Yep. You read that right. Remember that beautiful collection that I posted up? No? Well, here's a reminder of what it looked like:
Gallery
Yep. It was nice, wasn't it? Well, it is now the property of Games 'n' Things. Insert your *sigh* here, followed by your = O faces.
I'm keeping about 20-30 of the good ones: Blade Runner, Kingdom of Heaven, Alien Quadrilogy, Flesh-Eating Mothers, Dead Alive, Terminator 2, Machine Head's Elegies...you know, the necessities. The rest - meh.
"POURQUOI, JAKOB?"
Well, my Mustang is more important than entertainment value. I've had a plan since I bought it to turn it into either a nice Sunday rider or a 9-10 second drag car. It's looking like the first more than the second. I've spent far too much money on a bunch of shit that I never really watch and/or play. I also realized that most of the games I owned - I never play the damn things. Yes, that includes my Ikaruga for Gamecube. That one stings a little, but everything else is expendable.
So, now my car is getting new Monroe Sensa-tracs (not performance, but a nice ride regardless), new tires, new gas tank, new brakes, new battery, and if there is enough leftover when I'm done selling my shit, I'll also be getting this:
That would be an Extreme Dimensions Cowl hood that they've got on sale for a smooth $200. Not only is it gonna look nice, but it'll give me room for when I finally save up the money for that Vortech Supercharger. = D
"But Jakob, you are writing this blog on a GAMING site, and you just said you sold all your games."
Well, I sold all my 360, PS2, and Gamecube games, as well as my non-backlit GBA (which I never played because it wasn't backlit)...oh, and the only GBA game I had: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I've still got ALL my old school stuff, and I couldn't bear parting with my Dreamcast stuff either.
Regardless, the fact is that I WORK AT A GAMING CENTER!!! Every game that I'll ever need is already at my workplace, so what the hell do I need to waste money on all that stuff for anyways?! lol
I feel really good about my decision on this, as it's something I've been wanting to do for quite a while now. There are some people in my life that think it's me crying out for attention (which I don't understand that logic at all, because I want a nice car for once in my life), and there is even one person that thinks that I'm...get this...PUNISHING THEM! Punishing for what, exactly? Really? I'm selling MY shit to get something I want! I have that right, and I'm sorry if it fucks up someone else's entertainment value. Frankly, I don't give a shit about their entertainment value. I care about nice long drives on Lake Shore at 2am when there is no traffic, parking on the side of the bridge, and staring out at Lake Waco (which isn't anything to brag about, but hey, it's what I enjoy). I care about getting back and forth to work without breaking down (which it doesn't, but this just keeps that from happening). Moreover, and this is a bit more on the sentimental side, I want a way to spend more time with my father...and this does that. He's a mechanic at heart, and he's always been wanting something to toy around with and make look damn good. Not only am I giving him that opportunity, but I'm also getting to chill with him, which is something that is rare. We don't have a lot in common, and since he's out of work for 6 weeks (surgery for trigger finger), he needs something to do. Working on my 'Stang is better than sitting around the house and being bored shitless, right?
So there you go. Sorry if I broke anyone's heart (online or IRL), but I'm sure people will get over it once they say "hey, can I take a ride in it?" = D
First off, I'm not an AMAZING player. However, I hold my own against folks. With that out of the way:
I main with Cammy. Why? Because an all-melee character like her is very hard to master. I'm not even close to mastering her yet. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction whenever I win my rounds with her, because it means that I'm constantly learning.
As of late, I've been trying to get more matches in, so I've dropped down from 5 round match searches to 3 round match searches. With this, I propose a question: WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE IN 3 ROUND MATCH SEARCHES?
Dood, it's nothing but scrub Ryus, scrub Kens, scrub Akumas, scrub Sagats, and scrub Abels!!! Not only are these folks easy to wipe the floor with and gain some BP, but it just surprises me that people are seriously THAT bad at the game. I can't even count how many perfects I got today.
Meanwhile, in 5 round matches, I always find a good level of competition with a variety of characters. Also, I never get a rage quit in 5 round matches. While playing 3 rounders, I had 7 people rage quit on me in less than 30 minutes time. Fuckin ridiculous. Stay in the match, take your beating like a man, and let it be a lesson that you need to learn how to play before you jump online and expect that picking Ken or Ryu or Sagat or Akuma will automatically make you amazing at the game. = D
I'm just astonished by the drop in skill level over how many rounds someone is willing to play.
