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AndrewG009

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My PS3 Love Affair, Round Two

By AndrewG009 3 Comments



So, I had a Playstation 3 for a while. It was a saucy little number touting its sweet little 40 GB hard drive. We had our torrid love affair much to the dismay of my Wii and Xbox 360, but in the end, it wasn’t meant to be. After waiting with baited breath for something to make the relationship worthwhile, it all fell apart. The underdeveloped Playstation Network, lack of definitive exclusives and overall burdensome appearance meant we were spending less time together as the days wore on. Eventually, I found myself at a Gamestop trading in the system for a DSi, but that is a different story altogether. Ever since the slim PS3 hit the scene, it’s been like seeing an old ex, except now more successful than ever. She’s lost some weight without losing any of the substance than made her sexy in the first place. She’s also got new friends for us to share a few fun, laughs and good times. It’s difficult to forget the fun you had as the good times easily gloss over the nights when you sat together, watching a movie, wondering if this was all there ever would be in the relationship. However, it seems now, more than ever, that resistance just may be futile and giving things a second go is inevitable.

After spending so much time with my Wii and Xbox 360, I think it’s time I got back in the saddle and gave it a genuine shot. While looks aren’t everything, it’s definitely nice that the slimmer appearance is a bit easier on the eyes, making it difficult to ignore. On top of that, the idea of a built in wireless connection is more appealing than ever with ethernet cables running to both my Wii and 360 for the sake of a reliable connection. A lack of wires always a plus, especially in a house where things have a tendency to be wanting in the aspects of susceptibility to gravity and structural integrity. Also, after being subjected to the Sixaxis for such an extended duration, the desire for Dualshock controllers simply eclipses it in my mind, but that could be fond memories from my days with the PS2 or my sheer hatred of the toy-like Sixaxis. Aesthetics aside though, it’s the games that seem to be doubtlessly pulling me back in with the hooks in deep.


Abstaining from saying that this is the time when the PS3 will descend from the heavens, if it hasn’t already, the system has actually begun to pick itself up. While it took Sony long enough, it was ultimately just a matter of time as a steady library of respectable games began to slide their way into waiting hands. Granted, there was a time when the offering on the Playstation 3 were a bit underwhelming, which I still think is somewhat of an understatement. But that has changed quite bloody drastically in the past year. Exclusives in 2008 like LittleBigPlanet were what initially drew me in. Of course, when the system was announced years ago, I had to pick it up in the hopes of playing the latest installment of Metal Gear Solid 4 on it, even if the prospect of Metal Gear Online makes my skin crawl. But then again, the original Metal Gear Solid and Sons of Liberty both lacked a multiplayer component and, for the most part, have stood the test of time relatively well. Throw in the original Uncharted with a dash of Resistance and it becomes clear why I initially fell into a quirky romance with the system in the first place. But if 2008 was a bang, 2009 was a nuclear bomb leveling a metropolis. Uncharted 2 graphically is just way too sexy to ignore and the time I have had with the game has been too little to say the least. I hope Sony realizes that they have a system selling studio in Naughty Dog right now and if they don’t, they’re pretty goddamn stupid. Infamous seemingly stands out against Prototype as the exclusive and while I haven’t spent more than twenty minutes with it, I get the distinct impression it’s one of those titles I probably should be playing until the credits roll. Toss Killzone 2 and Demon Soul’s into the mix and those exclusives alone could keep me busy as the days roll casually into 2010.

Speaking of casual, I’ve been keeping an eye on the Playstation Network and the clusterfuck I remember has seemingly fallen to the wayside in favor of something that strikes me as working rather well. Yes, not everything can be perfect, but with the current PSN contributions, it makes it difficult to remain offline. The entire Pixeljunk series has come such a long way that each episode is proving more and more to be a worthwhile purchase. Additionally, the latest episode, Shooter, gives the distinct impression of being a must-have title. While Fat Princess, Savage Moon and Flower are yet more weights on the hooks pulling me back into owning a Sony product, the ability to own classic Playstation titles abounds. Simply said, I can’t say no to Resident Evil and Final Fantasy games. It doesn’t matter what system they’re on. If I see them, odds are it’ll wind up in my collection if they haven’t already. Moreover, the ability to remote play seamlessly with the PSP as well as being able to download the older titles to the system itself is pretty stellar given how boring my ride on the train downtown can get.



For all things packed in the system, there is also that whole blu-ray thing. Given that not every single movie ever will look batshit crazy awesome in blu-ray, I’m still sitting on the fence about this feature, even when I owned the console previously. Sure, if I really needed blu-ray and my heart ached for it, I could shell out about $200-$300 bucks and get one. But, I don’t. Sure, Iron Man and Star Trek look goddamn amazing and the Pixar flicks were practically meant to be watched like that, but if I were to watch a few episodes of South Park or just about any film from the late 1970’s or 1980’s on the system, even in blu-ray, I doubt I would notice any real upgrades of any kind to the quality. But just having it, should I want to watch something on blu-ray is a plus, even if all I ever watch on the thing are DVDs. That is besides games.

