There is simply no denying that Creative Assembly's Total War series as become one of the most loved PC franchises to date. Ever since we first got our strategic fingers on Shogun: Total War almost nine years ago, the franchises fanbase as grown and grown. So it's no great surprise that there was eager anticipation for what the developers had next up their time travelling sleeves. Thankfully it didn't take long for the truth to be revealed and we were soon given the newest Total War installment, Empires. Empire: Total War is set between the 18th and 19th Century, which most importantly means we get to mess with all sorts of special fun toys with the historical invention of gun powder. Of course we shouldn't forget the rise of the Empires themselves and the birth of the United States of America, so it's no real surprise that Creative Assembly decided to set their lattest installment in such a fascinating time of history.
The Total War series as always been about historical correctness, despite some obvious incorrect pieces of info along the way (usually picked up by members of the community) and to have a love for this franchise you also need to have a love for history itself. So when taking a good look at Empire: Total War, it's clear that Creative Assembly have tried to please the fanbase already in place while also trying to make the experience a little more newbie friendly to those unfamilar with past games. That's not such a bad thing, but it's also important that they don't remove anything that will displease it's current dedicated fanbase. So what as changed in Empires: Total War?
Well technically speaking quite a bit, the game features a brand new graphics engine and of course most importantly the Sea. For now we can finally live out our dreams of commanding classic warships on the high seas of the World, just saying that gets me excited. The naval combat as been getting a lot of press ever since Sega first announced Empire: Total War, but for many it's all about the land battles and some neat improvment have been made here. With the introduction of gun powder, new weapons and units are avaliable to any eager general. Muskets now mean that a new tactic as to be used in the heat of battle, no longer can you always go rushing into an enemy band of troops and improvments to cannon technology means that they can be as deadly as ever. Basically this all means that Total War veterans will need to rethink their tactics from now on.
Great Britain are just one of a good few interesting empires available.
Creative Assembly's attempt to introduce newer Total War players to it's deep gameplay, comes partly in the shape of a story driven campaign mode called 'The Road to Independence' which sees players take on a number of different roles as they learn the many ways of Empires: Total War. Already this mode as received some great praise from other gaming media outlets and could potentially be the chance many Real Time Strategy fans have been waiting for in their attempt to understand the franchise as a whole. It's also a mode that could be very tempting to more experienced Total War players to play and help them understand some of the newer changes found in the game.
For many the naval battles will of course be a high point, but much of Total War's depth actually lies in it's full campaign mode which makes a return and is bigger then ever before. Now spanning Europe, Americas and India. The new campaign mode will be as usual, where you'll spend way to much of your spare time. It's not just a bigger map that is on offer in Empire: Total War either, for Creative Assembly have clearly listened to it's fanbase and made a number of welcomed changes to the whole streamlined User Interface and options avaliable to help gamers build their ultimate empire. A new technology tree as been introduced and there as been a huge change in the way you control and operate sections of empire owned land with captical cities playing a much bigger part then past games.
Other changes are found within the games real time battles, for example formations and unit movement have seen improvments while you can now take cover or occupy buildings for better defences. This all means that new tactics will be used when player goes against player in it's often brilliant multiplayer mode, which thankfully is no longer with Gamespy and will now be using Valve Software's Steam system with achievements thrown in for good luck. It all sounds solid and will hopefully provide a much more pleasant online experience for Total War fans. Of course all these improvments won't mean much if you can't play the game in the first place, well if you have a solid PC then you should be fine for the demo ran well and it doesn't seem to be affecting as many PC's as past Total War games. But we shall have to wait and see when I finally get my hands on a retail version this week.
While Starcraft might get all the praise and love of a nation, for many the Total War series as been the best RTS franchise about and Empires: Total War looks like it will continue that trend. The changes are all welcomed and make perfect sense, while the naval combat is simply epic. Of course there will be some rough edges in such a large title as this, but most past Total Wars players will know that if your willing to accept the games inperfections then you'll get ones of the best RTS experiences on any gaming platform.
That's correct, I have joined Twitter. Despite my Anti-Social networking sites attitude over the past few years I have actually joined my first ever one in Twitter partly for a couple of different reasons. Reason one is that GiantBomb have recently added the feature to the site with it's latest update, and reason two is that Stephen Fry also uses Twitter and I shall admit to finding Stephen Fry fascinating be it through his brilliant podcast or of course through QI. The reason I have never found Networking site of much interest is simply because I'm not a particularly interesting person and why would other folks find my life of any interest to them. I have also realised that most of my friends don't seem to be Twitter users and still seem to be sticking with the terrible MySpace or FaceBook, both I hate with passion. So I'm not totally sure how this is going to go but it's worth a try. There are a few good Twitter Applications on the iPhone that I'll take a good look at for updating my GiantBomb page with my gaming news. That seems to be the only reason I'm doing it, so I can update friends on what games I'm currently busy with.
I'm a bit of a fish out of water with sites like Twitter, but from what I have seen so far it seems quite a nice and simple site. Hopefully I'll keep it updated on my gaming activities and maybe other activities. I'm pretty almost certain that no one will ever take any notice but there is a odd sort of pleasure in offering your daily information to the World Wide Web, I guess that's why sites like MySpace and FaceBook do so well. But honestly, I'm glad I can only type 140 characters because I don't think I could add anything more of any interest. Though it may take sometime to get use to, but I guess it'll be a little bit of fun.
