Something went wrong. Try again later

jakob187

I'm still alive. Life is great. I love you all.

22972 10045 177 514
Forum Posts Wiki Points Following Followers

Uninteresting $#!% #13

By jakob187 12 Comments

IN THIS BLOG: 
 
Howdy folks.  No long intro this week.  Let's get right the fuck down to it!  GAMES!!!
 

Venturing Back To Rapture

 I cannot confirm nor deny the presence of Maggie Smith in this DLC.
 I cannot confirm nor deny the presence of Maggie Smith in this DLC.
Looking through the Deal of the Week section of Xbox Live, there was a strong nagging between my brain and my logic about whether to pick up Resident Evil 5 DLC on the cheaps or not.  The game wasn't really something that held my interest, but there were Microsoft Points that wanted to be used on my account.  Luckily, some recommendations started pouring in to check out the Minerva's Den DLC for Bioshock 2, which happens to be one of my favorite games of 2010.  After avoiding all the DLC up to this point (which all seemed rather dull in some ways and pointless in others), the logic of the recommendations won out over the nagging of my brain.  It's a good thing that logic is what logic is, as Minerva's Den is an excellent piece of DLC.  You play as a different character than the main Bioshock 2, and this is a self-contained story in and of itself about Subject Sigma, another Alpha Daddy that must help save a man named C.M. Porter from Rapture and get him back to the surface world.  What unfolds over the course of the three-hour playtime happens to be some really great action, although it's a bit less consequential than anything found in the main game.  Minerva's Den, in general, features that same great atmosphere you expect from something with "Bioshock" in the title, but the mechanics of the game feel almost second-hand to the story that is being told.  The drama of it all plays out with perfect pitch, the ending is both a good twist as well as greatly emotional and satisfying, and the new Ion Laser weapon and Gravity Well plasmids are nice additions to the Bioshock universe.  Frankly, the DLC is well worth the $10 asking price, so pick it up as soon as you possibly can.
 

Klei, You Got Your Difficulty Settings Backwards

Seriously, this is all you need for Hard mode! 
Seriously, this is all you need for Hard mode! 
Since beating Shank, there's been that itch to finish out all the achievements for the game.  While the multiplayer co-op campaign still remains untouched for me, I took the time to start up on the Hard difficulty.  There was a tingle of fear in my body, as starting Shank on Hard started bringing back memories of late nights with Contra and so many other beat-em-ups.  NEWS FLASH, FOLKS:  despite having no checkpoints mid-level, the enemies are generally EASIER to kill in the Hard difficulty than the Normal difficulty.  You read that correctly.  For some unawares reasoning, Klei made the enemies take more damage in the Hard difficulty in order to somehow compensate for the fact that there are no checkpoints.  This is confusing, as the common sense idea of "Hard" would be "no checkpoints, enemies take less damage, and they hit like a truck".  It's the weirdest fucking move.  Mind you, the enemies do a tad bit more damage, but if you have the shotgun, then you have no problems mowing through LITERALLY anyone.  Therefore, if you are seriously afraid of starting that shit on Hard, don't be.  Just be a bit more careful than usual and you should be able to walk through much the same as the game on Normal. 
 

"I Saw Her Standing There"

Oh yeah, sure. Smile while my hands cramp in pain!
Oh yeah, sure. Smile while my hands cramp in pain!
While looking through the list of achievements that I really wanted to get unlocked, the one that stuck out more than anything...like a pickaxe from a squirrel, if you will...was the achievement for "I Saw Her Standing There" on The Beatles: Rock Band.  While some may not think much about it, that song is legitimately tough.  The achievement is to get 100% notes hit on Expert Bass.  I tried so hard to get it when the game was released, but eventually, sadness set in and I hung the fake plastic guitar up on it...until last night.  After picking the guitar back up and grinding at it for about three hours, I finally unlocked that fucking achievement.  I'm now part of the 7.1% of the Giant Bomb community with that achievement done, and it feels fucking good.  While playing the game for a while longer (as I'm going for some more achievements), the thoughts started flowing through my head again as they have before:  "when the fuck will they finally make a Pink Floyd: Rock Band?"  I know, I know.  It's all to do with licensing issues and whatnot, but the visual stylings of Pink Floyd...as well as their incredibly deep and complex music...seems like a perfect fit now that keyboards are coming to Rock Band 3.  Personally, I want to play through the entirety of "Shine on You, Crazy Diamond" and feel like part of that epic fucking song!  Will it happen?  Probably not, but it'd be cooler than a band-specific RB game of The Who...which basically already exists anyways. 
_________________________________________ 
 
That's it for this week.  There's not much else to say other than "games", right? 
 
Until next time, piece. 
 
P.S. - Now I feel the need to buy all that meaningless Bioshock 2 DLC that I passed up...and a couple of weeks after the shit isn't on sale anymore...rassa-frackin...
12 Comments

12 Comments

Avatar image for jakob187
jakob187

22972

Forum Posts

10045

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 9

Edited By jakob187
IN THIS BLOG: 
 
Howdy folks.  No long intro this week.  Let's get right the fuck down to it!  GAMES!!!
 