Games, of course, bring me to my final note and the original reason I dragged my feet on owning a Playstation 3 in the first place, the lack of backwards compatibility in the console. I sincerely think it is, for lack of better terms, cool that Sony is doing what they can to bring all of their older content, such as PS-X and PS2 titles, to the Playstation Network and make them available for download. I also think that I shouldn’t have to pay for content I already own physically, just to have access to it in a format in line with Sony’s digital distribution plans. This has perhaps been my greatest point of contention with owning the system. While being firmly convinced that many first time PS3 owners exists and will only play titles designed for that system, I still want to be able to play my Playstation and Playstation 2 titles from the disc if I’m so fortunate to have them. In the meantime, I’m aware that I can still play them on a Playstation 2 and am thankful to still own one in good working order. But, it still feels like Sony is trying to nickel and dime me for digital backward compatibility in the form of charging me for content they’ve already charged me for once during the course of my teenage years. On the other hand, I do have to concede to the point that by utilizing digital distribution, Sony has effectively made games available to players who may otherwise never had a chance to play or own them if not for the PSN. So, it being a double-edged sword, I suppose it’ll always feel like Sony is lurking in the shadows, waiting to spank me and my credit card’s respective bottoms raw. But, then again, love does hurt.

So if there is one thing I’m absolutely not a fan of, it’s rekindling things with an ex, but I think it’s time I gave reconciliation a shot. The Playstation 3 has come a long way from the struggling, crying infant that really didn’t know if it was a blu-ray player, family entertainment system or streamlined game console, but it seems to have tightened those ideas up over time. Sony, being the drunkenly disciplining father finally put the system in its place, telling it to step-up and be a goddamn gaming platform. Sure, PS3 had to surround herself with a few pretty games and definitely had to drop a few pounds, but since then, all the boys have been noticing her again. Regardless of all the flaws though, the better times will always seem to shine through, even if it’s memories of times with Playstation 3’s two older sisters. But this is the PS3, the young, hot little number that breaks hearts and leaves you wanting more. And while there was a time the system sure as hell broke my heart, after 2009 came to a close, I was definitely left wanting more.




Author’s note: If anyone has any suggestions as to what I should be playing on the PS3 now or how best to get the most out of it as a system, I would be more that happy to hear it. Thanks. 
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First Thoughts - Gratuitous Space Battles

By AndrewG009 3 Comments



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Real-time Strategy has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Ever since I got my first taste of Warcraft 2, I've been hooked and haven't looked back. Cut to the summer of this year as Positech Games releases Gratuitous Space Battles. Taking the role of both Fleet Admiral and Starship Designer, you are tasked with kicking intergalactic ass and taking names.

From the standpoint of design, you are able to fill various starship hulls until they're virtually armed and armored to the teeth. Divided into three classes - fighters, frigates and cruisers - each class has it's decided strength and weakness. By further allowing ships to be filled with components relative to their class, it expounds on the diversity of each ship. Essentially, should the designer choose, no two ships in their fleets ever have to be alike. Additionally, by defeating enemies and winning battles, you receive honor points, which can then be utilized to unlock new hulls, ship components or even entirely new races to play.


In order to win those battles though, you'll have to be a capable strategist in addition to being a clever designer. From the deployment screen, you're able to place your fleet into formation along with assigning orders. Setting target priorities allows you to dictate what your ships will hunt first as well as what range they'll begin to open fire. Another cool feature is issuing orders such as escort, formation, vulture (which orders the ship to target enemy vessels on their last legs) as well as co-op (ordering starships to concentrate fire on targets). The orders become vastly important as you have no direct control over your ships while they're engaged, which I found a bit off-putting at first. However, the more comfortable I became with building out my ships, I subsequently found myself increasingly confident in sitting back and enjoying the battle.

The demo is currently available via Steam and from Positech, which you would be doing yourself quite the disservice if you didn't at least check this title out before 2009 was over.
3 Comments

When Digital Downloads Go Bad

By AndrewG009 7 Comments

 

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It seems that there was a little speed bump amongst all the joy of the annual Steam sale. The Consumerist reports that all Ario wanted to do was gift his brother a game via the digital download client, but what happened is a bit more convoluted. It seemed that his brother had already purchased the game on Steam, so instead of notifying Ario, crediting his brother's account or enabling the issuance of a refund, the service simply ate his money.


"Earlier this week I had purchased a game that was on sale as an early gift for a family member to hold him off till his real one arrived late for Christmas. I didn't know it at the time but because of some glitch in Steam's systems the gifting failed but my CC was still charged and I was none the wiser. Since I told my brother all about the game, hyped him up, got him excited, but he never received it he ended up buying it for himself. I saw him playing it on Steam and thought all was well but after asking him how he liked my gift only to get a puzzled look in return."

It only went downhill from there.

"Took another support request for them to realize the issue was not in the fact I couldn't send but the fact I couldn't send and because of that he already owns the game I wanted to give him to which the customer service guy replied that they can't give me a refund or even store credit because according to their Subscriber Agreement they don't have to give me a return because I am not in the European Union which apparently has consumer protection laws that require 30 day grace period for returns."

For those who don't want to go searching for it, here is the section of Steam's subscriber agreement covering refunds:


"ALL STEAM FEES ARE PAYABLE IN ADVANCE AND ARE NOT REFUNDABLE IN WHOLE OR IN PART. Valve reserves the right to change our fees or billing methods at any time and Valve will provide notice of any such change at least thirty (30) days advance. All changes will be posted as amendments to this Agreement or in the Rules of Use and you are responsible for reviewing the billing section of Steam to obtain timely notice of such changes. Your non-cancellation of your Account or an affected Subscription thirty (30) days after posting of the changes on Steam means that you accept such changes. If any change is unacceptable to you, you may cancel your Account or a particular Subscription at any time as described below, but Valve will not refund any fees that may have accrued to your Account before cancellation of your Account or Subscription, and Valve will not prorate fees for any cancellation. If your use of Steam is subject to any type of use or sales tax, then Valve may also charge you for any such taxes, in addition to the Subscription or other fees published in the Rules of Use. The European Union VAT tax amounts collected by Valve reflect VAT due on the value of any Steam Software or Subscription as well as import VAT collected which is to be paid to the tax authorities for the importation of Merchandise.