Speaking of GiantBomb, still not totally sure of the new design. Certain things still seem a little out of place but that could simply require me to get use to them. I like the new homepage though, it did need a spot of modern paint. Great credit to Whiskey Media though, those guys know how to make a great site that also runs well under the rising pressure of users daily. I'm delighted that GiantBomb is doing aswell as it is, it's become my home of videogames and I throughally love using it. Of course we can't forget Jeff, Ryan, Brad and Vinny for the damn brilliant content they work hard on to put on the site. You guys are absolute legends!
That's it really, I'll try to pick up a Twitter app to update the page. I have heard Tweetie is the best out there so I shall take a closer look. It's a pretty short blog this time around as I'm busy doing some writing today but hopefully this weekend I'll be spending sometime with Killzone 2.
As always, massively appriate anyone who spends the time to read my blog. Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent) Twitter Noob! 1 Comments
Gaming today is filled with First-Person Shooters left, right and centre. It's hard for one specific title to shine through the shadows of the rest but when that one game does, well it can be a very special and entertaining event. But there are on occasions, games which stick to what they do best and don't try anything that they know might unbalance a franchise or lose the interests of the gamers who spend their hard earned cash on such titles. This is the case with Monolith Productions latest installment in the surprisingly delightful F.E.A.R series, despite suffering from some questionable new expansions in the franchise over the past few years. Monolith have clearly seen that sticking to what the franchise does best is both the right decision for the developers and the actual gamers who enjoyed the original F.E.A.R back in 2005. For F.E.A.R 2, or Project Origin as it was originally titled is indeed a fine direct sequel that offers enough of what we loved about the original yet also offering some new mechanics and scares along the way for the experience to still feel somewhat fresh to those playing.
Much of what you get with F.E.A.R 2 is much of what we have all seen before, it doesn't particularly do anything outstanding even if it's still as atmospheric as ever. Some will place the 'Generic' tagline onto F.E.A.R 2 and although in certain areas there is simply no denying that it can feel like a 'been here before' experience, there is still something about this Monolith creation that seperates it from the average FPS currently on the market. It is clearly a game built with care and the developers leave the gamer in no doubt that they have a love for the fiction and lore they have created within the F.E.A.R Universe, I to have to admit a fondess for the Universe of F.E.A.R. Which makes it sad that often Monolith don't do more with it, simply because as enjoyable as Project Origin is you still wish that more of a risk was taken with both the gameplay and it's scare-factor which simply isn't as hard hitting as the original. Though to call F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin scary is maybe a little off, but like the original it can put you on edge and keep you prepared for almost anything to happen. The sequel does this well, but I was dissapointed to see many fewer attempts to shock the gamer then what the original game provided. I was eager for it to spread it wings a bit more and I couldn't help feel that Monolith went for a more conservative approach when what this game truly needed was more risk.
Bullet time, still as fun as ever.F.E.A.R 2's single player experience is a good length and offers a more interesting insight then the original in my personal opinion, and even though you can't help but feel as if something bigger is just around the corner and soon realise that it fails to make that final risky jump. You'll still find a lot to enjoy and overall gameplay is as precise and exciting as ever. Not a great deal as changed, though one can argue that the First-Person Shooter genre hasn't seen any great changes over the past five years or so. Monolith have stuck to what they know best and it doesn't really hurt the overall gameplay experience, shooting still feels as sharp as ever and the slow-mo bullet time clearly hasn't lost any of it's pure entertainment factor over the years. There will be some gamers who might feel as if not enough as changed, though I throughally enjoyed the original F.E.A.R so in my opinion that isn't such a bad thing. The average FPS controls still apply here, to shoot your weapon you use your right trigger and to see a fancy selection of your current weapons you simply press the left bumper button, all this as become second nature to most hardcore gamers so I shan't waste your time going through the control setup.
In F.E.A.R 2: Project Origins you play as Michael Becket, a Delta Force Operative who is sent in to capture Genevieve Aristide. The single player game starts around 20 minutes before the end of the original F.E.A.R as you witness the huge paranormal explosion caused by the physic young female Alma who as been part of Armachan Corporations 'Project Origin' experiment. Becket soon obtains super human abilities very much like those obtained by Point Man (the original F.E.A.R's player controlled figure) after the explosion of the city takes place. Throughout the single player game Becket finds out more information about the young women Alma through intel found throughout the locations of F.E.A.R 2. Overall there is much more emphasis placed upon the young women (teenage) Alma rather then the child form, infact the child form of Alma is rarely seen throughout the players experience as you now witness a much older and even more scarier Alma who is drawned to you for a number of obvious reasons. The Single Player experience will be where most gamers will find enjoyment from the overall package, it is a worthy length and offers some interesting insight into the lore created by the developers. It would have been nice if the information offered in the games many pieces of intel was actually provided through dialogue (audio tapes for example) or through cutscenes rather then through text all the time. But if your not scared of reading then it shouldn't be much of a problem, if you are then you simply can choose not to read them.
One of the biggest complaints drawn towards the original F.E.A.R game was how linear the games levels were. Sadly this is an issue that as not totally been rectified in the sequel for Project Origin still feels a little to linear heavy even in some of the more open locations. Some of this makes sense and there is some variation in where you choose to go, but none of it makes a huge difference and usually only means you choose to go up one staircase instead of another, but it is worth remembering that F.E.A.R as a concept draws on a much more linear and contraphobic feel so some of this can be forgiven. Though I shall admit to quite enjoying the fact that I knew exactly where I at to go and didn't need to walk miles upon miles just to reach my destination, a issue I have grown to despise in games like Fallout 3. There are a few other new mechanics in action within the sequel, for instance the player can now create his own cover by moving certain specific pieces of furniture about. This mechanic had the occasional use but was nowhere as useful as it should have been, partly due to the fact that only certain pieces of furniture can be moved or pushed over for use in cover, the game doesn't exactly make which furniture can be interacted with clear. So often you might find yourselves going from furniture to furniture looking to see if it can be used for cover, this is especially the case when you realise that there is an achievement for interacting with 50 pieces of cover.