Venturing Back To Rapture

 I cannot confirm nor deny the presence of Maggie Smith in this DLC.
 I cannot confirm nor deny the presence of Maggie Smith in this DLC.
Looking through the Deal of the Week section of Xbox Live, there was a strong nagging between my brain and my logic about whether to pick up Resident Evil 5 DLC on the cheaps or not.  The game wasn't really something that held my interest, but there were Microsoft Points that wanted to be used on my account.  Luckily, some recommendations started pouring in to check out the Minerva's Den DLC for Bioshock 2, which happens to be one of my favorite games of 2010.  After avoiding all the DLC up to this point (which all seemed rather dull in some ways and pointless in others), the logic of the recommendations won out over the nagging of my brain.  It's a good thing that logic is what logic is, as Minerva's Den is an excellent piece of DLC.  You play as a different character than the main Bioshock 2, and this is a self-contained story in and of itself about Subject Sigma, another Alpha Daddy that must help save a man named C.M. Porter from Rapture and get him back to the surface world.  What unfolds over the course of the three-hour playtime happens to be some really great action, although it's a bit less consequential than anything found in the main game.  Minerva's Den, in general, features that same great atmosphere you expect from something with "Bioshock" in the title, but the mechanics of the game feel almost second-hand to the story that is being told.  The drama of it all plays out with perfect pitch, the ending is both a good twist as well as greatly emotional and satisfying, and the new Ion Laser weapon and Gravity Well plasmids are nice additions to the Bioshock universe.  Frankly, the DLC is well worth the $10 asking price, so pick it up as soon as you possibly can.
 

Klei, You Got Your Difficulty Settings Backwards

Seriously, this is all you need for Hard mode! 
Seriously, this is all you need for Hard mode! 
Since beating Shank, there's been that itch to finish out all the achievements for the game.  While the multiplayer co-op campaign still remains untouched for me, I took the time to start up on the Hard difficulty.  There was a tingle of fear in my body, as starting Shank on Hard started bringing back memories of late nights with Contra and so many other beat-em-ups.  NEWS FLASH, FOLKS:  despite having no checkpoints mid-level, the enemies are generally EASIER to kill in the Hard difficulty than the Normal difficulty.  You read that correctly.  For some unawares reasoning, Klei made the enemies take more damage in the Hard difficulty in order to somehow compensate for the fact that there are no checkpoints.  This is confusing, as the common sense idea of "Hard" would be "no checkpoints, enemies take less damage, and they hit like a truck".  It's the weirdest fucking move.  Mind you, the enemies do a tad bit more damage, but if you have the shotgun, then you have no problems mowing through LITERALLY anyone.  Therefore, if you are seriously afraid of starting that shit on Hard, don't be.  Just be a bit more careful than usual and you should be able to walk through much the same as the game on Normal. 
 

"I Saw Her Standing There"

Oh yeah, sure. Smile while my hands cramp in pain!
Oh yeah, sure. Smile while my hands cramp in pain!
While looking through the list of achievements that I really wanted to get unlocked, the one that stuck out more than anything...like a pickaxe from a squirrel, if you will...was the achievement for "I Saw Her Standing There" on The Beatles: Rock Band.  While some may not think much about it, that song is legitimately tough.  The achievement is to get 100% notes hit on Expert Bass.  I tried so hard to get it when the game was released, but eventually, sadness set in and I hung the fake plastic guitar up on it...until last night.  After picking the guitar back up and grinding at it for about three hours, I finally unlocked that fucking achievement.  I'm now part of the 7.1% of the Giant Bomb community with that achievement done, and it feels fucking good.  While playing the game for a while longer (as I'm going for some more achievements), the thoughts started flowing through my head again as they have before:  "when the fuck will they finally make a Pink Floyd: Rock Band?"  I know, I know.  It's all to do with licensing issues and whatnot, but the visual stylings of Pink Floyd...as well as their incredibly deep and complex music...seems like a perfect fit now that keyboards are coming to Rock Band 3.  Personally, I want to play through the entirety of "Shine on You, Crazy Diamond" and feel like part of that epic fucking song!  Will it happen?  Probably not, but it'd be cooler than a band-specific RB game of The Who...which basically already exists anyways. 
_________________________________________ 
 
That's it for this week.  There's not much else to say other than "games", right? 
 
Until next time, piece. 
 
P.S. - Now I feel the need to buy all that meaningless Bioshock 2 DLC that I passed up...and a couple of weeks after the shit isn't on sale anymore...rassa-frackin...
Avatar image for trophyhunter
trophyhunter

6038

Forum Posts

-1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 5

Edited By trophyhunter

Did you play beat down like you said you would?

Avatar image for yummylee
Yummylee

24646

Forum Posts

193025

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 88

User Lists: 24

Edited By Yummylee

I will very much pick up Minerva's Den as soon as I possibly can! I'd of completed it and had it reviewed by now if not for some annoying fuck ups with my credit card -_-. 
 
How's the replay value for it, aswell? Does it feature the option to choose between being a nasty Big Daddy who shoves his massive hands up the little sister's skirts to pull the worm out... or not. And yes I totally think that's what happens behind all the green smog.

