your allies. Choosing from "Offensive", "Defensive", "Converse MP", "No MP" and the like, Dragon Warrior 4 has more in common with a RPG released 20 years later then it did with Dragon Warrior 3.
Join me then as I take a modern game, and go backwards to the origin point. Learning along the way where all these features and concepts originated. By knowing and understanding the history of what came before, can we truly appreciate where we are now, and where we are going.
My first exposure to Role Playing Games was with Dragon Warrior 3 for the NES back in 1991. My uncle brought it over when he watched my brother and I for the weekend, so I had a first row seat for his fight against the Orochi. On screen, all I could see where the enemies sprites, which would flash when successfully hit by your invisible party, but in my mind, it was a swirling melee with the fighter and soldier characters at the front lines, the wizard behind them flinging ice spells and the hero, decked out in blue and green armor, plunging his sword into the neck of the Orochi and bringing it down. From that moment, I became a fan of Role Playing Games forever.
What appealed the most to a young Dog of Thunder, was leveling up my characters, finding new weapons and armor, that constant forward progress. Even in the fourth grade I was hooked on getting to that next level. I did not even need anything major, just an extra 10 HP, some more STR and maybe some LUCK (always the most useless stat, always.) Character progression was, to me, more important then the story or the graphics. Video games were simpler back then, where if you wanted persistent character progression, you would only be able to play an RPG.
Take a look around today then and find me a game that does not use elements of the early RPGS. Modern Warfare took the concept of leveling and experience to a whole new genre, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a straight up hack and slash title with an XP bar and a skills system. Even Sports games, such as MLB 2k10 and even Madden have begun using leveling systems for their characters. What happened?
When did the defining feature of the RPGs of my youth become so commonplace as to be cliche? Where was the tipping point? Was there one moment when the industry sat up and took notice of all the things that RPGs were doing right? Just how much do modern games owe to the classic RPGs of the 80s and early 90s?
Modern RPGs are understandably influenced by the classics. If you hate the segmented story telling of Final Fantasy 13, then you need to go back to 1990 and Dragon Warrior 4, the first RPG to introduce the concept of separate chapters for separate characters alongside a combat system where you controlled just the main character and set "Battle Options" for your allies. Choosing from "Offensive", "Defensive", "Converse MP", "No MP" and the like, Dragon Warrior 4 has more in common with a RPG released 20 years later then it did with Dragon Warrior 3.
Join me then as I take a modern game, and go backwards to the origin point. Learning along the way where all these features and concepts originated. By knowing and understanding the history of what came before, can we truly appreciate where we are now, and where we are going.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
King Arthur And The Knights of Justice - Complete Series on DVD!
King Arthur and the Knights of Justice
Oh how I loved this series as a kid. Okay, maybe not the series per se, but that bitchin' theme song. Yes, I just used the term "bitchin" and yes, this is a perfectly apt time to use it. The song starts off with Merlin explaining in about 3 seconds the entire plot of the series, and then the killer guitar riff starts up. All the best cartoons can be summed up in 3 seconds. For example:
King Arthur and the Knights of Justice: "From the field of the future, they come to save the kingdom of the past." Done.
Transformers: Giant robots transform into vehicles and shoot each other.
Pinky and the Brain: One is a genius, the other's insane, together they try to take over the world.
Coyote and Roadrunner: Coyote tries to catch Roadrunner.
See? It works! Try explaining something like Yu-Gi-Oh! in 3 seconds and see what happens. Can't do it. Because Yu-Gi-Oh sucks. I'm onto something with this 3 second theory. Anyways, King Arthur and the Knights of Jsutice, come for the amazing introduction, stay for the way cartoons used to be. None of this anime in everything crap, just classic saturday morning cartoon.
Oh how I loved this series as a kid. Okay, maybe not the series per se, but that bitchin' theme song. Yes, I just used the term "bitchin" and yes, this is a perfectly apt time to use it. The song starts off with Merlin explaining in about 3 seconds the entire plot of the series, and then the killer guitar riff starts up. All the best cartoons can be summed up in 3 seconds. For example:
King Arthur and the Knights of Justice: "From the field of the future, they come to save the kingdom of the past." Done.
Transformers: Giant robots transform into vehicles and shoot each other.
Pinky and the Brain: One is a genius, the other's insane, together they try to take over the world.
Coyote and Roadrunner: Coyote tries to catch Roadrunner.
See? It works! Try explaining something like Yu-Gi-Oh! in 3 seconds and see what happens. Can't do it. Because Yu-Gi-Oh sucks. I'm onto something with this 3 second theory. Anyways, King Arthur and the Knights of Jsutice, come for the amazing introduction, stay for the way cartoons used to be. None of this anime in everything crap, just classic saturday morning cartoon.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Deadspin's Dead Wrestler of the Week
Classy Deadspin tribute to the Classy Miss Elizabeth
Stumbled across an interesting series of articles over at Deadspin.com (the anti-ESPN). Weekly tributes to dead wrestlers, most of whom were the ones I grew up watching. Take this week's entry for example: Miss Elizabeth.
The long time manager for Macho Man Randy Savage, Liz eventually left him and was replaced by Sensational Sherri whom then turned on Savage once he lost a retirement match to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania 7. What? Are you shocked to learn that I love wrestling? Anyways, Liz enters the ring, chases off Sherri, and reunites with the Macho Man. As a kid, I ate this up, I was 10 when I first watched this on VHS from the local Blockbuster.
Check out the reunion clip here.
Stumbled across an interesting series of articles over at Deadspin.com (the anti-ESPN). Weekly tributes to dead wrestlers, most of whom were the ones I grew up watching. Take this week's entry for example: Miss Elizabeth.
The long time manager for Macho Man Randy Savage, Liz eventually left him and was replaced by Sensational Sherri whom then turned on Savage once he lost a retirement match to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania 7. What? Are you shocked to learn that I love wrestling? Anyways, Liz enters the ring, chases off Sherri, and reunites with the Macho Man. As a kid, I ate this up, I was 10 when I first watched this on VHS from the local Blockbuster.
Check out the reunion clip here.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
So Many Games, So Little Time
I haven't forgotten to play lately, just haven't had much time, making X-Men Origins: Wolverine the perfect game for me the last two weeks. There's a multitude of projects I'm trying to get done within the next two weeks that demand most of my attention.
Come March 15th, I'll finally be able to have a regular update schedule with routine DoAX2 time. The joys of graduating and being done with regular classes.
Come March 15th, I'll finally be able to have a regular update schedule with routine DoAX2 time. The joys of graduating and being done with regular classes.
Monday, February 15, 2010
What to Buy Dog For His Graduation
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=76979
The "Really Naughty Edition" of an Aksys strategy RPG. Ah Aksys, I sure do mention them a lot don't I? So I know I'll enjoy the actual game itself, but how can I resist THAT mousepad? Just the look on Mrs. Dog's face alone would make it worthwhile, nevermind the "Yearning Ellis" pillowcase, or the um, suggestive artwork on the case *and* the game CDs. Now that's fan-service dedication that I can respect.
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