ArtG

ArtG Blah blah blah

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  • Dec. 2, 2008 - 2:46 p.m.
    ArtG just commented on ArtG's Topic - What the Crap
    Matt:

    You know what, you're right.
    And it should have it on there, because then people won't use that shit anymore.

  • Dec. 1, 2008 - 7:39 p.m.
    ArtG just commented on ArtG's Topic - What the Crap
    Dcpc:

    It's the on-screen keyboard, but still. What the hell?!

  • Dec. 1, 2008 - 7:31 p.m.
    ArtG just added a new blog
    What the Crap
    If you use a keyboard like this, you are a communist and I hate you. Am I alone in hating the way some people think they can re-invent the fucking keyboard? What is this?

    I was reminded about this pet peeve while typing out a text message last night on Xbox. Why? Why? Why?

    It's much harder to type on the ABCDEF keyboard! Give me my fucking QWERTY keyboard, Microsoft!

  • Nov. 30, 2008 - 9:41 a.m.
    ArtG Blah blah blah
  • Nov. 29, 2008 - 7:41 p.m.
    ArtG Change Has Come
  • Nov. 22, 2008 - 7:44 a.m.
    ArtG just commented on DBoy's Topic - St. Patrick's Day
    Can't wait to see the ceremony. Was an absolute treasure to see him play. Like the Habs, the Avs have never truly recovered after he's left--granted his departure was retirement and was on good terms.

    *Bows to St. Patrick*

  • Nov. 17, 2008 - 6:40 p.m.
    ArtG just commented on Bruce's Topic - Bye Dad.
    My condolences.

  • Nov. 6, 2008 - 2:45 p.m.
    ArtG just commented on TonyS's Topic - This is what I have to say about Gears of War 2 ((Edited))
    It's a freakin' date, Mr. Smith. You better be on this weekend! I have a chainsaw that's waitin' for ya.

  • Nov. 6, 2008 - 6:58 a.m.
    ArtG just commented on Gen_Warbuff's Topic - Welcome to the United Socialist of America
    Gen:

    That would not work. Medicare, Medicaid, TANF and Social Security would all collapse overnight. Rich people would avoid this "optional" tax, because hey, they're not going to need to use it. Poor people would be paying themselves, basically. These are transfers to the wealthy to the poor--for the good of our society. (Hard to make money if you're rich when all your workers are starving and thinking about revolution.)

  • Nov. 6, 2008 - 6:48 a.m.
    ArtG just commented on Kenshin's Topic - H...Hello??
    Audiosurf is freakin' awesome, and for $2...you got a steal sir. A STEAL.

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About Me
I'm a dude. And I play games from time to time.
My Blog
Added by ArtG on Dec. 1, 2008 | |
If you use a keyboard like this, you are a communist and I hate you.
Am I alone in hating the way some people think they can re-invent the fucking keyboard? What is this?

I was reminded about this pet peeve while typing out a text message last night on Xbox. Why? Why? Why?

It's much harder to type on the ABCDEF keyboard! Give me my fucking QWERTY keyboard, Microsoft!


Added by ArtG on Nov. 4, 2008 | |
I'm speechless.
God Bless America.


Added by ArtG on Nov. 3, 2008 | |
Tell your friends, your neighbors and your colleagues one thing tomorrow: Go out to the polls and vote.

Now is not the time for spectators. Now is not the time to stand on the sidelines.

Now is the time to let your voice be heard.

Go Vote. Obama 08





Added by ArtG on Oct. 31, 2008 | |
Mike (EightBitWarrior) demanded a blog from me.
Here it is.
Fallout 3 is great.
It's a little scary and intense for me though.
I'm a wuss, I know.
But those freakin' Super Mutants.
Okay. Bye.


Added by ArtG on Sept. 6, 2008 | |
My darling Xbox 360 perished earlier today. She was on the fritz for a while now, so we saw it coming...but that doesn't lessen the pain.
We'll be calling for a coffin on Monday.
Though, nothing will replace this one. She was special.

RIP.


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My Reviews
Reviewed by ArtG
July 21, 2008
A Console Strategy Game That Works!


Staring at the clock, you consider starting another match. “Hey, I’ll just set things up for when I play tomorrow!” you say. Three hours later, you’ve finished another Civilization Revolution match, and you’re left wondering where the time went. Sounds like a Civilization game, doesn’t it? If you’re a veteran of the series, that’s music to your ears.