As the Account holder, you are responsible for all charges incurred, including applicable taxes, and all purchases made by you or anyone that uses your Account, including your family or friends. Information on how to cancel your Account or a particular Subscription can be found at http://www.steampowered.com/. Valve reserves the right to collect fees, surcharges or costs incurred before you cancel your Account or a particular Subscription. In the event that your Account or a particular subscription is terminated or canceled, no refund, including any Subscription fees, will be granted. Any delinquent or unpaid Accounts must be settled before Valve will allow you to register again."

Honestly, it kind of scares the living hell out of me that Steam actually does have a bit of a dark side, but since when has a company not shielded themselves using the EULA? I'm not saying the system is perfect, but this is just a firm reminder of that fact and how careful gamers with a penchant for gifting need to be as digital downloads become more mainstream. Additionally, as the article goes on, it touches on just how intimidating a company can be by utilizing a EULA in such a heavy-handed fashion as to ban customers from their forums who take issue, effectively making the problem go away as silently as possible. It's actually pretty scary when you think about it, especially if you've sunk hundreds of dollars into your account.

Check out the full article from the Consumerist here.

7 Comments

Video Dissection: Heavy Rain

By AndrewG009 3 Comments


 

While anxiously biding time until Heavy Rain falls upon us, I've been checking out as much as I can about the game. Quantic Dream, the same company that developed the sleeper hit Indigo Prophecy is just now seemingly finishing up the title in preparations for the February 18, 2010 release. Taking on the role of one of four characters who are searching for the "Origami Killer", the segments of play will be divided into Scenes as opposed to levels. In one of the latest videos, which I originally discovered on GameTrailers, I was interested in seeing how the mechanics of the game were coming together as I'm extremely curious about the final product.

What I can seemingly infer from this loading screen is that prior to each scene, the character who you'll be assuming the role of will appear so you can delineate the who, what, where, when and why of what you may be doing in the impending gameplay. However, I feel a bit haphazard using the word 'gameplay' as from what I've seen so far somewhat bends that term slightly.

Additionally, the scene opens with the date, time and, interestingly enough, the amount of rain that has fallen. I don't know especially why the amount of rain that's come down is so important, but I think this is because the rain is just so heavy.

Assuming the role of private detective Scott Shelby as he steps into a small convenient store, the small, on-screen prompts begin to appear, which make me concerned that this won't be so much of a game as a series of quick-time events. As Shelby leans on the counter, he asks the owner of the shop about his son who was recently killed by the "Origami Killer".

Curiously enough, the shopkeeper doesn't want to discuss his son and if this title is as serious about being a narrative-driven emotional experience, it only serves to intrigue me more about the owner and this scene. Additionally, as a minor assuage, I just wish to note that this game looks exceptional in regard of graphical presentation.

Getting back to the matter at hand, the owner dismisses Shelby's questions about his son, leaving the player to select one of several options as they float lackadaisically about your character. But even if you sympathize or persist on your line of questioning about the shopkeeper's son, he still brushes you off, leaving you to wander the store.

 

As you stand at the back of the store, looking for an inhaler, a young gentleman enters the delicatessen wishing to rob the shopkeeper of the legal tender in the register. He of course conveys this is acceptable street speak, laden quite frequently with several swear words I'm sure he picked up from a childhood and teenage years playing video games as his parents were too cheap to hire a babysitter.

 

The cool spiraling actions then appear again, giving the player a choice as to what you want to do about this man of questionable moral values who feels it's okay to rob shopkeepers at gunpoint. Again, I think the amount of branching actions is quite fascinating, but this mechanic as with all things, could serve to work against the title in it's final released state. Hopefully though, it won't and will remain a sufficiently interesting feature throughout the course of the title. Also, I should point out, that once you make a decision, it seems as though the character will comment with inner monologue to clue the player into what exactly they're thinking.

As you begin being sneaky, you can see that throughout the entire course of you doing so, the action as it unfolds is conveyed to you as if you were watching security footage on a Fox Network. However, as you continue stealthily moving towards the altercation that's taking place, a prompt occurs near one of the shelves. Again, this strikes me as being a mini, tiny, quick-time event.

As you reach for the bottle, it becomes apparent that this motion is what will allow you to be armed and take out the guy who is sticking up the place.

As you continue to move forward being sneaky as a ninja, albeit a poorly dressed, slightly overweight ninja, you're shoulder bumps a stack of detergent triggering another small QTE. Hopefully, you can hit triangle fast enough, otherwise, I think the man with the gun might want to have a word or two with you.

 

Thankfully, it's been caught. Someone's been playing their God of War lately.

And with another QTE, you place the detergent back on the shelf and can resume being sneaking. Sensing a trend here?

 

As you near the perpetrator, another prompt appears. As the game will be utilizing the sixaxis control functionality a lot, it's probably a good idea to get that down pat before this title hits the shelves. I suggest Lair or Warhawk...preferably Warhawk.

After successfully stopping out would be robber, Shelby stand over this punk victoriously lording his bottle smashing abilities.