No one does blood like Monolith.Thankfully despite the lack of true risk on the part of the developers, F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin is still as gory and blood filled as ever. Though there aren't any rivers of blood in corridors this time around, it still knows how to please the average hardcore gamer with endless amounts of blood and explosions. Speaking of which, F.E.A.R 2 is a mixed bag graphically speaking for it's still a fine solid looking game that runs well even in the heat of a heavy spark flying battle. But there is also no denying that the graphics engine is starting to show it's age in certain areas, for instance textures can look somewhat blurry and some of the locations can feel a little to alike. Saying that, I did enjoy the small details found throughout the levels such as the primary school location with it's books, hand drawn posters and other small delightful details that do a lot to help you feel part of the atmosphere the game creates. F.E.A.R 2's overall graphical style matches the source material perfectly, it is often dark and depressing as even the most delightful of locations (such as a primary shool) have a dark dreary feel to them. But it is also clear that the engine used might be on it's last legs especially when you consider Monolith's other popular franchise Condemned as also featured the same graphical style as F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R 2 does indeed have it's moments though, for instance the brilliant mechanical robots you get to experience in the middle of the single player game and also online. These tough mechanical pieces of modern warfare are simple but delightful to operate as you shoot off your stylish missiles at some lone enemy A.I or Human Player when taking part in F.E.A.R 2's online mode. These robots are not indestructable though, with the right amount of hammering from the opposition it is pretty easy to take one down especially if you have the best weapons for the job. Speaking of which Project Origin features a nice if generic selection of weapons, from the expected automatic rifle to the missile launcher. There are one or two more interesting weapons but sadly none of them are truly outstanding and thrilling to use, for example the games version of the flame thrower which though neat, isn't particularly fun and felt a little temperamental to use even if it is quite powerful when playing online. I honestly didn't want to use the word 'generic' in this review because honestly F.E.A.R 2: Project Origins still does enough to stand out of the shadows of other First-Person Shooters on the market today, I just believe more risk could have been taken with the lore on offer here. Of course I have yet to mention the games Multiplayer component.
F.E.A.R 2's multiplayer mode can feel a little tagged on and again could suffer from being called 'generic' like a lot of FPS we see with a specified multiplayer modes. But I quite enjoyed the modes avaliable when I spent time with it, despite having some issues getting games to start I eventually found a couple of solid matches which were busy and quite exciting. There are the expected modes on offer with some maps featuring the fantastic large robotic monsters I spoke of eariler. All the weapons from the single player feature and although there is understandably no slow-mo bullet time, most gamers will find a lot to enjoy with the games multiplayer action. There are both quick player matches and ranked matches on offer and there are a number of other mechanics in place which we have at the least come to expect from a solid multiplayer mode. It won't be beating Gears of War 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare anyday soon but I could see a good community of gamers spending quite a bit with what this mode. The maps are reasonable if a little unspectacular and as I said previously, the weapons avaliable are interesting if a little to generic. Though I could see some good techniques being used in a good online battle or two with the weapons as they offer a nice selection for the online gamer.
CONCLUSION
What I got with F.E.A.R 2: Project Origins is very much what I expected, I never truly expected to be blown away but I got the solid and enjoyable experience I wanted from the time spent with the game. It would feel a little generic if it weren't for the games fantastic fiction and overall gameplay which is as sharp and exciting as ever. It lacks the true shock factor of the original and it could be argued that the developers Monolith Productions played it a little to safe this time round, but the average gamer will still find a hell of a lot of gameplay time be it with the great single player game or the generic but still fun multiplayer mode. It can still look good from time to time even if the engine used is starting to show it's age, Alma Wade is honestly still as freaky and disturbing as she was four years ago and Monolith Productions have done a fine job to bring the F.E.A.R franchise back on track after a wobbly few installments. Rent or purchase, you'll still find that F.E.A.R is as fearful as ever.
SCORE:
4 STARS OUT OF 5.
Review Written by Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent) Alma's Uncle. 3 Comments
So today I have had a relevation of sorts, if I can call it that. While spending more time enjoying the newly released Street Fighter 4, something in my brain clicked and I suddenly understood why so many gamers spend hours upon hours trying to master every specific move of every fighter and spend years mastering when to use such moves in battle. It's a revelation that as never hit me before, and I have spent time playing a Street Fighter game before even if that was a good many years ago. It came while in an intense battle between Abel (me) and Rufus (CPU), I shan't say I'm an average Street Fighter gamer simply because it's been so long since I last experienced the franchise and I might even call myself a newbie partly because I'm looking to understand the fighting mechanics more then I wanted to as a kid. So it was in the middle of this fight that I suddenly understood why the Street Fighter series is beloved by so many gamers. It offers a fighting system that is simply more thrilling, challenging and rewarding then anything else on the market. Soul Calibur might have swords but it don't have focus attacks, because I'm starting to appriate what it's all about and why Jeff, Brad and Vinny love to speak about the series with such passion. I don't want to admit that I required the series to go current generation with all it's beauitful artistic graphics for me to realise such a thing, but if I'm honest with you dear reader that does seem to be the case. Abel, his kicks must hurt like hell. Reading this some folks might not understand where I'm coming from, for them Street Fighter might be some odd franchise that they'll never truly understand and might even hate for it's complexitiy. But those that do understand what the franchise is all about will hopefully understand what I'm trying to say. I find myself getting excited when I pull off the perfect Focus Attack or when I Dragon Punch my way to victory, it reminds me happily of my days spend in the arcade playing one of the many versions of Street Fighter 2. Part of this understanding comes from my time with some of the new faces of Street Fighter, most importantly Abel and Rufus who I'm having a blast playing with at the moment. I'm not sure if it's simply because these characters feel like they have been built with years of understanding character design by the developers or if I simply feel more connected to them being new cast members themselves. Abel is a fantastic new character and personally one of my favourites whiles Rufus is a perfect Street Fighter character, stupid and odd looking but could easily kick anyones ass in the heat of battle.