That’s always the concern with PC strategy games making the jump to consoles — does it feel like the PC game? Too many times gamers have been double-crossed by game companies selling them soy milk, claiming it to be “just like the real thing!”, only to have gamers take a swig of the soy milk, spit it out, get pissed off and run to message boards to bitch about the bad taste left in their mouth. (All apologies to soy milk fans) That is to say that Civilization Revolution wasn’t stripped down to be “like” the real thing — it is.

Saying Civilization Revolution is a Civilization game comes with all the positives and negatives associated with the franchise. Civilization Revolution, like previous Civilization games, can be ridiculously addicting, causing you to lose yourself for hours and hours planning out how best to dominate the world. Because it’s a turn-based strategy game, it has the feel, much like an MMO, of “I can do this task really quick and then I’ll be done.” But after you complete that task, two more tasks come to your attention and it starts to snowball from there. The addictive qualities are thanks in large part to the in-depth strategy that the Civilization franchise is known for. There are four different ways for you to win: military, financial, cultural and technological dominance. Each of the four victory paths have different objectives for you to aim for (military dominance, for example, has you taking over all of the other civilization‘s capitals), so tailoring what you build and research is key to reaching victory.

Keeping up with what units to build, technology to research, cities to attack, etc., can sometimes make newcomers to Civilization feel like a freshly hired waiter at a busy restaurant. You’re juggling two different trays, not trying to drop the customer’s food, while still trying to get there quickly in the hopes they give you a nice tip after they’re done feasting. Eventually, a customer with a full bladder gets up to go to the bathroom, bumps into you and makes you drop everything, killing all your work. Civilization Revolution can be the same in that way — you do a lot of work to set your army up, you plan out your attack on a neighboring city, and then the other civilization’s defenses are vastly superior to your expectations, crushing your planned “tip” for all that work. For newcomers like myself, learning what units to build and what technologies to research can be overwhelming at first, but when you finally get the hang of things and capture a city that you had been longing for, it makes the journey completely worth it — even if it was a bit messy getting there.

In addition to the standard offline single-player, there are scenario missions and a “game of the week” — a randomly generated new scenario for players. The game of the week is the same for everyone, and each week you can compete with others to get the highest ranking on online leaderboards. Online multiplayer is also included for up to three other players, It runs smoothly and without any lag issues, but might not be ideal if you don’t have a couple hours to dedicate to the match.

Audio-visually, Civilization Revolution is neither here nor there. The music isn’t memorable, and the characters speak in this Sims-like gibberish that gets a little grating. Visually, you’re getting a decent looking game considering the scope, but it’s not going to “wow” you. Surprisingly, though, I did experience some significant slow-down in the game on a couple occasions, leading me to believe my console had frozen — instead, the game had screeched to a complete halt for about 10 seconds. Although the slowdown was puzzling, it only happened twice and never got in the way of the game.

The highest praise you could give a game like Civilization Revolution is to say that it plays like its PC counterparts. It might not be for everyone, but for the hardcore strategy fan, you finally have a console strategy game that isn’t broken and busted. Instead, you’re getting the same addicting, deep gameplay you’ve seen on the PC. Drink up — you’re not getting soy milk for once — you’re getting the real thing.





Reviewed by ArtG
July 21, 2008
Intense Gameplay Steals the Show


Bullets whiz over your prone body as you sneak through the forest. Mortar fire can be heard in the distance, screeching above. The mortar strikes the ground with force, kicking up dust, dirt and debris, eliciting a wince. You keep going–after all, you’ve got a job to do.

You continue your long, slow crawl through the muck. From the east comes a squadron of militia fighters who do not notice you hiding in some high grass. They push forward while you follow close behind, careful to not arouse suspicion. Soon enough, the rebels begin to engage private military corporation (PMC) troops that are entrenched in their base. Amidst the chaos, you start to circle around the battlefield, but soon find that your initial pathway is cut-off by a machine gun that will surely tear you to shreds if you continue on. Pulling back, you quickly check your map for another way to evade these two factions. Confirming that a hill to the west will do the trick, you slither to your destination, successfully evading all combat.

Soon after, you’ll meet up with Drebin, a cool, calm, no non-sense kind of guy who will be your supplier of all sort of explosives, weapons, ammunition. Having access to Drebin’s shop will allow you to tailor your battlefield experience a bit. To be sure, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a stealth action game first and foremost, but there are some concessions here for someone who likes to run-and-gun, first and foremost being the tighter controls, while Drebin keeps you supplied with enough ammunition and firepower.