Grateful for the service you've performed, the thankful shopkeeper offers you a box containing a clue that might give you some insight into the murder of his son or the psyche of the "Origami Killer".

 

As you leave the shop, this concludes the scene if you'd taken the route you obviously did over the course of this 'level' by helping the shopkeeper. I imagine if you did things differently, consequentially the outlook of the scenario would hopefully be significantly varied from what you did the first time. Either way, what I've taken away from this video essentially confirms my original belief that this game has the potential for a very strong story, engaging characters and an interesting plot as Quantic Dream is able to achieve. However, I'm still left with a lingering suspicion that this feels more film than game and if nothing else strikes me as a 'Choose your own adventure' sort of experience, except the glaringly obvious difference is you can't flip back the page if you make the wrong choice it seems. For those interested, here is the video in it's entirety.

3 Comments

Top 10 Developers for the Xbox 360

By AndrewG009 1 Comments

 Let’s face it, without developers; the 360 would just be nothing more that a sweet paperweight that you could watch DVDs on if you were so inclined. But being the technical powerhouse that it is as a system and having the library of games it does, I figured today I should shine the light on the developers that make the top 1% of games possible. This list includes full developers, not independent title creators or even XBLA creators as those will come into focus further down the line. For now, sit back and remember who to thank the next time you forget how much fun you’ve been having for the past several hours.
 
10 – 2k Studios (Boston, Australia and Marin)

Formerly known as Irrational Games, their initial claim to fame in the latter half of the twentieth century would ultimately lay the groundwork for what many have called a masterpiece to the Xbox 360. System Shock 2 was touted as a PC title that with limitless choices and strong narrative, it could literally pull the player in and never let go. However amazing it was, it hadn’t been played by many gamers who owned a 360 and may have remained in obscurity if not for the perennial 2k hit, Bioshock. Not to insinuate that 2k owes all of their success to the underwater art deco masterwork as System Shock 2 and Tribes: Vengeance are both great titles in their own right. However, the next time you are charging down a Big Daddy remember that every piece an artist paints affects how their current canvas will look. With Bioshock 2 being released in Q1 of 2010, we can all hope the finishing touches with make it standout as much as its predecessor.
 
9 – Bioware

After they made Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic on the original Xbox, it’s easy to see why Microsoft decided to keep Bioware around. Frankly, when it comes to role-playing titles that’ll immerse the player, you call Bioware. It doesn’t matter what universe you need created, Bioware will build a universe and make it compelling and large enough to get so lost in that you may never be found again. And can you really blame them with titles like Baldur’s Gate under belt? Mass Effect is the type of RPG that’ll swallow a gamer whole. I’m serious. I’ve had stories related to me of people picking up a 360 solely to play Mass Effect because it is a damn huge game and it’s only available on Xbox. Add in the mix of not only being sci-fi oriented but fun to boot and it doesn’t take that much of a stretch of imagination before you begin drooling at the mouth when presented with what Mass Effect 2 could be. Not that you couldn’t already waste a few more hours exploring the Mass Effect universe, of course. Oh, and let's not forget Dragon Age: Origins.
 
8 – Rockstar

Okay, so GTA IV wasn’t an exclusive, but the downloadable content available only to 360 owners sounds pretty special to me. As the original Xbox inched closer to the end of its lifecycle, owners were rewarded with a compilation of Grand Theft Auto titles that Playstation 2 owners had already seen comprised of GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas. However, Microsoft had a pretty good idea how to get GTA IV settled on the shelves of gamers owning an Xbox 360 and exclusive downloadable content was just the way to do it. $50 million dollars later and Rockstar set to shelling out two episodes of episodic content. The Lost and Damned followed by The Ballad of Gay Tony are both fresh takes on what players may have already seen in Liberty City and the expansion factor offers GTA IV further retail value over its Playstation 3 counterpart. While Rockstar is also responsible for the Midnight Club and Red Dead Revolver titles, it is the exclusivity of the content offered to 360 owners as a result of the business relationship with Microsoft that makes this developer stand out.
 
7 – Ubisoft

Responsible for a few little known titles, Ubisoft has somehow eked its own slice out in the video game industry. Seriously though, without Ubisoft we wouldn’t have Assassin’s Creed, Beyond Good & Evil and all of those Tom Clancy games wouldn’t exist either. That’s right, Ubisoft has given us Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six, End War, Hawx and of course Ghost Recon. Add Brother’s in Arms, Far Cry and of course Prince of Persia and you’ve got a developer that has created a good chunk of library for both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360. While we all continue to wait as patiently as we can without getting punchy for Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction, they’ve released Assassin’s Creed II into the holiday lineup to keep gamers entertained. I would almost say that Ubisoft has way too much on their plate like a fat kid at the buffet, but they keep enough of a rotation on existing titles and new intellectual properties, like RUSE, where everything comes out smelling fresher than a new bar of soap.
 
6 – Valve

While most of the software was available on PC at the same time, if not prior, Valve has still made contributions to the 360 that make it an exceedingly valuable developer. Portal, Team Fortress 2, Portal, Half-Life 2 as well as its episodic content are all outstanding on their own; however Valve did something ingenious with them. By packaging five titles all in one convenient bundle Valve didn’t decrease the relative value of all the games; they succeeded in exponentially increasing the significance of the overall package. The orange box, in my opinion, is still one of the best values you can get on the Xbox 360 since you’re getting five games for about $12 dollars each. Succeeded by Left 4 Dead and it's sequel as premier multiplayer titles, it has kept an extremely powerful community on Xbox Live. As Valve is succinctly biased to developing for the PC and 360, widely regarding the PS3 as a troublesome system and coupled with the eventual releases of Portal 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 3 – things are shaped pretty nicely for 360 owners as far as Valve is concerned.
 