Either way, here's my biggest frustration. I understand the way the tiers affect BP and such. However, explain this in ways that seem somehow comprehensive:
Ken wins against Cammy = 90 BP
Cammy wins against Ken = 30 BP
-_- So when I beat a guy that should wipe the fucking floor with my character, given that I'm all mid-range and lunging/leaping/mobile attacks against a guy with Hurricane Kicks, Hadokens, and Shuryokens, why in the FUCK do I actually get less BP than he does? I mean, I win 3 matches in a row, and then I just happen to face a pretty decent player that gets a lucky win off of me. In turn, I have to suffer a massive BP hit because..............................................................................................
I'm just a little stunned by this. This is one of the reasons I seriously can't wait for Saturday, but even then, it makes me very weary about how balanced the GP and CP systems will be between characters in any way.
That's all. Just needed to vent that shit.
P.S. (like literally, this is a post-script) - the Quick Match setup just cheeses me to no fucking end. They need to get that shit fixed!
In my last blog, I outlined some of the basics about BattleForge, a new game from EA that has completely captured my attention. After purchasing my own personal copy on Monday, I've been playing pretty hardcore for the last week, and I figured I'd offer some updated impressions for anyone who might be interested in the game.
To start, I tested my own theory of whether buying cards straight from the AH would in fact be cheaper than just dropping your 3000 BF Points from the retail copy on booster packs. To build the deck that I wanted, it only cost me about 1300 points, leaving me with a ton to play around with. I bought three booster packs, which didn't give me much...but I did get a couple of rare cards that I was able to sell back on the AH for about 700 points total. Therefore, you could ABSOLUTELY end up never spending more than your initial 3000 BF Points and still keep your deck decently updated. Whether the same can be said for the game later down the line is another story.
The language barrier is still proving to be quite an issue, as my nighttime adventures in-game usually mean I'm greeted by nothing but German language in the chat. I'm really really REALLY hoping that EA will work out some kind of a European server setup and an American server setup, because this language barrier really DOES prevent you from seeing the higher end content of the game unless you can convince your friends to play the game. I have yet to do any 4-player or 12-player scenarios, and it's getting a little pathetic at this point. So EA, if you are listening, help your damn community!!!
On to the game...
The game is still fresh to me, as every new upgrade for your cards really makes you that much more powerful. I'm starting to understand the elemental types a bit more, and it's really making things a bit easier. I've started going through the single player scenarios on Expert now (the last of three difficulties in any given scenario). Each time you ramp up the difficulty, it really gets brutal. Wave after wave of enemies will slam against you, and you'll really have to start using the map and a tactical mind to start approaching all these scenarios. Despite the fact that it's basically the same thing as you did before...just with more enemies and stronger versions of them...you quickly find out how much the resources available to you need to be carefully thought-out. In Standard, you'll just blow through resources like it's nothing. By the time you get to Expert, you realize just how much 50 power is worth on a map. It can easily be the turning point that gives you a win.
Also, Expert difficulty starts giving you your Tier 2 upgrades to cards, which has me super excited. I feel like I've got a pretty strong fire/frost deck right now, and I can't wait to make them more powerful.
Then there is the PvP. MY GOD!!! If you are looking for some seriously intense RTS PvP action, BattleForge is the game to play. There is NEVER a dull moment, and you really have to think on your feet. When you first play PvP, you'll think "oh, I'll just pop out a ton of units and overwhelm them". That's cool and great, but that's not how PvP is won in BattleForge.
Basically, it's a points battle. The more you kill, the more buildings you have, the better you defend, everything will lead to you getting points. Whoever has the highest points at the end of the timer (which I believe is 25 minutes by default, so don't expect short matches) is the winner. Now, you CAN go out and destroy all of your opponent's "buildings" (read: monuments, power wells, etc.). However, the chances of that happening are usually pretty slim unless you are just bad at the game. From what I've seen, a LOT of people use Nature-based decks, and they have sound strategies (if not relatively CHEAP strategies) with them. However, I can safely say after beating a handful of those Nature decks that you can easily play the PvP with whatever setup you like. It really IS all about strategy, placement, tactics, and resource management.
I'm still thoroughly impressed with the package that EA has put together with BattleForge...to the point that I don't understand a lot of the lukewarm reception that the game has gotten from the gaming media. There's a lot of originality in this title, while still borrowing from really great influences to make a pretty fluent experience.