At the moment I'm spending a lot of time between the arcade mode, challenge mode and of course the training mode taking my time to practice and understand how to become a respectable Street Fighter player, I'm only just realising how important defence and patience is in Street Fighter. I know I'll never become good enough to beat many people online but I want to provide folks with a worthy fight along the way. Speaking of which I finally pulled off a Ultra Combo which I have since found out is poorly explained in the challenge mode, here I was press medium kick three times instead of pressing all kick buttons on the Xbox 360 Controller (which by the way, is not the best for such a game, though I'm not sure I'm ready to pick up an expensive joystick yet). Ultra Combos are indeed a beautiful thing, though I honestly can't see myself pulling to many off in the heat of battle unless my opponent is dazed. That's it really, I will probably write more on my Street Fighter 4 experience soon enough and will eventually spend some time getting my backside handed to me online, if I do ever meet you online please be gentle.
Thanks for Reading, Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent) SONIC BOOM! 2 Comments
Street Fighter 4.So the newest installment in the now legendary Street Fighter franchise is now avaliable for console gamers on the PS3 and Xbox 360. I had my copy hit yesterday morning and I spent most of the day realising all over again that I totally suck at anything Street Fighter. But that doesn't make Street Fighter 4 a bad game, because honestly it's a fantastic representation of what a true fighting game should be. You don't realise how limited most other beat-em ups on the market are until you truly get to play Street Fighter 4 and eventually get beaten by the CPU. That's because it's plainly obvious that Capcom wanted SF4 to please the hardcore crowd while still trying to offer those new to the franchise some help along the way. It's just sad that so little is done to honestly teach new Street Fighters the ins and outs of playing against both the computer or when playing online with real human players, because SF4 is easy to get into but damn hard to master. I shall admit to having some past experience with the series as a young child while on Holiday in Temby, Wales. I spend almost all my holiday money playing one of the many versions of Street Fighter 2 though I never got to truly experience the Arcade madness that struck around the gaming World when the original version hit. This means that I have found it a little hard to truly appriate what Street Fighter is about, so it's with pleasure that through SF4 I have come to realise that to become a true master at the franchise, you need patience and a true appriation for what Capcom have created here.
For a lot of average gamers, Street Fighter 4 will come and go despite it's long legacy. I shan't go about saying this is the ultimate game because it is not despite what the media would like us to believe, this is simply because so many in todays gaming media grew up with the franchise and have a deep love for what Capcom started around 20 years ago. Saying that it's clear why so many fell in love with the franchise in the first place, it still plays great and reminded me almost totally of Street Fighter 2. Though it's been a good long while since I last played that in an arcade or on any console so I was indeed very rusty. I was disappointed with the true lack of training or tutorials avaliable to those who might not have visited the series for a long while or ever before. There are some neat challenge modes but all to often when attempting characters moves the instructions avaliable weren't always as clear as they could have been or even totally wrong. But part of me wonders if this is truly an issue, because part of the fun with SF4 is experiencing every character to the full until you find a fighter you can truly enjoy and happily play online with. Thankfully you don't need to be a brilliant World beater to enjoy what is on offer in SF4 because as a simple beat-em up it is indeed the best avaliable, it just feels right and still no game out there as matched it for the actual feel of battle between two fighters of different pedigree or style. Ryu is still a lot of fun and it's easy to perform his many iconic moves while some of the new characters are an absolute blast, to be my surprise I actually found myself very keen on Abel. Despite my thoughts that he looked like the worst of the new characters, he is quite beginner or novice friendly and he offers gamers some neat moves in the heat of battle.
C. Viper, beautiful but deadly.
I have to admit I haven't experience to much online action at this point, I did take a look at it last night but had some problems finding a match. This might be simply because the game isn't officially release until today and I'm guessing matches are perform by regions rather then a World based server, but I might be wrong. I'm honestly scared to go online as I fully expect to be destroyed by even new players to the series. I shall admit to finding Vega a little hard to get use to again, especially considering back when playing in arcades as a kid he was my personal favourite Street Fighter. But maybe that will change as I get more time in mastering each character to there full potentials. As an occasional Street Fighter, you often forgot how complex and deep the series is and knowing all the correct moves is key to even providing a worthy fight for any Online opponent so I suspect i will have a rough time of it when I eventually put in some online time. There is no denying that Street Fighter 4 will split many gamers, there will be those that have a deep passion for the franchise and love everything about it but there will also be a crowd who won't have the patience to truly appriate what Capcom have created here. I'm in both classes if I'm totally honest with you, while I appriate and even love what Capcom have created in this lattest installment I don't see myself putting in the many hours to get the most out of the game be it offline or online. Saying that though, SF4 is the most novice friendly out of the whole franchise despite the true lack of tutorials or help along the way. It just seems to understand that a newer generation of gamer will be trying Street Fighter for the first time so it's a little more friendly then past titles in this hugely successful beat-em up series. I have had a throughally enjoyable time with Street Fighter 4 so far, but I can't help but see that I have only scratched the surface of a much deeper and complex game that may take months to understand.