5 – Lionhead

While Peter Molyneux has consistently promised gamers the world and delivered somewhat lesser results, it can’t be argued that the man and the studio behind him dream big and aim high. Fable, originally known simply as Project: Ego, was supposed to be everything that Fable II became. It seems that with additional iterations in the Fable series the completed product drifts closer and closer to what Molyneux originally promised in his high concept for Fable. The games are fun in addition to strong game mechanics and narrative, but I’m yet to feel as though I’m living the complete life of a hero. In the meantime, Lionhead continues to provide genuinely good support for the 360 with the recently announced Fable III and as Natal comes closer to release will be releasing titles to take advantage of that new interactivity.
 
4 – Bethesda

Fallout 3 is a truly epic role-playing title and along with Oblivion, Bethesda has kept gamers glued to their televisions for lengths of time I don’t even want to imagine. While Oblivion captured the fantasy crowd with an immense amount of gameplay along, a completion time that could spiral into fifty or more hours merely served to keep those who wanted to play doing just that. Taking the same formula, mixing in the game mechanics and sci-fi elements that made the Fallout universe stand out among other games on the shelf along with promising a completion time around 100 hours had many players, including myself, hooked for months. The scary thing is, when it seemed like I could stop at any given time, the rewarding ‘ding’ emanating from my pip-boy kept me playing and frothing at the mouth for more in some twisted Pavlovian response. Throw in the Operation: Anchorage, Broken Steel, The Pitt, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta downloadable content and it becomes a monstrous beast of a game.
 
3 – Infinity Ward

Consider all of the World War II titles where you play that lone hero swarmed by horde after horde of enemies. Infinity Ward cut through all that garbage to be one of the first titles to make you actually feel like you were just another soldier in the grand scheme of the madness that are the battlefields amidst a war. Call of Duty as well as Call of Duty 2 are perhaps some of the finest games I have ever played since I gave the original Medal of Honor a shot back on the original Playstation. But what fascinates me is that even though I picked up COD2 when I picked up my first 360 a few years ago, I still catch myself playing it every so often. That is when I’m not playing Modern Warfare 2, of course. While there are better games out there, Infinity Ward has distilled what makes fast paced action titles fun, all while placing us in the shoes of a soldier fighting towards a genuine greater good – even if it feels like a summer blockbuster film sometimes. Call of Duty 4 makes Xbox Live Gold feel almost necessary, an easy $50 dollars a year to play a game online that can easily cause you to remember when you said you would go to bed just in time to see the sun cresting over the horizon. After all, it's not like the glitches are game breaking, right?
 
2 – Epic

Cliff Bleszinski is a pretty cool guy. One time he made this game with a really cool cover mechanic that, while he didn’t expressly create, certainly refined to perfection. Gears of War, Gears of War 2 and its eventual sequels Gears of War 3, 4 and 5 are hallmark exclusive titles for the Xbox 360. It is one of those franchises that is so good, I wonder if Microsoft will ever let it die. As the original came out, the story campaign gave way to a multiplayer component that has since become one of the most played on Xbox Live. Horde mode, which allows players to form teams against computer controlled waves of opponents, has further spurred the online popularity of Gears as teams of humans continue to work together in an attempt to best the AI of the Locusts. Numerous titles consistently utilize the Unreal Engine and for good reason – games end up looking damn sexy when done properly in Unreal. While Epic has also released Unreal Tournament III, it can’t exactly be regarded as successful as Gears, but it does stand well as an arena shooter. Utterly, it can be argued that Gears, with its visceral brutality and addictive multiplayer, is definitely a system seller and ultimately maintains the important that Epic has in regards to Microsoft.

1 – Bungie

Without Bungie and Halo on the original Xbox the sad fact of the matter is that there probably wouldn’t have been a Halo 2 or Xbox 360 to play Halo 3 on either. By snatching up Bungie and the killer-app that Halo was at the time, Microsoft may very well have ensured its survival in the game industry through its first steps into the wildness. Knowing they had to offer something that wasn’t Dead or Alive 4 or Munch’s Odyssey, Halo fit the bill and has continued to do so for the past several years. Halo 2 stepped in filling the multiplayer void that Mechassault couldn’t fill when Xbox Live was still in its fledgling days only to be followed up by Halo 3, which is still one of the upper tier Live titles being played today. Additionally, the sheer amount of lore that still hasn’t been touched on in the Halo universe, success of Halo 3: ODST and the release of Halo: Reach in roughly a years time, anyone could easily be led to believe that Microsoft has definitely gotten it’s moneys worth when it comes to Bungie. This doesn’t even account for the vast amount of content that Halo is still releasing in droves. On top of that, Halo has gotten it’s own destination on Xbox Live with Halo Waypoint for all your Halo related needs. Conclusively, I would venture to say that without Bungie, the original Xbox would have effectively cut its lifespan in half, if not less and there may very well have never been an Xbox 360. Bungie stands, to this day, as the keystone that made it all possible to lift the Xbox, as a viable gaming platform, off the ground.