If you plan on checking it out, throw me on your friend's list and we'll do some PvE stuff. Character name is Finlee.
Before you decide to read this relatively long wall of text about BattleForge, I need to make sure something is understood: in trying to explain this game to my roommate's boyfriend, we literally talked about it for close to two hours...and I didn't even feel like I was scratching the surface of what the game has in store for players. He went out, bought the game, and loves it. Therefore, know that this giant wall of text is really necessary to try and talk about the game (unless Giant Bomb decides to make it far easier to understand, upon which you'll realize they make the "big bucks" and I don't).
Juggernauts are powerful Fire units that can demolish an army quickly.When I first saw information popping up about BattleForge on the internet, and then heard we were going to be featuring the game on our computers here at work, I was skeptical. A title from EA that wasn't getting a huge marketing push? A studio that no one's really heard of? And what's with trying to melt together the worlds of Magic: The Gathering with Command & Conquer? Let's face it, folks: the idea of BattleForge in my mind already, from the relatively cheap-looking logo to the minimal graphics of the game just weren't screaming to me "HEY, PAY ATTENTION!".
Given that I get to play it for free at work, though...eh, it's worth a shot.
As it stands, I won't be playing WoW for a while, folks. BattleForge, despite what every review I've read has to say, is a pretty damn interesting title that has grabbed me by the balls. Maybe it's my addiction to "loot-whoring", or maybe it's the collector in me. Nonetheless, BattleForge offers enough creative elements to give me a fun time while not pushing me to grind away my life.
So what kind of game IS BattleForge? Well, it's mostly an RTS, as you'll command units on expansive (though linear) battlefields. However, since there is no base building in the game, you'll call units out based on a card system, much like a very simple version of Magic: The Gathering. Cards fall into four elemental groups (fire, water, shadow, and nature), and each element plays very differently from the other elements. Fire focuses on strength in numbers, frost focuses on strong structure defenses, nature focuses on healing, and shadow focuses on power leeching. You can mix and match cards in your own decks of 20 cards each, and then bring these into either PvE or PvP gameplay.
Yes, I just used WoW terms, because BattleForge does feature more than just persistent RTS and MTG elements. There is a need/greed roll system set up in the game for card upgrades (more on that in a second), and chat areas are set up throughout all the different "servers" (or PvE and PvP scenario zones), which are essentially all hooked up to a farmserver. You can also party up, and many of the same chat commands found in most MMO games work in the chat for BattleForge. The one issue with this is that there are a lot of foreigners, and not of the Korean and/or Chinese persuasion like many MMOs. Rather, you'll find a lot of Germans, Dutch, and European folks playing. It's actually nice to see that the game is getting a large community across the world...but unfortunately, it can make getting groups together for some scenarios rather difficult because of language barriers.
As you progress through PvE and PvP play, you'll get upgrades for your different cards. PvE scenarios will give you card upgrades upon completion, and these are usually rather stock card upgrades for base uncommon and common cards. PvP scenarios, however, will reward you with Victory Tokens, Battle Tokens, and PvP Ranks with success AND defeat. Again, this helps take away some of the grind. With these tokens, you can "claim" upgrades for any card you want as long as you have the necessary amount of tokens and rank. It's a novel system to use, as it promotes committing to your decks, and the upgrades are...for the most part...pretty good upgrades. Increased damage, more cards to be played in a match, etc.
As natural opposites, great battles can be waged between the powers of Fire and Frost.How do you get NEW cards? Well, there are a few ways...all of which require "BattleForge Points". With a retail shipped copy of BattleForge, you'll automatically receive 3000 BattleForge Points. These can be used to buy Booster Packs (250 points each), Tomes (1200 points each), or just buy individual cards on the Auction House. After that, you have one of two ways to get Points: pay about $20 for 2000 points via the EA Store, or you can sell off cards on the Auction House for BFP. In the end, you'll probably put out for a couple of the Points through the EA Store, but really, if you are SMART about your Points...you shouldn't end up spending those initial 3000 very quickly if you know what you are doing. This means that most of the uncommon and common cards can be found relatively cheap on the AH (about 2-5 points for each), and you don't need that many of them, so it all works out well in the end. The rare and ultra-rare cards go for quite a large handful more, so buying a few booster packs might not hurt.
Yes, that does mean that microtransactions to fuel part of this game...but for the average MMO player who is already spending $15 a month on a game, you could easily translate that over to points instead of paying a subscription fee...so it all evens out in the end, and decks can last you quite a long while if you know what you are doing. That may be something you'll have to learn on your own with some time behind the mouse and keys, but it's not hard to pick up.