After purchasing some much needed supplies, you forge ahead. Using your Solid Eye, which allows you to view where enemy forces are, (radar and binoculars) how concealed you are from them, as well as allowing an infra-red option to help you in the darker locales, you spot two PMC soldiers patrolling a road that you need to travel along. Swapping to your tranquilizer pistol, you take aim for the first. A shot to the neck drops him in one fell swoop. His partner turns around, puzzled at the sight of his fallen comrade. Before he gets a chance to investigate, you plug him with two tranquilizer shots…just to be safe. Staring at your pistol, you’re shocked at how easy the controls are than in past missions, and you’re thankful you’re not fighting from an over-head, top-down viewpoint. Laying still, you allow your “OctoCamo” suit to readjust to fit the terrain that you will be traversing up ahead. You move forward. Coming up to another PMC base, you take shelter behind a concrete block. You try to take cover behind it, in the hopes of being able to take pot shots at the enemy, then ducking back down into cover. Sadly, Snake wasn’t equipped with this seemingly basic ability.

After infiltrating a compound for a person of interest, you make your way around another battlefield. A bulldozer for the now friendly militia (because you did not fire at them in previous parts of the game) is destroyed, slowing your progress to find this “person of interest.” Destination points on your mini-map direct you to destroy two doors that seemingly lead to where you have to go, though, it is clear after many attempts to bust down the doors that your map is mistaken. Instead, you will have to go elsewhere, as you mutter under your breath about the poor direction. This will not be the only time that poor direction will cause some discomfort, most noticeably when you encounter certain boss characters in the game. Not only poor direction, but an extremely “gamey” cheesiness comes into play during a specific boss encounter, where the solution does not necessarily logically flow. Through persistence, constant Codec calls to Otacon, or through a desperate search of online guides, you’ll eventually find the solution, but wish that the challenge was in the fight, rather than finding a convoluted weak point. This is the weakness of the second half of the game, which is heavier on boss fights and plot, rather than intense battlefield situations. For fans of Snake’s saga, this will not be a problem–for fans of the excellent gameplay that Metal Gear Solid 4 provides, it’s a bit of a let down.

Inevitably, you’ll stumble into a cut-scene or two, which is where the bulk of the story unfolds. The game represents a wide swath of genres, from action, comedy, drama, romance, science fiction–Metal Gear Solid 4 has it all. In terms of pure cinematic quality, Metal Gear Solid 4 arguably has no equal in games. In terms of narrative quality, there can be some points of contention. Both melodramatic and insanely hard to follow at times due to the intricacy of the story that is being told, (especially to franchise rookies) the plot may turn off those that can’t suspend disbelief. Characters will commit acts that shatter reason, even within the context of an already “out there” storyline. Still, I could not help but to be thoroughly engaged in the way it was presented.

The melodrama and the plot belie the realism that Metal Gear Solid 4 can provide. From snow covered areas under white out conditions that considerably hampers your vision, to the emotion that characters show in their face, Metal Gear Solid 4 presents a believable world. The intensity that you feel in your gut while you’re sneaking past enemy troops, or the shiver that goes up your spine when you’re spotted is very real. The landscapes, the sound of two competing factions barking orders at their fellow troops, the guns firing–all these components add to the gameplay in ways that are immeasurable.

That’s really what Metal Gear Solid 4’s essence was about: the intensity of the fight. There are story elements that will please the hardcore MGS nuts and there are deeper, real-world themes explored here (though very beneath the surface, and it will vary from player to player what they get out of it) but the engaging cut-scenes are not what made Metal Gear Solid 4. It was fear. Fear of getting spotted. Fear of having to fight. Fear of failure. That intense, gut feeling powered the game throughout, and the story and well crafted cut-scenes round out an excellent game. Fan or not, Metal Gear Solid 4 deserves to be played.




Reviewed by ArtG
July 21, 2008
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm


Ice chunks form on all sides of your ship, commanding all the attention of your crew for the task at hand. The quota has to be filled, but your boat also needs to stay afloat, so your crew is safe from your wrath–for now. After the ice has been cleared from the boat, you and your crew get to the real task at hand: fishing for crabs. Don’t get too excited, but don’t get too cynical either.

It’s hard to sell a game about crab-fishing to groups of gamers that are used to action-packed games like Halo 3 or Metal Gear Solid 4. At first glance it seems akin to offering vegetables to child. Why would a testosterone-fueled 18-34 male want a game about fishing? Short answer is that Mr. 18-34 probably doesn’t. But a deeper look into the game reveals surprising depth for gamers out there that want to step back from action and have a more chilled experience.