Thanks for Reading, Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent) FIGHT!!
WHO SAID VIDEOGAMES COULDN'T BE REPRESENTATIONS OF ART?
Flower is one of those odd games where a review can never really describe it best, it's simply one of those games where you need to experience it yourself to truly appriate what it is trying and achieves to do. Now avaliable for the Playstation 3 via the Playstation Network, Flower is developed and created by Thatgamecompany the folks who bought us the oddly enjoyable flOw. It's obvious almost insantly that the developers wanted to create something that would affect what the player is thinking or feeling rather then what they are doing. Flower is the sort of experience that will potentially greatly differ from gamer to gamer, because despite it's beauty and relaxing gameplay there is no denying that not every videogamer will understand or appriate what Thatgamecompany have created in Flower. What sort of person do you have to be to understand Flower? well I'm not to sure, but it's an experience that some will hate and some will absolutely fall in love with.
NOT SURE ABOUT VIDEOGAME POETRY, BUT IT SURE IS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!
As I stated previously, Flower is an experience which is tough to truly describe in a written review. Simply because every gamer will get something different out of the few levels that feature in this PSN title. Like flOw, Flower is quite a short experience and it could be debated if it truly is an actual game. I guess that would depend on what you class as a 'Videogame' though there is more to a videogame then shooting someone in the head with a rifle. That's partly one of the issues many gamers will have with Flower, those that spend most of their spare time shooting other gamers in the head might not totally understand it and might even find those that do enjoy the experience a little odd. Maybe I'm being a little unfair on those that do enjoy such gaming activities as I myself like nothing better then playing an online shooter, but what I'm basically saying is that there will be an whole class of gamers who won't ever understand why other gamers enjoy what Flower somehow achieves. So what is Flower? well putting it in simple terms Flower is a videogame experience where you are the wind. Using the Playstation 3's sixaxis motion controls, you travel around stunningly beautiful environments collecting more flower petals and curing each environment of darkness and depression. At first this isn't exactly clear but once you near to the end few flowers (levels) you realise that in a odd sort of way, you control a figure of beauty which is trying to bring beauty back to the darkness of the environments. Of course this is where you could look at this concept in a few different ways, you could say that Flower as a whole is simply telling us that beauty can be found in the ugliest of things.
Flower features many beautiful moments.So you may be reading this and thinking, What? What the hell is this man on about? and that would be fair enough. I wouldn't be personally offended as that is simply what I got out of my enjoyable time with Flower. It will be a different experience for each and every gamer and for me I found it to be a very peaceful and relaxing one aswell. Speaking of which, you only have to spend a very short time with Flower to realise what a great looking title it is. Especially when you compare it to Thatgamecompany's previous title flOw which though simply and stylish had nothing on Flower. I shall not get into a console debate but Flower is a great example of the power of the Playstation 3 when it's in the right hands. You will never see grass look more beautiful in a virtual environment and it's an absolute blast speeding through the high tall grass as it slowly parts for the wind (you) and the following trail of colourful petals. It's actually worth stating that Flower is not all high green grass and wonderful sun covered lands for within some specific levels the environments can be dark and quite depressing. But on a style point, there is simply no denying that Flower is one of the most beautiful videogame titles avaliable today.
The Playstation 3's much laughed at sixaxis motion controls actually finally make some sense in Flower, that's saying something in itself considering how many games tag the whole motion controls thing to most games on the Playstation 3. But it works well and the experience wouldn't be the same without it, I'd probably say this is the first game that makes Sony's decision to put in the whole sixaxis concept worth it and it controls well even if your wrist might feel a little sore if you miss a flower or two as you flow around the environments. The overall controls are indeed simple, with only the X button being used as that is the specific button to bring power to the wind. Even Flower's main menu is simple and stylish requiring you to aim at each specific flower (level) and holding the X Button to start that flower up. The game uses motion controls throughout but it does make sense and it doesn't feel as if it hasn't been thought out properly or if it's trying to attract the Wii crowd with it. So for that I give Flower great credit, it helps the sixaxis motion control system make sense and that is a huge thing. The experience had by the gamer isn't only through the eyes and mind, it is also through the gamers ears as Flower is a pleasant listening experience that even when being somewhat dramatic isn't painful to listen to. Infact it's an absolute pleasure to game to and here's hoping we might see some sort of official soundtrack appear on PSN sometime in the near future because I could easily see myself listening to some of those beautiful piano driven tunes again, maybe even when I'm relaxing or in the need to chill out a bit. The whole experience is partly driven by sound, which though simple is pleasant and matches the rest of the style of Flower pefectly.
You are the wind.Most if not all of what Thatgamecompany is trying to achieve with Flower is achieved beautifully, it's just sad that more of a risk wasn't made with certain environments or that there wasn't enough variations in ideas along the way, because despite how much I enjoyed Flower. I couldn't help but think of unique ideas that would potentially work great in a game like this, I couldn't help but think that gameplay mechanics such as water could have been used to help keep the experience varied or that maybe even more risks were taken over what type of environments Flower's levels were set in. But these are my personal small issues with Flower, and that in itself feels wrong as Flower as a concept is a risk that was worth taking by the developers. Plus I don't know what Thatgamecompany were specifically looking to create in Flower, that's for them to know and for me to find out while playing this truly enjoyable PSN title. Flower being as short as it is, there was no doubt that I wondered about the possibility of seeing some downloadable content sometime in the future and I would personally be happy to purchase some if they offered ideas and environments as unique as the ones found in Flower. But we will have to wait and see if that is a future possibility. Though I suspect there will be enough PS3 owners out there that appriate Flower enough for it to at least be considered. But what is on offer in the current game, is indeed special especially the later two levels which truly show what the developers were looking to achieve and send across to the gamer while playing. They don't just look beautiful but they also have an odd sort of message along the way aswell.