The beauty of BattleForge is that it offers what most RTS games cannot: diversity. While standard RTS games will feature the same units on each team every time, BattleForge allows players to customize their deck however you want. Each deck you create will have a "deck level" applied to it, telling you and other players how strong your deck is through upgrades and card types. That doesn't mean a deck level 5 can't take out a deck level 15, but it does mean there will be some difficulty. Like MTG and games of that sort, there is an IMMENSE amount of strategy that can be had in this game. Unfortunately, it does mean you'll meet some stalemate matches in PvP, and there are times when you might find your deck isn't properly built for a PvE scenario, but this will seldom happen.
Now that I've gone over some of the general aesthetics of the game, how's the actual gameplay? It's pretty smooth. I have yet to find a frame rate glitch or basic game glitch, and if there was one, I damn well didn't notice. In order to call units onto the battlefield, you'll have to take possession of power wells and monuments located all over the map. Power wells would be akin to resources in Command & Conquer Generals, while monuments provide you with specific elemental orbs that you'll need to call out your cards. For instance, a Fire Dragon (a Dominator card type, meaning he's a Hero) requires 3 Fire Orbs and 1 orb of any element to summon him. Because of these restraints on a player, you can't just load your deck down with ANYTHING, meaning you'll find even more similarities to games like MTG. Power wells can be completely consumed over time, so you need to use your resources wisely. Other than that, you just call out and obliterate.
The power of Shadow, with their Overlords and leeching abilities, can prove to be truly devastating.Don't think that means the AI will be forgiving. They'll put up a fight if you force them to. Even on Standard (the lowest of three difficulties for any scenario), the computer can bring an excess of units to wipe you out. Granted, if you bring a smaller force, this excessive amount of units rarely seems to appear. Nonetheless, it's nice to go against the computer and not have to feel like you are just walking through everything. PvE Scenarios come in either 1, 2, 4, or 12 player scenarios, and at times, the higher number of players can lead to some confusion and frustrations, especially because of that language barrier I spoke about earlier.
So within this package, there just have to be a few downsides, right? Well, yes. Aside from the language barrier, there is a strong lack of PvE scenario play for solo or double player setups. I'm not TOO terribly far into the game (about 5 single player scenarios, 3 two players, a 4 player, and some PvP matches), but from what I've seen...I can't do anymore single player scenarios at the moment. I can, however, play them on higher difficulty levels, but in order to do that, I need upgrades. In order to get upgrades, I have to play the 4 player levels and win the rolls...so in turn, you find that things can be a bit of a vicious cycle at times. Luckily, as I said before, the PvP is another way to claim upgrades for your cards...and apparently the ONLY way to get your Tier 2 upgrades on cards.
Another major downside that I've found is that there is a lack of a guild/alliance system in any way. Now, maybe it's just because of all the time I've put into WoW and Guild Wars...but when you have a mass amount of people online, it kind of helps to organize groups for 12 player scenarios if you have an organized roster to look at. Sure, there is a friends list in the game, but it's kind of ho-hum. The last downside that you'll find is the expected: most people try to roll with the same deck builds in PvP play, and because of the price gouging by some players on the Auction House, you'll find that you might just have to make due without some of the super high-end cards.
All in all, though, BattleForge is an impressive package that offers up a unique experience by blending different genres together. Is it as successful as something like Dead Space? No, but it also happens to be a product that could easily pick up business over time and offer a very decent little community.
I would recommend people check it out if they have the chance.
Sometimes, you just gotta write. Maybe that's not the way it works with YOU persay...but that's the way it works with me, foolio!
We got BattleForge in at work. I've been watching our manager play around with it a little, and the game has got me REALLY curious. It's quite unique in its scope, and if all the elements of the game play out right, I think this could really be an awesome little title to have. I'll play around with it this week sometime and throw some impressions up for y'all.
I had stated a while back (somewhere on the site, fuck knows where though) that my roommate and I were going to pick up a copy of RapeLay and check it out, then I'd post up impressions and reviews. Well...we're not getting it. Why? Because the way the game handles itself is LAME! I mean, I know that what I'm about to say is borderline crazy talk...but here goes: why the FUCK do I wanna play a rape simulator where the girls give into the rape and are okay with gettin' fucked after a minute or two? Moreover, why the FUCK do I wanna play a rape simulator that pixelates cooch?! That's a fucking ripoff! Once my roommate and I found this info out, we just couldn't bring ourselves to play it...and she was super psyched about checking it out. So...sorry, folks.