Avatar image for jakob187
jakob187

22972

Forum Posts

10045

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 9

Edited By jakob187
@Abyssfull: You can adopt or harvest little sisters as expected, but it doesn't play into any real morality choice or anything.  Like I said, the mechanics of the game take a backseat to some premium storytelling.  Personally, I think the ending of this DLC is stronger than the ending of the first Bioshock, namely because there is a great emotion to it all.  As for replay value, it's definitely a DLC pack that I'll play through at least one or two more times, if only to understand the intricacies of what this is adding to the universe.  There's a lot going on with the sociopolitical ideals of Andrew Ryan in this, as well as the treatment of those who inhabit Rapture.  It takes place in 1968, so it's right around the events of the New Year's Civil War.  Very interesting stuff. 
 
@trophyhunter said:

" Did you play beat down like you said you would? "

Not yet.  The store that had a copy no longer had that copy, and I've got GameStop trying to hunt a copy down right now.  Without a credit or debit card, it's tough to get ahold of things for me sometimes.  I'm definitely holding to my word and playing it when I get a copy in my hands.   I'm seriously curious if I just failed to give that game a proper chance.  I stand by my reviewing capabilities, and that game got a really bad review when I was running BonusStage.  I'm willing to give it another shot, though.  Hell, I wrote off Way of the Samurai when I played the first one a long time ago, then fell in love with the second and replayed the first to find out that I loved it too.
Avatar image for yummylee
Yummylee

24646

Forum Posts

193025

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 88

User Lists: 24

Edited By Yummylee
@jakob187:  
1968? Didn't the civil war start at around 1959?
Avatar image for sooperspy
Sooperspy

6485

Forum Posts

935

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 9

User Lists: 17

Edited By Sooperspy
@jakob187: How long is Minervas Den
Avatar image for trophyhunter
trophyhunter

6038

Forum Posts

-1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 5

Edited By trophyhunter

Well maybe you'll like it then, but I bet you'll hate it.
I have asked a billion times, do I have bad taste or am I just open-minded?
I played through all of beat down in 6 hour sitting yesterday. I only thing I could complain about is the load times.
6 different characters with 6 different stories, character customizing. You can recruit:: bikers, thieves, boxers, doctors, assassins, mobsters, punks, thugs.
 you can murder people in very violent ways, rob people, interrogate people.  The fighting system actual has something to it, no two guys fight the same way and there is over 100 people in the game. It doesn't look like shit. I mean come on.

Avatar image for mrklorox
MrKlorox

11220

Forum Posts

1071

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By MrKlorox
@trophyhunter said:
" I have asked a billion times, do I have bad taste or am I just open-minded? "
Well, we know which one you're not.
Avatar image for trophyhunter
trophyhunter

6038

Forum Posts

-1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 5

Edited By trophyhunter
@MrKlorox said:
" @trophyhunter said:
" I have asked a billion times, do I have bad taste or am I just open-minded? "
Well, we know which one you're not. "
Well I'm talking about games here, leave that shit in the past.
Avatar image for iam3green
iam3green

14368

Forum Posts

350

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By iam3green

pretty crazy man. i think that they shouldn't make any special people for music games. there are DLC for the game i think it is one reason why they have it. some of the time they don't' even release DLC for the band. sometimes there is nothing special about the game.

Avatar image for jakob187
jakob187

22972

Forum Posts

10045

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 9

Edited By jakob187
@Abyssfull said:

" @jakob187:  1968? Didn't the civil war start at around 1959? "

Sorry, you are correct.  My years are off.  LOL 
 
@Redbullet685 said:
" @jakob187: How long is Minervas Den "
My playthrough was a little under three hours, and it was a great three hours.  It could be beaten in less time if you didn't want to explore every nook and cranny, though.  I'd liken Minerva's Den to the same quality as the Fallout 3 DLC, or something like Zombie Island for Borderlands. 
 
@iam3green: There may be DLC for the music/rhythm games, but unless you've played The Beatles: Rock Band, it's tough to describe the draw of it.  The Beatles: Rock Band was handled with amazing care.  For being a dood that doesn't care much for the music that the band made (except Let It Be, love that album), I enjoyed every moment of the Rock Band game.  It really showed a love for the band that has to be appreciated, and the entire last set on the Apple Rooftop is still incredibly memorable to me.  There are visual elements to that, from their early performance on The Ed Sullivan Show to Budokan to Magical Mystery Tour to Sgt. Pepper that are just iconic and something that lends itself well to a video game.  Pink Floyd has that same visual element, from their early stuff with Syd Barrett to The Wall to Dark Side of The Moon to Division Bell to their Pulse concert...sooooo much that I would love to see. 
 
If you haven't played The Beatles: Rock Band, I would suggest doing so.  It's an incredible game and something that I fondly appreciate.
Avatar image for evo
EVO

4028

Forum Posts

20

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 4

Edited By EVO

I'd sell my soul to be able to play the guitar solo in "Time", even if it were on just a plastic guitar.