Thatgamecompany's co-founder Jenova Chen described Flower as it being like 'Videogame Poetry' and although I can see what he is saying in a odd sort of way, there is simply no doubt that much of what gamers will get from Flower will be personal to them rather then a whole concept idea first thought up by the developers. There will be those who simply won't ever understand it, but there will be those that get it's beauty and artisitc stylings whenever they play it. It is debatable if it truly can be classed as a videogame rather then art, but is that argument even worth discussing, why can't it be both. Flower is indeed a representation of art in videogame form and if that isn't your cup of tea then I highly recommend you stay away from Flower. But if your the type of person who can see beauty it's almost anything then you will find a lot to enjoy about Flower. It's currently selling on the Playstation Network for £6.29 or $10 I believe for those in the US, should you or shouldn't you purchase Flower will totally depend on your personal gaming tastes and what you look for in your games. But despite those that judge it before even trying Flower out themselves, there is no denying that what Thatgamecompany as achieved in Flower is a beautifully stunning and personal experience that is a fine example of why videogames and the folks who work in the industry are artists that deserve more credit in the artisitic world. As the gamer, well you get to enjoy some of the most impressive representations of videogame art to ever grace this wonderful form of entertainment.
PROS! - Stunningly beautiful, with such a unique stylish soundtrack. - Helps make the Sixaxis motion control make more sense. - A mind affecting experience that you'll get something personal out of. - One of the best titles to hit the Playstation Network yet.
CONS! - Might not make total sense to some gamers. - Very short, can be completed within an hour or two. - More could be done with the concept and level environments.
THE 'IT'S SNOWING' AND ZOMBIE KILLING EDITION, BOUGHT TO YOU BY THE WEATHER!
Hello Dear Reader, So it's been a little while since I last updated this blog with anything of great interest and I hope that will change soon enough, I do enjoy writing about Videogames but I find it tough to write up another blog if it doesn't have any interesting points or views for discussion. These Quick Blogs were originally only going to be short articles and they will stay that way. Anyway, so as you'd probably guess by the title it's been snowing in dear old England. Infact it's been snowing all around the United Kingdom and it's been a bit of a disorganised mess if one can be so truthful. There is little salt on the roads and I to fell over painfully only last night while trying to take my dog for a walk. Luckily we do have a warm shed in our backgarden and I've been spending quite a bit of time lately fixing up some Xbox 360's which are suffering from the Red Ring of Death. But I believe I have spoken enough about that so I shan't go on about it in this blog. Well I've been thinking about what this blog should try and pass on to the reader and have come to the conclusion that I don't want to just talk about the latest Videogame news each week as there are already many a good blog out there that do this and do a much better job then I could ever do. There are some fantastic bloggers out there on GiantBomb so I'm just delighted when anyone takes the time to read my articles or reviews. Speaking of which, I will be playing through F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin soon enough and I shall write up a review, I have been a little slow on reviewing some titles recently.
TIME IS A VALUABLE THING, ESPECIALLY IN DEAD RISING!
Ok, yes this is sort of up to the minute news but it's something worthy of discussion I think. Recently the poorly kept secret that is Dead Rising 2 was announced by Capcom and will be hitting the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC hopefully sometime this year. The sequel to this brilliant zombie killing orgy as been known about (through leaked information) for sometime now and it was no great shock to most gamers when it was announced. The original Xbox 360 exclusive title did very well financially and was a fine game that both played great and looked impressive in a time when developers still hadn't found the full potential in Microsoft's newest current generation console. Not a whole lot is known about Dead Rising 2 at this point, we do know that it will potentially feature a new main characters wearing quite a stylish new yellow and black jacket and that some sort of mouse wheel thingy will be avaliable for your Zombie Killing fun. That hamster wheel thing does infact have a real name but I can't remember it right now and to be totally honest, it doesn't matter. But what does matter is the possibility of them fixing many of Dead Rising's bugs and gameplay issues, with the main problem being that damn time limit mechanism when playing. It could vary in use but you were often forced to rescue someone within a time limit or there was even a time limit for completing the game and I personally hated it. Though many fans of the game simply said it took time to get use to, I don't personallty like to waste my time getting use to a game mechanic that only gives me a short spell of Zombie Killing time for I want endless Zombie Killing, is that to much to ask?
Gambling can be bad for you!I really do hope this gameplay mechanic will have been removed from Dead Rising 2, or maybe even put as an extra option to switch off or on depending on your tastes. It really dampened my enjoyment of Dead Rising and I know I wasn't the only one. But saying that, Dead Rising is one of those games where you could get almost instant videogame satisfaction from just spending a short time playing. A feat many games simply can not achieve, so for that I am indeed eager to hear more on what Capcom will do with number two in the Dead Rising series. I for one still don't understand Capcom's decision to put Dead Rising on the Nintendo Wii with the poor Dead Rising: Chop Til 'You Drop which seems nothing but a way for Capcom to get a quick buck or two. But hopefully Dead Rising 2 will be the sequel worthy of our time and from the viral video it looks as if gameplay isn't going to be changing in any great way. So I think we can all rest our hearts in knowing that Dead Rising will still be Dead Rising. My only current concern is the sequels location, from the viral video it does indeed seem a casino is a playable location though I hope there will be more then that. I did enjoy the Mall a great deal though and would love to see it's branch out a little more in location variation. But whatever it shall bring, I can't wait to see what Capcom and Blue Castle Games produce when it gets released hopefully sometime this year.