I've been playin' a LOT of Guitar Hero: Metallica lately. Man, it's probably the most fun I have had on a music/rhythm game since Guitar Hero II. Maybe it's the fact that Corrosion of Conformity are FINALLY on a GH game. Maybe it's the fact that Metallica songs are fun as Hell to play. Maybe it's because every time you play with your friends, you are all acting like total fucking Metallica rock stars, cock of the walk badasses. lol There's just something fun about that game that I haven't gotten from many of the rhythm games lately. Unfortunately, we don't have a double bass pedal here at work on the Ion Drum Rocker set, but we've got one on order...so once we get that in, I plan on checking out the Expert + setting (which apparently only applies to the drums). The two issues I have with the game:
Kirk Hammett's motion captures show just how unactive the man is on-stage
The exclusion of Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted is fucking horseshit
Last but not least, Dark Athena has drawn nigh, folks. I've been waiting, I've been wanting, and now, I'll finally be able to get it. Once I get my grubby fucking hands on that and blast through it, I'll hit up another blog with full updates.
HOWDY GUYS!!! Been a while, but I've been a busy dood. Either way, I've been catching up with a few things here and there, and here's what I got for ya:
Let's start with Red Faction: Guerilla! I haven't played the full game, but they had a sweet demo station setup at the Music as a Weapon tour when I went. Aside from the free t-shirt, keychains, and freeze dried ice cream (neopolitan nonetheless), they had the demo running loud as shit on some 50" LCD screens. From what I played, there is EVERY reason for people to be psyched about it. What's the story? Fuck, I don't know. I skipped past that shit and wanted to start blowin' shit up! All I know is that I'm a dood...on Mars I'm guessing...with a big fucking mining hammer...and some explosives...and a gun. There you go, what more needs to be said? What impressed me about this demo:
The massive level of destructive capabilities - when you place some explosives on buildings, you see parts flying everywhere and buildings crumble at your feet...it absolutely makes you feel like a thorough bonafide badass...and to top it off, the physics engine running all this is fucking A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
The controls - the sensitivity was JUST right...not too fast, not too slow...and the aiming reticle is surprisingly nice as well...it's not really a crosshair, but more like a hexagon of awesome...as far as selecting my weapons, that took a while to figure out as it wasn't explained well...apparently, you have to hit the RB button, and while holding it, press the face button for the weapon you need...this unfortunately took me out of the action a little bit, and the only gun I got to play with was a basic machine gun
The camera view - I never had troubles with the camera...it was super responsive and stayed where I wanted it at all times, and the new third person viewpoint for the franchise is an absolute joy
The AI - for the most part, these guys were running away from my explosives, ducking behind cover, and generally being the opposite of retarded...but there were still a couple of points where I was like "really, you're just going to stand right there while I'm blasting you full of lead?" I was told that it was on a moderate difficulty by the rep at the booth, and that when the game launches, the higher difficulty settings will be more dynamic
Also, Jeff...I mentioned that viral marketing campaign thingie you wrote an article about...and this dood didn't know shit about it. He said it sounded shitty and that the game should pretty much be able to speak for itself. = D
And it does...this is definitely a must-buy title based on the demo alone...if not solely because the destruction is limitless.
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Aside from playing that sweet ass demo and chompin' down on astronaut food in the process, we finally got Mirror's Edge over at my apartment. I know, I know...it's a bit late, but like Too Human, there were just too many games and not enough time. So what do I think of Mirror's Edge?
Cool concept executed poorly. There were plenty of times I missed "the flow"...and that was solely because I just couldn't find where I needed to go half the time. From what my friend was saying, I'm about halfway through the game already...and I don't have that much time clocked in on it. = ( The cutscenes choke pretty hard, but I can see how the art style of those mix in with the graphics of the actual gameplay...which is kind of cool...right? I'm going to play through the game to the end, then I'm gonna play through it one more time...but to be honest, I'm not just too impressed with it. Too many button presses for so little of an effect. Maybe if I could do cartwheels or something...