1 Comments

Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming Review

By AndrewG009 6 Comments

 



Growing up, I never really got into the Harvest Moon titles because the suggestion of farming was always eclipsed by my blatant desire to kick tons of ass and save one world or another from the threat of complete annihilation. When Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming finally made its way into my hands, I was gearing myself up to be dissatisfied. But, I was pants-on-head surprised by what the game actually offered. While there were a few minor concerns, there was a lot to write home about in the way of fun.

As much as I’m sure you’re going to hate reading it, the story didn’t exactly suck me in. In fact, I glossed over it as much as possible because after the first few sentences I read, I felt as though my childhood years of education stood to suffer irreversible damage if I bought into any of it. Suffice to say, you’re a farmer, there is a Harvest Goddess, an Evil Witch of Some Kind and an amalgamation of kids that you encounter throughout the course of whatever story there may be to speak of as far as gameplay is concerned. To be sure, if there was any real narrative to illustrate, believe me, I would. However, as the story was more or less a vehicle to shuffle the player between levels, it felt like a second thought, written up at the last minute by the same person who threw the instruction manual together. In all fairness though, I doubt you’ll be playing Frantic Farming for its story.

The puzzle elements of the game, which without a doubt kept me drudging through the story, reminded me of the love/hate relationship I was slowly developing with this title. Starting a round of one to four players, you have a ‘harvest sprite’ you tap with the stylist who essentially does all the harvesting for you. All you really have to do is place fully-grown vegetables within reach of the little guy and he’ll go get it. But thankfully, proving that there was a deeper mechanic at work here, you can also chain together the same vegetables, which are coincidentally grown in color-coded boxes on the grid. Additionally, there are gold vegetables, which harvest all it’s respective type instantly, pending you can get it grown by shifting your sprite around it in a way that it’s watered to full growth. When your sprite picks a fully-grown vegetable, he then waters the adjacent crops allowing them to grow and so on. The more vegetables you pick and the more chains you form contribute to your score total or harvest total which ultimately decides if you clear or fail a particular level.

The final mechanic I want to discuss out of the fact that this is a game about farming is the fact that you have special moves in the game. Yes, you get special moves. I know, I was surprised too, but eerily intrigued enough to continue playing out of sheer curiosity when I first saw it happen. As I told my harvest-bitch-sprite to pick my vegetables, I noticed my score would fill a bar to the right of the level. When this filled, I would receive a special move in which my character would ride a dog around the outer edge of the puzzle grid and make all the vegetables fully grown. While this was cool and allowed me to rig up some pretty cool combos, my only complaint was that all other action was frozen on the map during this sequence, making me feel like time was being wasted by utilizing the ability. Conclusively though, the play mechanics at work in the game left me feeling satisfied as it definitely appealed to my love of puzzles and at the point in which I was playing, I genuinely was having a great time doing so. After all, it’s hard to chastise a title too harshly, especially when it actually proves to have some qualities that many would consider fun.

Beyond this, my grievances are few and far between. The music is passable in the sense that I have no memory of it whatsoever, which is only impressive in part, that I had my headphones plugged into to my DS during the entire course of play. Speaking of course of play though, a complaint I do have is that the story mode was incredibly short. Starting and finishing a game in the span of a solid hour is a bit disappointing, especially when puzzle games like Professor Layton, Henry Hatsworth and Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords all stand up far better in the way of offerings. By and large, it just doesn’t feel like they crammed as much into the cartridge as they could’ve, but I was mostly happy with what I got. Consequently developed for both the DS and the iPhone/iPod Touch, it’s clear that the aim of this title is its multiplayer and in that respect, I’m reminded of games trundling us through whatever single-player experience there might be just for the sake of being a competent multiplayer opponent.

While I’m glad this was one of those Harvest Moon titles that I felt didn’t beat me over the head with milking something or marrying someone, it was generally a surprisingly decent experience. Despite the length of the game, there is definitely a fair share of replay value as I’m fairly certain this would be one of those games I could go back and play again. Unfortunately, as it was incredible short and I would be hard pressed to find anyone else I know in possession of a copy, it just may remain on the shelf. Granted, while this game isn’t the best puzzler I’ve ever played, it certainly wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. Truly though, at the end of the day, at least I can take comfort in the strength of this entry into a franchise along with the reminder that Harvest Moon is as close as gamers can come to a valid game about playing a farmer instead of Farmville, right?

Review Score: C (7 / 10)
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Puzzle Quest Galactrix Review

By AndrewG009 3 Comments

 



Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords was perhaps one of the best titles to ever make its way into the hands of gamers; unfortunately the same cannot be said for its follow-up title. Puzzle Quest Galactrix from Infinity Interactive gave me initially high hopes as I thoroughly enjoy science fiction significantly more than fantasy titles, however I wasn’t prepared for the letdown I was about to suffer. Assuredly, Challenge of the Warlord was perhaps one of the greatest Nintendo DS games I’ve ever played and somehow I have a feeling that it developed a following of some sort. After all, the game has been reproduced on just about every single platform from the PSP to Xbox Live as well as PC. For a series that has so much potential, I was extremely disappointed with the second offering that I got my hands on.