EXTRA 'SNOWY' NOTES!
Ok, these notes have nothing to with snow but they might be of interest to those interested:
Broken Sword DC: Some of the first gameplay footage as been shown at Comic-Con NY, it looks great and I can't wait to check it out upon release in the coming months. The footage can currently be seen here.
Grand Theft Auto 4: I'm busy trying to complete GTA4 at the moment, despite my many issues with it's more realistic approach I am enjoying it and looking to complete it before The Lost and Damned gets released later this month.
Gears of War 2: A good friend of mine as recently returned to XBOX LIVE and we shall be looking to do some Gears of War 2 Co-Op action. I just hope the game still as those Co-Op Achevements like the original, maybe someone can say if they do.
Rock Band 2: This weeks Rock Band DLC was a superb three pack from Scottish Rockers 'The Fratellis' and it's honestly three great songs that are a lot of fun to play within the game. Not to mention they are fantastic songs anyway.
That's it for now, haven't got a great deal worth talking about at the moment. Look towards a F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin review in the coming week or so when the game gets released. Thanks for Reading, Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent) MASTER NINJA!
MY XBOX 360 IS BACK BABY... AND BETTER THEN EVER!!!
I come with joy and jolly news my dear readers, for I have bought my Xbox 360 back from Console Death in that I have fixed the Red Ring of Death. As some of you may know, my dear European Launch Xbox 360 suffered it's first Red Ring of Death just under a week ago and I was honestly quite down by the whole thing. Not just because it was the dreaded Red Ring of Death (or RROD) but also because it was an Xbox 360 console that as never caused me any problems until this past week. So I was determinded to get my baby back up and running and despite going through two different fixing methods which are avaliable out there on the web, the second fix was the perfect one and a method I highly recommend. This blog is being written pretty quickly so I apologise if it feels rushed.
THE FIX!
Ok, I won't be going through the whole fixing method here but I wanted to recommend some TOP guides on how to fix your Xbox 360 if your console is currently suffering from RROD. These guides must be read properly and taken with care, and despite not being hugely differcult I would recommend having some computer experience in this sort of area. But they are guides that have the best chance of working:
NOTE: PLEASE DON'T EVER USE THE TOWEL TRICK, IT IS DANGEROUS AND CAN ACTUALLY DO MORE DAMAGE TO YOUR SYSTEM THEN GOOD.
Team HYBRID's Ultimate X-Clamp Fix This is easily the best process and although it can be challenging in areas it is worth your time. It's called the Ultimate Fix for a reason in that it looks to fix many of the design flaws of the actual console upon release. This also means that it fixes the system so RROD such not appear in the future. It is not a guide for those nervous about messing with mechanics and if you count yourself as one of these individuals, then it would be wise to get a more experience person to fix it. Of course keep in mind that Microsoft will fix your system if it is still in warranty. This guide also requires you to purchase a few items but it is not expensive and damn cheaper then purchasing a new Xbox 360 that may eventually suffer from RROD anyway, Credits go to: Wilhelm, Humboldt111502 and M2X.
Heating With Isolation This could also be seen as an wise method of fixing RROD, though it's actually easier then it seems if your are patient and cautious. It is basically used to resold the system, basically over time the solder can split and this is one of the main causes of the RROD, but I did this on both the front and back of the motherboard and I honestly believed it played a huge part in getting it working again. Please keep in mind it can be dangerous to the system so only do it as a last resort if your stuck in the mud. But as I said, it's not that hard if your patient and follow instructions properly.
This is simply a forum page at AVFORUMS offering the correct equipment required to fix the RROD. One of the biggest issues with fixing the error is down to using the right screws and washers so this information is KEY! Nick Pavey's post inparticularly offers some very useful advice on what the best methods are. Credit:AVFORUMS
That's it really, follow wisely and you shall be back online in time. Please keep in mind that there are a lot of different methods out there and for me this was the only one that worked. I tried some odd forms to get rid of RROD but it was only the Ultimate X-Clamp fix that got rid of them and helped get my system working perfectly again. I shan't say it was a pleasure to fix as some areas drove me insane but with some patience my time (and blood) were rewarded with a working Xbox 360 that should be now ready to power up some Rock Band 2. Me need some Everlong!
One final but important thing, I want to give a MASSIVE thank you to Nick Parvey on AVFORUMS who as been an absolute legend in helping me out personally with information, tips and general help in fixing my system. I went on AVFORUMS looking for help and I know I would be still working on the same old rubbish methods if it weren't for the help of Nick. So I really wish to thank him for the help, not sure if he reads GiantBomb but I don't care as I wanted to THANK HIM anyways!
You don't appriate a console until it dies on you!
That's it for now really, I apologise for the post being a bit rushed and maybe I'll write up a better blog sometime in the coming days with the lessons I've learn't in fixing the Red Ring of Death. But for now I hope the information and links in this post will offer some help to those who need it right now. Joseph (TrueEnglishGent) My Baby is Back!
Hello There Dear Reader, Well as some of you may already have guessed, this blog is all about the dreaded 'Red Ring of Death' that as affected so many Xbox 360 consoles around this World of ours. My dear old European Launch Xbox 360 suffered it two days ago and I was honestly quite upset. Why I'm not to sure, but my Xbox 360 as been fantastic since I first purchased it so I'm determined to get it up and running again. Even if I have to bleed in the process, although I have already cut the palm of my hand pretty deeply this morning. But I've been following some solid guides and walkthroughs and although I'm pretty confident of the process, that process doesn't seem to be having much of an affect on my system at this point in time. But I'm not one to easily give up and I shall get my baby back up and running. At the moment of writing this I'm currently letting it cool down fully to see if my newest attempt as fixed it but I'm suspect it will still be suffering from the Red Ring of Death. On many of the videos I have watched, they make it look so easy and technically it is, at least it was for me. The actual challenge is either getting the correct screws and finding some good rubber washers (which were surprisingly tough to find). I have after all built my own Custom Gaming PC so I'd like to think I could at least give this a good go. It's this failure to see any improvment in my 360 cause that as had me wondering if there isn't another much bigger issue with it. But I guess I'll have to look further into it.