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So that does it for today. Check back sometime next week, as I'm sure I'll be picking up some other random shit to talk about. = D
Yeah yeah yeah, I know it's a little late to FINALLY be trying out Too Human, but I figure later is better than never. While some may say that trading in Need For Speed Pro Street for some trade-in towards Too Human might be some part of me trading in a broken game for a broken game, I've gotta say this: I enjoy Too Human. Is the camera frustrating? Fuck yeah. Are my teammates on single player useless? Fuck yeah. Do the levels last WAAAAAAY too long? FUCK YEAH!!! My God, I'm five hours into the fucker and I'm only past the second area...which was about 3 of those 5 hours!!! THAT'S A HUGE DUNGEON!!!
However, as a loot whore professional (I'm in full epics and legendaries already, and I feel like I haven't even found the tip of the iceberg yet), this game nurtures my loot whore needs that WoW or Warriors Orochi just doesn't fulfill. I remember playing the demo and thinking "man, this game is gonna be so much fun, and hey, look at all this purple!!!". Now, after my first session with the game, I feel like "man, my dood just fucked those goblins UP, and look at all this purple!!!". There are a ton of things Too Human has going for it, while there are a ton of problems with it.
The biggest problem: I don't give a shit about the story. Let me skip the cutscenes sooner. I'll just Wiki the damn story. Whatever happened to "hey, this dood is bad, fuck some shit up and get loot"? Yeah, the whole juxtaposition of Norse mythology to futuristic setting is cool...but seriously, I just don't give a damn. I want to kill massive amounts of shit while playing collect-a-thon. The combat is pretty fucking sweet and easy to get into, which I like. However, there is a lot of depth in it if you are a veteran RPG player. Too Human has more stats to push than you can shake a leaf at, so you can easily customize your character to being a very specific type of play style. Still, the skill trees don't seem too...different. Of course, I'm not going to be playing a tanking class or a healing class because I'm not playing online and have no need for that shit. Who wants to honestly heal anyways?! I'm a fucking Berserker! I kill shit...and I kill it QUICK!!!
I haven't played with the ranged or balanced class yet, but I'll probably pick those up at a later time. From what I'm to understand, there isn't much of a difference and it doesn't really matter. Whatever. I'm a melee DPS kind of dood (look at every RPG I've ever played...it's what I do, and I do it well...although Finlee has been tanking on WoW for the last month or so and I'm enjoying that thoroughly.
All in all, Too Human ain't too shabby. It's still broken, but it doesn't suck for $25. = D
In other gaming news related to moi, I've been spending a little more time in the world of Azeroth lately. I got into a guild (something I've never really cared to do but realized I needed to in order to get more gear. We ran 25 man Naxx the other night, and I realized just how SIMPLE the raids are now compared to pre-LK content. It kind of makes me happy that you can clear two wings of Naxx in two hours...but at the same time, I remember how the original 40 man Naxx from classic WoW was still crippling at level 70 in BC!!! I've also been working more on my Death Knight, and at level 68, I can say that the class is pretty damn fun to kill shit with. There's a nice complexity to their attack rotations that keeps me interested more than when I rolled Arms or Fury on my warrior.
FUCK! I'll give in. I'm not putting the damn things in any numerical order, though!!! Disagree with my list all you like, because it's not going to be popular choices by any means. However, these are all games that have shaped me into the gamer that I am today:
Featuring an incredible combo system, a beautifully rendered world to venture through, and a revamped version of the Parasite Eve combat engine, Vagrant Story captured my heart for a handful of reasons. The first was that Ash the Riskbreaker's struggle felt like a great hybrid between Zelda's dungeon-crawling, that combat engine I mentioned from Parasite Eve, and a story that didn't try to overstay its welcome. The second was a weapon creation system that allowed you to dismantle and reassemble your weapons, as well as forge new metals to make the weapons stronger, leaving an endless amount of possibilities for weapon and armor creation. The third, and most important, was the replay value. In order to even see 100% map completion on the game, you had to beat it three times. INSANE by today's standards, Vagrant Story unfortunately got little attention due to the game releasing close to the launch of the PlayStation 2.
With the first Dark Cloud, Level 5 offered the PlayStation 2 a pretty stellar and undernoticed launch title. As the popularity of the game grew over time, especially after hitting the Greatest Hits list, Dark Cloud 2 graced us with some of the best action-RPG gameplay to be seen to this day. Offering again a deep weapon merging system, as well as expansive environments to journey across, the game revamped its Georama system to be a bit more specific rather than general and free-form like the first game. One of the thing I enjoyed thoroughly about the game was its end-game: a 50 level dungeon of awesomeness after you completed the game and loaded up your Game Clear Data. Add in absolutely gorgeous graphics with unforgettable music and characters, and you have Level 5's masterpiece. The company would end up going on to make Rogue Galaxy and Dragon Quest VIII, two more amazing RPG games.
