Playing Catch Up

Well, since I didn't have the ends I thought I would have this week, my gaming has been a bit...eh.  Instead of picking up MUA2 or Dirt 2 like I had hoped...or even getting the CDs I was planning on, I decided to do some discount game purchasing.  I had no particular games in mind when deciding the purchases. 
 
First, there is Mercenaries 2.  I hadn't really played the game too much (about 15 minutes on a demo when it came out), and I hated the first game.  However, I decided to give this a chance.  I now realize that I'm glad I only spent $7.00 on it.  Boring, stiff, and not very fun in the least.  Luckily, it has no achievement-adding DLC, so I'll 1K that and move on.  I just don't know when I'll decide to 1K it. 
 
Second, there is Spectral Force 3.  I've never heard of the game (which made me curious about how there are three of the games apparently).  I saw "Atlus" on the front and that it was a tactical/strategy RPG...kind of like Disgaea.  I like Disgaea...and TRPGs in general.  I picked it up.  It's an interesting game and I enjoy it (nothing like Disgaea, though)...although it seemed VERY weird not having a tutorial to explain the systems right at the beginning of the game.  You definitely gotta read the manual on this one.  I like a lot of the ideas that are in the game.  The difficulty curve definitely starts kicking your ass VERY quickly, and I haven't found a way to make my healer actually heal himself yet.  Don't know if that's possible.  While I like the game, I just really don't want to sink that much time into one game at the moment.  I'll probably pick that one back up sometime next year. 
 
Third, there is Midnight Club Los Angeles.  I LOVE the Midnight Club franchise.  It always represents to me everything that the Need for Speed franchise SHOULD be in recent years.  Los Angeles is ABSOLUTELY no exception to that rule!  I'm loving this game.  The environment feels very much alive, the cars are excellent, the feeling of arcade-style physics is well done, the online is pretty cool (and there are still plenty of people on it, surprisingly).  I'm seriously considering picking up the South Central Premium Upgrade (which I think is 1,000 MSP).  With as much time as I dumped into Midnight Club 3, I can see this stealing a lot of my time.  Luckily, I know that it won't, as I have a ton of games that I'm wanting to play right now.  I also want to point out that an update has since been added to the game that takes away that degree of crippling difficulty that Ryan mentioned in his initial review.  Therefore, if you haven't checked it out yet, it's on the cheaps at most retailers now.
 
Last up, there is the Red Faction Guerrilla DLC Pack 2.  This adds either multiplayer maps and two new game modes to the multiplayer component.  I haven't gotten to sit down with it yet, but it's downloaded and waiting for me to get off work.  I can't wait to check it out.  Just wish it had new achievements with it.  =  /
 
This one is a pretty short blog, mainly because I am starting to get this itch for making tons of lists.  I've only made two so far, but I have a feeling that I'm going to be coming up with some crazy ones.  Once I get the new character page I created approved, then my newest list will be complete!!! 
 
Until next time, piece.

Well, since I didn't have the ends I thought I would have this week, my gaming has been a bit...eh.  Instead of picking up MUA2 or Dirt 2 like I had hoped...or even getting the CDs I was planning on, I decided to do some discount game purchasing.  I had no particular games in mind when deciding the purchases. 
 
First, there is Mercenaries 2.  I hadn't really played the game too much (about 15 minutes on a demo when it came out), and I hated the first game.  However, I decided to give this a chance.  I now realize that I'm glad I only spent $7.00 on it.  Boring, stiff, and not very fun in the least.  Luckily, it has no achievement-adding DLC, so I'll 1K that and move on.  I just don't know when I'll decide to 1K it. 
 
Second, there is Spectral Force 3.  I've never heard of the game (which made me curious about how there are three of the games apparently).  I saw "Atlus" on the front and that it was a tactical/strategy RPG...kind of like Disgaea.  I like Disgaea...and TRPGs in general.  I picked it up.  It's an interesting game and I enjoy it (nothing like Disgaea, though)...although it seemed VERY weird not having a tutorial to explain the systems right at the beginning of the game.  You definitely gotta read the manual on this one.  I like a lot of the ideas that are in the game.  The difficulty curve definitely starts kicking your ass VERY quickly, and I haven't found a way to make my healer actually heal himself yet.  Don't know if that's possible.  While I like the game, I just really don't want to sink that much time into one game at the moment.  I'll probably pick that one back up sometime next year. 
 