Beginning the game by slapping your name on generic space adventurer number one, you expect that there might be something deeper here. I assure you that at first glance, it seemed as though there sincerely might be. The story is about a well-written as a Saturday afternoon film you’d find on the SyFy channel and never really seems to come into its own by making me feel connected to the characters in any way. More often than not, I would find the mindless droning any of them had to say annoying at the least. Had I actually been the captain of that ship, I would have lured my dimwitted crew into the nearest airlock with a piece of cake and enjoyed the silence once I press the magic red button. I understand that my character isn’t supposed to be a superhuman along with the fact that I’m not exactly being treated to a cinematic experience on par with Mass Effect here, but would it have absolutely killed them to try a little harder. It took roughly an hour for me to grow aggravated with the general story and the gameplay really didn’t do the title any favors either.

From the first puzzle mission I realized that there was a significantly more reliance here on luck. Certainly, there was a slight degree of it in Challenge of the Warlords, but I was constantly reminded of this sneaking suspicion I had that this game had the flavor of a rushed egg omelet, consistently leaving me wishing I would contract salmonella. While the puzzles are hexagonal as opposed to top down grid, the general idea is not lost on newbie or veteran alike. Try and line up three of any color and you’ll be groovy pants. The colors still act in the same fashion, giving you the energy necessary to cast abilities, gain experience while blue gems now serve to restore shields. Additionally, instead of lining up the now iconic skulls, you line up mines, which delineated by their numeric amount damage the opposing ship’s shields until their hull takes damage. Upon reaching zero of course, you win and spoils of war are yours, right? Wrong.

For all the experience you garner and weapons you pick up that you can mount on your ship, the menu system feels sluggish and flawed. More often than not, I found myself waiting on a loading screen and forgetting what I was going to do on my way to a menu before stumbling around trying to remember. As I would quit sifting through the menu in utter frustration, I would get back to the game only to realize exactly what I wanted to do and be more annoyed than ever that I would be treated to another loading screen. I understand games try to hide them, but Galactrix doesn’t even make a wild stab at that. It forces you into them, make you their bitch and giggles at you when you get irritated. Aside from the menu, I wish other elements functioned remotely well, but they don’t.

The galactic map, which I will say is damn huge had the potential to be something genuinely interesting to me. However, navigating about it made the controls feel extremely unsatisfying and the map system didn’t feel especially fleshed out. Epically large universes are cool when I’m playing Mass Effect because they are organized in some manner of fashion that I can be ultimately happy with, but Galactrix seemed to set the whole system up like a drunken man in the dark. More often than not, I found myself having to back away from the game so I didn’t hurt my DS, which became the innocent bystander in this scenario.

As far as being any sort of real challenge for gamers, the only test that you’ll find here is how long you can deal with the glaringly bad flaws that the game possesses. I understand the need for multiple game types and the desire to mix it all up as best as possible. However, when those modes curbstomp the very essence of what makes a game fun, then it becomes easy to say that this game and I won’t be hanging out together for a very long time. Sincerely, it boggles my mind as an anomaly out of the fact that I enjoyed Challenge of the Warlord to the point of being unable to put it down for days on end while on the other hand, I couldn’t wait to put Galactrix down. Perhaps, it is merely a case of being eclipsed by the original or failing to live up to my expectations. Nevertheless, a sequel should take whatever its predecessor brought to the table and not only improve upon it, but innovate in some significant way in regards to the overall design. This couldn’t be further from the truth, only serving to convince me beyond the shadow of a doubt that Puzzle Quest Galactrix was nothing more than a rushed iteration meant to appeal to a specific share of the market, attempting to capture the science fiction crowd.

Review Score: F (4 / 10)
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New Darksiders Trailer Reminds Us War Is A Horseman

By AndrewG009 4 Comments




A warrior, even a Horseman of the Apocalypse, is nothing without a mighty steed to carry him into battle. Sure, we could go on and on about video game characters that don't have a horse, but we could relate it any which way. Kratos rode Pegasus, Master Chief rode Pelicans and even Mario had Yoshi, so without some badass mode of transportation, you might be getting laughed at by the other video game characters and not even be aware of it. So it is only apropos that War, everyone's favorite Horseman, ride into battle astride Ruin. To be sure, this horse would annihilate just about every other horse and rider in any other stable without question, so who better to take the reins than one of the four who are only called when Armageddon is on the horizon? After all, without Ruin, War wouldn't be so much a Horseman as someone on a mission to destroy everything in his path and that would just be crazy.
4 Comments

Top 10 Classic Xbox Arcade Live Titles

By AndrewG009 1 Comments

 I have chosen for the sake of this list to separate Indie titles from developer titles as it would be relatively unfair to put some up against others. So, with that said, let’s begin.

10. Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3

Simple and utterly foolproof in execution, Commando 3 may not be perfect when it comes to game design, but fun and perfect are not exactly synonymous. Able to be played by one to three players, it gives the impression of lacking accommodation, but this couldn’t be more distant from the truth. While the characters may seem a bit generic, their stat values differ enough to offer a slight degree of variety. Blasting through the levels and laying waste to various bosses, I believe, epitomizes the Xbox Live Arcade theme of readily accessible games that are fun and cheap, regardless of whether or not they can be completed in one playthrough.

9. N+

Before you go ahead and remind me that it is based on a flash game, think about this. While the game weighs in at 800 points on Xbox Live, it has a vast amount of maps and 4-player co-op / competitive modes. Combine this with a stellar level editor and the sheer amount of addictive gameplay, the demo only gives you a small taste of and you’ll begin to twitch at the sound of the epic background music. Overall, an experience that combined with the Xbox 360 controller and the ease of multiplayer, this is a title not to be missed. And while N+ has contributed to at least one sick day as a result of playing all night, I can take comfort in knowing that three other people had to do the exact same thing.