While the game came out on many different platforms, the Dreamcast version of this title is vastly superior in almost every way. From decreasing frame rate issues to smooth textures and graphics (for the time, mind you), Shadow Man featured great atmosphere and even greater replay value. As Michael, you used your voodoo powers to journey between Liveside and Deadside to solve puzzles, kill baddies, and collect stuff. While there was a lot of backtracking, the environments were so interesting that it was difficult to argue with it. Unfortunately for many, the Dreamcast version was hardly available at the time it was released, and the PlayStation version of this suffered greatly from being stuck in a 32-bit setup. Thanks to a non-linear setup, memorable characters like Jaunty and Mama Nettie, Shadow Man is still a game that I revisit fairly often for a trip down memory lane.
Time to kick it old school, fuckers!!! Ghosts 'n' Goblins was a game with one simple premise: you play at a knight trying to get to his princess being held by a big demon dood over 8 levels of gameplay. Here's the challenge: you can only take two hits and then you're a dead man. There's no saves, no continues...just the lives you have (which is minimal at any given time) and a possible checkpoint if you make it far enough in a given level. The game is still tough as nails, but a lot of the difficulty is found in dealing with frame rate lag. Once you take that into account, as well as the occasional "shit, I jumped too early" platforming...well, yeah, it's STILL tough as nails!!! Upon beating the game, you don't get much more than a "gratz, you saved the day" followed by a game over screen, but beating this game is something worthy of boasting about (and also something I've never done...stupid level 4).
As Slade, you steal a couple jewels that end up resurrecting the demon king. Yeah yeah yeah...the story to Shining Force II is pretty fucking cool, dealing with a lot of the classic types of Western conventions in turn-based RPGs - skeletons, demons, and general badass-ness. What separates this game from so many is its well-programmed computer AI, deep combat mechanics, and the fact that you don't lose anything you've gained if an ally is defeated. Essentially, it was one of the first games out there to not have a "game over" screen show up on you, making it a bit more accessible to new RPG players. Still, old D&D fans can look at this game and find TONS of kickbacks to the way Western RPGs should be. Unfortunately, Shining Force III on the Saturn only saw the first installment released in the U.S., and after that, the franchise went to complete shit.
While this game was treated as just another "average" game by most of the gaming press, The Suffering featured a lot of elements that make me care about a game: good atmosphere (and dark as shit too!), great gunplay, memorable characters and enemies, buckets of blood everywhere (including on yourself), and a hell of a rollercoaster story! As Torque, you are accused of murdering your family and sent to prison. Once the lights go out in prison, creature creations by the great late Stan Winston and evil bring the beast out in you...LITERALLY!!! Why is this one of my favorite games? Well, try this: 2am, pitch black in the middle of the country, brightness turned to damn near pitch black, and the only light you've got is either your flashlight (which never has enough batteries) or the muzzle fire from your gun. Incredible. The multiple ending setup plays into the game's sequel, which was also an excellent game.
Well-told stories are hard to find in most video games. Either they are very cookie-cutter (JRPGs, I'm looking at you) or they are very stereotypical. In the end, they rarely leave you FEELING anything. The Darkness...is not one of those games. Instead, it grabs you by the balls and features what is probably one of the GREATEST climaxes in gaming storytelling history. It's one of the few times I've ever gotten red-faced pissed-off at a game and thought "I'm gonna kill that motherfucker". As far as gameplay is concerned, Starbreeze tries to mix up gunplay with a little supernatural twist - you play as Jackie Estacado, who happens to manifest a "Darkness" (brilliantly voiced by Mike Patton). This Darkness likes to eat hearts, lash out and kill whatever it can, and even helps you manifest little Darklings to aid in your killing missions. Revenge is your motive, and it's oh-so-fucking-sweet!
This is one of my greatest guilty pleasures. Was the game AMAZING? Not really. However, as odd as the Scud comics were, and as odd as the character himself was, the game itself is JUST as odd. Scud was a unique game in that you could play it either one of two ways: using a controller turned it into a 2D side-scrolling run 'n' gun game like Contra. However, plugging up two light guns and going dual-wielding on that ass turned into a first-person on-rails shooting experience. And what is the point of the game, you ask? Well, Scud needs to keep the money flowing so he can make sure his last assassination target, Jeff, doesn't die in the hospital. Otherwise...Scud will self-destruct. Joined by his bottomless pit of a buddy Drywall, Scud was just a game that offered some pure, simple fun.