After a lengthy tutorial gets you acclimated to controlling the boats, you’re not ready to set sail for the Bering Sea quite yet. Crew members must be hired and provisions (bait, gas, fishing pots) must be purchased. With fresh supplies and an experienced crew, you plan out your fishing strategy. Checking your plotter, a device that allows you to check crab population, you map out your strategies to hit areas with the highest density. Marking your map with your planned strings, (swaths of sea where you drop your pots to “soak”) you and your crew make haste for that location. Once there, your crew gets to work, as do you. Getting the boat into position, you ring a buzzer, giving your workers the green light to drop the pot into the sea. You continue this strategy for a while, and your employees are starting to tire. Yet, you need to get these pots down as soon as possible. Meeting the quota is paramount to any sleeping concerns of these peasants. Not soon after, one of your workers makes an error, resulting in a steel pot being dropped from a crane and onto a fellow employee. The aftermath is not good–the injured employee was your deck boss and your most trusted and experienced crew member., who is now out for the season.The effect is much like a weigh scale. On one of the arms you have the need to meet the quota, and then on the other, the need to protect the safety of your crew. Finding the right balance is the challenge.

Even with a key crew member down, you’re still able to continue. Completing your fishing strategy, you head back to harbor to find a replacement for your fallen deck boss. Luckily, there are still some unemployed, willing hands, which you promptly hire. Getting back to sea, you begin to retrieve your hauls. The first couple of hauls only bring in a miniscule number of “keepers” (adult crabs) and it continues along most of your strings. Frustrated, you radio other fisherman to see how they’re haul has been going. Listen closely, because not all of them are looking to help. This particular fisherman tells you that their fishing has gone great, even though they might have been fishing along the same strings you have been. Knowing how the fishing has gone for you, you make note to disregard whatever they say in the future.

As you’re about to finish picking up the last of your ill-fated pots, something happens. Everything stands still. You figure it’s just a temporary lock-up. Tapping the guide button multiple times proves fruitless, so you reluctantly turn off your 360. It’s just bad luck, and hey, you saved just before the freeze, so everything’s kosher. Minutes later, it happens again. And again…ad nauseam. Progressing through a complete season of crab fishing seems impossible up to a certain point because of the technical difficulties that continue to muck up your experience.

Glancing at screenshots of the game, shrugging it off as a quick, sloppy cash-in on the TV show would be an easy conclusion. Nothing looks particularly good and there is plenty that looks bad. Hauling in your catch of crab, the detail on the fish passes scrutiny while in the pot. But when dumped into the catching tray for your crew to sort, it becomes this amalgamation of brown slime and gunk that looks laughably bad. Re-creations of the different boats seen on the show are faithful, but technical prowess is something Deadliest Catch does not have.

Graphical limitations aside, Deadliest Catch is surprisingly competent. In so far as games are vehicles for excitement and action, the game falls on its face. Where it finds its footing is in its unique setup that is unlike anything else on the market. Unique might not mean great or even good, but you could rent much worse.





74 Points
Ranked #2412 of 24,724

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Date Joined: July 21, 2008
City: Mount Pleasant
Gender: Male
Alignment: Neutral
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frankthelizard
is selling 30 games tomorrow and is making an extra 180% because of the 5 games you get an extra 30% trade in credit deal. Im getting lots of good games tomorrow!
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は眠りたカッ
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BraindeadRacr
- "Yes, us Dutch folk are all about dominating the world with our cheap whores, legal pot and gay marriage. That's why I invaded your country to live here and drive a big brown truck."
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Vod_Crack
I bought Halo 3...
21 hours, 23 minutes ago
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doesn't really have much to say in this space at this time.
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's waiting for L4D!
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will probably be getting sick any day now.
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just posted his impressions of Dead Space.
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thinks that Chrono Trigger is pretty awesome!
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has posted yet another VB
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View all ArtG's relationships...
ArtG's Wall
Kenshin
on Oct. 28, 2008
I need moar Arthur Greeno in mah life
Tru3_Blu3
on July 26, 2008
Blue and green don't mix. Your are officially my new nemesis. HAVE AT YOU!
ArtG
on July 23, 2008
Thanks Player, I appreciate it. :)
Player1
on July 22, 2008
really enjoyed your civ review
jimb0
on July 22, 2008
Get out of here!
Wesker
on July 21, 2008
You WOULD be on Giant Bomb. OH YEAH and FIRST.
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