8. Heavy Weapon

In recent years, PopCap games has successfully created titles that should be registered as unlawfully addictive and Heavy Weapon is no exception. Playing as a tank that goes back and forth across the screen shooting down Red Star Army fighters, this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Massive bosses greet players at the end of each stage and the power-ups granted thereafter make you feel nigh invincible against the onslaught of enemies. However, the weapons you receive never leave you feeling completely safe, especially when the screen is literally full of opponents. While the obvious parallels between Cold War Soviets and Americans are seemingly ridiculous, they add a lighthearted comedic feeling that serve to amuse the player between levels. But the gameplay is the true star of the show with multiplayer capable of serving up to four tanks on the screen discarding hapless carnage wherever they roll.

7. Puzzle Fighter HD

Being one of the few puzzle titles that have pushed me to compete in a ridiculous manner, I felt Puzzle Fighter deserved to make the list. While it nearly served to drive me completely out of my mind more than once, the game was challenging and that is where it’s replay value lies. Various gameplay modes redone from the ground up for Xbox Live only makes this title stand out more as a classic. While the AI is difficult, it can keep many coming back for more. However, playing with a friend is more than reason enough to invest in a controller that you may not mind hitting a wall, floor or person

6. Splosion Man

Harking back to the days of the original Super Mario Brothers or Sonic the Hedgehog, Splosion Man strives for simplicity and succeeds extremely well. Capitalizing on the Splosion mechanic and platforming therein, it’s refreshing to play a game that is so easy to learn but vastly more difficult to master. The immense amount of single and multiplayer levels combined with “The Way of the Coward” for the levels that may seem impossible at the time help keep the title accessible. With a level of humor that is rarely seen in many video games, Splosion Man is worth a demo playthrough at the very least and a purchase for those looking for a worthwhile challenge.

5. Geometry Wars 2: Retro Evolved 2

After having the original on my 360 for so long, I still forget that I actually bought it as opposed to it being included on the hard drive. The sequel takes everything that made the original great and adds a whole lot more. check out the demo and you’ll be hooked.

4. Braid

A artful reimagining of what a platformer title is suppose to be, Braid is one of the more profound titles I’ve played on Xbox Live. While the time mechanic is interesting, it is really the music and beautiful style that kept me playing. Furthermore, the narrative is one of the higher quality aspects is regards to other XBLA titles and while the title has been both praised and criticized, it is one of the few games I keep loading from the dashboard. Simplicity combined with powerful storytelling and gorgeous artwork has kept Braid in my top 5.

3. Penny Arcade Episode 1

I confess that my preference here is swayed out of love for Penny Arcade in pretty much any form it comes in or it could be due to the fact that the game beings with your house being crushed by a giant, freakin’ Fruit Fucker. From the duo who spent years critiquing and rightfully calling out the game industry, the title is enjoyable and overall laudable for it’s presentation. While having a tone of an epic role-playing game, it never takes itself too seriously, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. And with the ability to fight along Gabe and Tycho, it really is worth the points. Oddly enough, the sequel isn't half bad either. So check both of them out, whether you like PA or not.

2. Castle Crashers

Castle Crashers appeals to my sense of nostalgia in a way that I wouldn’t like to admit, but it does. And it does it very well. Playing in the role of one of four different knights, players go from level to level crashing their way through enemies and bosses alike. The clever aspects are presented with swappable weapons and animals that offer various perks as well as magic abilities and a full-fledged leveling system. Multiplayer and competitive arenas, along with exceptional game mechanics that play out well through various themed levels keep the game feeling fun. However, for a game that is simple enough to make me remember Golden Axe fondly, Castle Crashers feels better in every single respect.

1. Shadow Complex

I grew up playing both Castlevania: Symphony of the Night as well as Super Metroid and I’m pleased to say that Shadow Complex reminds me of both. Yes, the game is certainly a love note to past titles that focused on exploration heavy gameplay with combat thrown in for good measure, but this isn’t a bad thing. Some of the best titles can be tributes to games that have long since been forgotten by some gamers. Shadow Complex, while set in a universe shaped by Orson Scott Card never feels didactic, compelling the player to explore a bit more and more until it looks like the sun is rising and your boss is calling wondering where you are. The narrative does only really serve to drive the player forward in a small capacity, as the gameplay is the real muscle here. Breaking the sales record on Xbox Live, after playing the demo, it will be very clear as to why.

Bonus Round: Monkey Island / Rez HD:

I’ve decided to include these both because I was determined to have only one real remake on the list if I could help it and yes, I gave that spot to Puzzle Fighter HD. First, Monkey Island is the prime example of what an adventure game should be. Well, at least an adventure game that is extremely fun, remastered in an exquisite way and is about freakin’ pirates. While it makes me feel the same way I did when playing it as a little kid, it is interesting to see the direction they took while revising the title from the ground up. The writing is still funny and the addition of actual voice work to the written dialogue along with the redone music makes the game feel new despite being older than some of the people who are going to read this list.

Rez HD, while being yet another remake, really came into its own on XBLA. Not initially being a fan of rhythm based titles or music games; I missed this when it came out years ago. Its release via the arcade gave me a chance to enjoy it and despite my ineptitude at understanding the title during the first playthrough, I came to realize that this was the kind of musically themed game I could consistently enjoy. And so far it is has held true as I have come back again and again. If you may not have really ever enjoyed a title like Rock Band, give Rez HD a shot. It is memorable in that it is true synergy between art and music.

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