Back when the first PlayStation was around, I used to jam out on Hot Shots Golf like crazy with my brother. We loved that shit! It helped us build an appreciation for the game of golf. When Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 came out, we played that motherfucker for a year and a half SOLID! It never left our PS2. I missed out on countless awesome games strictly because I couldn't get over the awesomeness of this one! The level of character customization was something unseen in most games at the time (outside of perhaps the WWE games). The courses were so dead-on and gorgeous. The use of the right analog to swing was perfect. All of the trophy balls and such in the game had the collector/completionist sides of me and my brother playing non-stop to get that last Eagle or that last Birdie that we needed. When we weren't trying to excel at the single player, we were teeing off in the outstanding multiplayer. GAME ON!!!
While the game gained its fame and notoriety on the PlayStation One, Soul Reaver was much like Shadow Man: it shined on the Dreamcast. The story of Lieutenant Raziel's fall from grace and revenge against Kain is one of the few times that I don't mind watching cutscenes, as the acting in the game was so damn awesome! The entire worth of Nosgoth was well-designed and fully-realized, the boss battles were epic as Hell, and the game even helped bring a couple of staples to the action/adventure genre. I remember when the game came out and people were touting how the game had "no load times", which was a big deal for the time. It did have load times, but you were too busy watching the cutscenes to see the game loading in the background. If you've never taken this trip to Nosgoth, it's definitely worth your time and effort...
So there you have it! Those are my top 10 games of all time. I know, I know...it's not a typical list. I also know that I don't have a lot of the games that I'd like to put on there, like:
Freedom Fighters Dead Space
Wall Street Kid
Back to the Future
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Virtual-On
Beyond Good and Evil
Gunstar Heroes
Clockwork Knight
...and so many more, but then again, you've GOTTA limit it to 10 eventually, right?
There has been a lot of talk and debate going on about Resident Evil 5. Reviews are coming out saying that it's an excellent game, and there is a good number of old and new fans that feel the same way. However, there is just as big of a crowd that proclaims Resident Evil 5 as being inferior and not that great of a game.
DON'T TURN AROUND!!! I don't want you seein' me cry...just walk away... = (The big question is: who do you believe? Yes, gaming and its enjoyment level is a completely subjective thing in many ways. A lot of factors can lead to hatred of a beloved franchise after so long. Look at Tekken. The franchise has been considered one of the best for a long time, but as that time continued to linger onward, it slowly became something that was more and more hated by people. Has Resident Evil 5 suffered the same fate?
Another question to bring up: did Dead Space spoil a large number of people? Personally, I feel that Dead Space raised almost every bar in what is NOW the "survival horror" genre. Was it original? NO! Not by any means was Dead Space close to being something that wasn't done by others before it. The thing is that Dead Space took those elements, combined them all, and made one hell of an intriguing package. Did Dead Space hurt Resident Evil 5? Sure, one is a sci-fi nightmare while the other is taking place in a real country. However, the streamlined flow of Dead Space helped appeal to the better natures of gamers. All the elements fit perfectly:
Great graphics with a well-realized environment
Amazing sound design
Atmosphere out the ass
Highly comprehensive yet not-gimmicky HUD system
Excellent inventory setup and easy access to healing and ammo
A real challenge on higher difficulty settings
Incredible limb dismemberment system that kept things frenzied, varied, and excitedly entertaining
Who couldn't love a face like that?Unfortunately, while many of these things DO exist in Resident Evil 5 to some extent, my time with RE5 never makes me feel the exact same way. I've given it plenty of opportunity so far to grab me by the balls and not let go, but unfortunately, I think my balls are just being too picky nowadays. I've been a fan of the Resident Evil franchise since the original hit the Sega Saturn, and sure, there are worse RE-related things on this planet (Survivor comes to mind). Nonetheless, I can't escape the blinding glare of mediocrity that I get from plugging RE5 in.
I played RE5 some more last night, and after about 30 minutes, I couldn't take anymore. I plugged Dead Space in, and I felt automatically like I was at home.
Hi, my name is Josh, and I'm spoiled by Dead Space.
Anyone else out there that feels this may be the reason why you have failed to hit it off with RE5?
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