The image of console HELL! I'm sure many of my fellow Giantbombers have fixed this issue so any tips you've learnt along the way would be greatly appriated, but I'm hoping to suddenly have a brain fart of sorts and see what I'm currently doing wrong because the process clearly isn't working. Originally I heated up my 360 which sadly cut out much quicker then I expected (around 10 minutes) but I have been informed that if you feel your heatsink get hot within a minute then it means the heatsink is doing it's job well, though it's still yet to fix the main issue. But now I have decided to leave it for over a hour to see if that as any affect. Heres hoping because I honestly don't like the idea of shelling out hundred and eighty odd sterling for a new system that could easily suffer the same fate. As some of you may know, I do play my Xbox 360 a lot so I'm indeed eager to get it fully operational again. I have (to my shame) been quite ignorant towards this error for many years now, despite it affecting so many folks. I guess the main reason for this as I've never had any issues with my system, I'm slightly regretting my ignorance as I've realised what a pain it is now that it's happened to me. But my system is easily over four years old, I'd hate it if it happened to me with a console only a few days old.
So I now know what it feels like to have your much loved console hit my this console disease, though I shall fight it and I shall get my system back online because my plastic guitar is already getting lonely. I'll try and create a new blog if I get it back running (with luck!) and I might even see about offering some of my own advice because there are a lot of things I've learnt about the fixing process and the console itself. It's odd, but you always get an extra appriation for what's involved in making a console when you take a closer look. The Xbox 360 isn't anything special but it's also very clear that Microsoft screwed up with it's internals, the heatsinks simply don't do a good job at keeping things cool and I can now see why so many folks have hatred towards Big M for this exact issue. Eitherway, it is a fix that does seem to work and I'm hoping my next blog with offer better news on that front. On a different note I decided to try the Windows 7 Beta and I'm currently really liking key new improvments but also not liking the new taskbar to much, it's just odd to use though I'm sure I'd eventually get use to all it's functions. I do like it though, but I can't help but feel this should just be Windows Vista Service Pack 2 rather then a whole seperate OS which will no doubt cost a arm and a leg. But despite all the Mac love going about nowadays, I still find it a better Operating System for what I like to do. I used a Mac at College for almost a year in Business and I never found the love for Apple's OS. Anyway, that discussion is for another time. That is if I'm actually allowed to talk about it, betas these days are so odd.
Anyway, that'll do for now. I better go check if my 360 as cooled enough for another crack at the whip. Wish me luck as I have a feeling it'll be the same. But as I said previously, please leave any RROD tips you learnt in the process of fixing your Xbox 360 console in the comments section. I'm off to bring back my baby back to life! I'll leave you with a odd tribute to RROD from G4!
Thanks for Reading, Appriated! Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent!)
Today is indeed a sad day in my Gaming Life, for at ten to five this evening my Xbox 360 suffered the dreaded Red Rings of Death. This is my first ever time witnesses this 'Cancer' of videogame consoles and it is a very sad sight to see. I honestly thought my Xbox 360 was immune to the disease, I have heard many a gamer cry out in anger and sadness but I never thought it would be me. Especially considering how long my Xbox 360 as been going for, it's an original European Launch console and as been nothing but brilliant for over four years now (I think!) so it's a very sad occasion. I know folk who have suffered three or four of these so really I shouldn't be moaning to much but it is still a frustrating thing to see. I knew something was up almost straight away and at the moment the TrueEnglishGent is at a bit of a loss.
So I need some help from the Giantbomb community, what can I do next? I know American's can send their Xbox's to microsoft who will fix them but living in England I'm not to sure about us. Plus I'm not even sure what requirments I must have to get it fixed. Basically I'm at a loss, my dear Xbox 360 as died and I am in need of your help. What can a poor English Gentleman do? I honestly don't want to get a new one but I have a worrying feeling that is what I'll have to do. No more Rock Band 2 for me! god that is going to be tough. If anyone can help me on this by offering some useful information on what to do then I would be truly grateful. I'm no 360 fanboy but I love that console and the quicker I can get things back to normal the better.
I'll keep this article updated with any news! as you can see below the Red Ring of Death! (Sorry about poor Picture Quality)!
UPDATE 1: I have opened up my Xbox 360 and am currently in the proress of trying to fix this thing! wish me luck! :)
UPDATE 2: Bad news, and it's not to do with my Xbox 360. Last night as I was walking down the stairs I fell and twisted my knee and ankle. I have been in great pain and luckily nothing seems broken. What a night ay! my Xbox 360 decides it's had enough and I fall down the stairs. Anyway, this as meant I'm still in the process of fixing it. I have a good understanding of it now and the main issue at the moment is the lack of the right screwdriver. But hopefully that will change today. The 360 is a bit of a bugger to get into (at least it was for me) but I got in eventually and hope to have the motherboard out sometime today and get on with fixing the RROD! Wish me luck!
UPDATE 3: Pretty sure I should be able to bring my dear Xbox 360 back to life. Sadly I currently don't have the correct rubber washers so need to pick up some tomorrow! But I should be able to get it back working with time.
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