Third, there is Midnight Club Los Angeles.  I LOVE the Midnight Club franchise.  It always represents to me everything that the Need for Speed franchise SHOULD be in recent years.  Los Angeles is ABSOLUTELY no exception to that rule!  I'm loving this game.  The environment feels very much alive, the cars are excellent, the feeling of arcade-style physics is well done, the online is pretty cool (and there are still plenty of people on it, surprisingly).  I'm seriously considering picking up the South Central Premium Upgrade (which I think is 1,000 MSP).  With as much time as I dumped into Midnight Club 3, I can see this stealing a lot of my time.  Luckily, I know that it won't, as I have a ton of games that I'm wanting to play right now.  I also want to point out that an update has since been added to the game that takes away that degree of crippling difficulty that Ryan mentioned in his initial review.  Therefore, if you haven't checked it out yet, it's on the cheaps at most retailers now.
 
Last up, there is the Red Faction Guerrilla DLC Pack 2.  This adds either multiplayer maps and two new game modes to the multiplayer component.  I haven't gotten to sit down with it yet, but it's downloaded and waiting for me to get off work.  I can't wait to check it out.  Just wish it had new achievements with it.  =  /
 
This one is a pretty short blog, mainly because I am starting to get this itch for making tons of lists.  I've only made two so far, but I have a feeling that I'm going to be coming up with some crazy ones.  Once I get the new character page I created approved, then my newest list will be complete!!! 
 
Until next time, piece.

i also love midnight club, but I just never got around to checking it out.  
also i hated mercs 2 so much, the PS3 version was crap and the PS2 version....oh god...i have it and...don't get me started. it's beyond bad.  
good read 

" @AjayRaz: Definitely check out Los Angeles.  There are a LOT of issues that I had with Midnight Club 3 that were addressed, and now that the whole "fuck, this game is too hard for its own good" thing has been handled, it plays much better.  Granted, it's not EASY...but it's not so tough that it's going to make you shoot fire from your ears and pop veins in your head. "

Me and my buddies occasionally play Midnight Club online.  It's pretty fun.  But good luck getting all the achievements for the game, it requires a ton of racing...

" @kmdrkul: From what I've seen...not really.  Just 500 races.  =  D  Those Red Light races and Highway Races don't take too long, and it's something I can do when I'm in between games or I'm just bored of whatever I'm playing.  I basically look at it as 30 minute filler time at the moment, which works great. "

" @jakob187 said:

" @kmdrkul: From what I've seen...not really.  Just 500 races.  =  D  Those Red Light races and Highway Races don't take too long, and it's something I can do when I'm in between games or I'm just bored of whatever I'm playing.  I basically look at it as 30 minute filler time at the moment, which works great. "

Come back after a hundred races or so and lets see that smile :D "

" @kmdrkul said:

" @jakob187 said:

" @kmdrkul: From what I've seen...not really.  Just 500 races.  =  D  Those Red Light races and Highway Races don't take too long, and it's something I can do when I'm in between games or I'm just bored of whatever I'm playing.  I basically look at it as 30 minute filler time at the moment, which works great. "

Come back after a hundred races or so and lets see that smile :D "

I've already got about 100 in on it.  = D "

I remember being so dissapointed by Mercs 2. That game was so god damn glitchy at launch, but there was a good game there somewhere, deep down.

My nephew is bringing me his copy of Forza 2, so I'll get my speed fix on the cheap. Awesome, I love free.

To update a little bit, I just found out that the South Central expansion for Midnight Club LA...which is free...is where all the extra achievements are housed!  VERY cool to know that there is at least ONE game where you can nab the DLC at no cost and S rank it!  BOOYAKA!  Also got my Group 3 vehicles unlocked, and I just can't get enough of my Ducati.  = D  Now, to find a way to make the AI stop cheating me out of getting first place right at the end of a race.  Stupid game dropping cars onto the road from thin air.  =  /

" To update a little bit, I just found out that the South Central expansion for Midnight Club LA...which is free...is where all the extra achievements are housed!  VERY cool to know that there is at least ONE game where you can nab the DLC at no cost and S rank it!  BOOYAKA!  Also got my Group 3 vehicles unlocked, and I just can't get enough of my Ducati.  = D  Now, to find a way to make the AI stop cheating me out of getting first place right at the end of a race.  Stupid game dropping cars onto the road from thin air.  =  / "

" @kmdrkul: It is the map expansion that is free, but that's all you need for the additional achievements.  = D "

" @jakob187 said:

" @kmdrkul: It is the map expansion that is free, but that's all you need for the additional achievements.  = D "

How do you get them?  Because I see that some of the achievements are to do races in lowriders and SUV's;  I drove around the area trying to find the possible garage in South Central but couldn't find it.  No prompt ever came up... "

Midnight Club LA is awesome , I downloaded the South Central "map", but not the cars. I need to get back into playing it but I have so many other games on my plate that I haven't even started plus all these new games coming out. Not enough time.