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Weekend Gaming: Rainy Day Edition

February 14, 2011 in Console gaming, Ramblings by with 0 Comments


Yesterday was a very rainy day in almost always-raining Vancouver, BC. Rain is fine by me though. It’s a simple equation.

Rain = Video games

So I spent much of my time this weekend playing video games. I finished up Sly 2 Saturday, which means I am on the last title out of the 3 included in the Sly Collection. Sly 2 was a lot different from the first game, in that the whole game is mission-based instead of the level-based straight-up platforming adventure that was Sly 1. Both formulas work well, but I felt like the objectives in Sly 2 often got… well, repetitive. I hate using that word to describe video games, because anything can be “repetitive” in games. It’s such a broad accusation and I think I just see people using it too often.

But, I digress. Repetitive is the right word here. A lot of the mission objectives felt the same all throughout the game, which kinda put me off. It almost felt like playing an MMO because of all the task-doing, with more and more tasks to do after that always had a hint of similarity.

After playing Sly 3, I can already tell it is probably going to be my favorite out of the three. For starters, it keeps Sly 2′s mission system and upgrade system. But it drops the problem I had with Sly 2, which was the missions. They were mostly task-based with less action sequences. So far, Sly 3 seems to solve this, providing less tasks and more whacks (I like that). Missions that feel like they have a large importance towards the eventual heist.

Sly 3 also rids itself of the other problem I had with Sly 2 – the damn clue bottles. Every time you’d enter a new area, a brand new set of clue bottles would sit in the most obscure of places, waiting to be found and smashed into pieces. Find all 30 and you’ll get a new ability for either Sly, Bentley, or Murray.

I hated finding all those green-glassed douchers. Even though they are totally optional, I felt like I should be finding them, and so I did. But I hated finding them. So much. Yes, I know I didn’t need to find them all, and so therefor my complaint is rather… dumb. But I’m just glad they’re not in Sly 3. I feel like I need a break from collecting shit. I think game developers these days know this, because collectables in games are hardly seen anymore. They’re more gimmick than anything else, so not really worth your time (example: intel in the Call of Duty games)

I also spent some time with Fat Princess, a fun multiplayer downloadable title I got off of PSN. It’s been out for a while, but I figured I should buy it now that I have a PS3.

It’s fun. The maps are surprisingly large-scale (there are some smaller ones though) and I love the art style. Everything is just overflowing with personality, and the blood is amazing. I think that’s what the included Nvidia PhysX technology was put to use for, because blood pools obey gravity and will splatter in all sorts of manners, quickly turning the initial child-like graphical appearance into a wartime canvas of carnage. It’s wonderful.
I’ll probably do a review of it this week.


This weekend was much appreciated! Short, but appreciated.

Don’t forget Marvel Vs Capcom 3 is out this week!

-rav4ge

Review: Super Soviet Missile Mastar

February 8, 2011 in iPhone, Reviews, Sweet Deals by with 0 Comments


Super Soviet Missile Mastar – not to be confused with Soviet Missile Master, the inferior version that doesn’t currently exsist – is the first iPhone title from famous development studio The Behemoth. You know, the guys who did Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid.

This is their very first iPhone title ever, and it’s a very small – but fun – offering. Sporting Atari-like graphics (not even 8-bit, folks) you guide a rather large missile across the skies and towards the United States. Along the way, you’ll have to guide the Misslie with your finger to avoid obstacles. At the end of each stage, you’ll have to hit the US or you’ll fail and lose a life. Crash into anything but the ‘States three times, and your rocket commandeering days are over. As you can probably guess, the game gets harder as you progress, with longer levels and more obstacles each time.


My problem with SSMM is the coloring. Everything is white in color on a red background. Given that some obstacles like clouds aren’t true obstacles, a problem arises. You end up just trying to avoid everything white in color apart from the bonuses, which are made of text and a little more distinct. As you play, you’ll learn what to dodge and what to not give a shit about, but the white-only graphics play mindtricks that will often screw you up on what would normally be an easy level. It’s a really minor complaint, but it bothers me as to why they wouldn’t just make the clouds look different or just remove them altogether. Something that would create a foreground/background kind of deal so there would be more focus on the stuff that you want be be avoiding.

It’s not a huge setback, and like I said, you’ll be familiar enough with the graphics early on – but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless and the only problem I have with SSMM.

So wrap things up, The Behemoth’s first venture into iPhone gaming proves to be a free and fun little point-based experience. It controls well, the sound effects are decent, and it’s fun! You’ll come back to it often if you like score-based games. It’s very simplistic and that’s what I like about it. Also, it’s got commies!

Weekly Update 01/02/2011: MAG is AWESOME

February 2, 2011 in Console gaming, Weekly Update by with 0 Comments

Since I haven’t posted in forever, the best way to go about things is to write a Weekly Update, in which I write about where the hell I’ve been what I’ve been playing, bring in some interesting news topics, and make up a lame title to wrap everything up.

Which brings me to this edition, entitled “MAG is AWESOME” (with capitals for added emphasis).

NOW PLAYING:

These past weeks? Pretty much just MAG. It’s been such an awesome experience that I haven’t been playing anything else, really.

I got it cheap off eBay, and I expected it to just be alright – from what I’ve read and seen, it’s one of those titles people ditch after a month or so after release. A shame, because MAG is one of the best console shooters I’ve ever played, and you’d be surprised to know people still play it. It saddens me to see other multiplayer titles go completely dead – but MAG isn’t one of them – it’s got a very strong playerbase (about 1200 people per playlist) with plenty of clans still active. Matchmaking is quick and games are always full. There was actually a +256% experience bonus this weekend which got me to level 30 pretty damn quickly (Level 70 is the level cap).

I also love that there is abundance of players with microphones. Granted, most of them just used them for trash talking, but I played matches here and there with squads full of clan members who would formulate plans and call out enemies. This is great because MAG is a team effort and the game is a lot better when you have people willing to cooperate. I’m actually planning on buying a PS3 mic myself so I can join in and not just be some anonymous asshole.

I should probably talk about the gameplay. Think Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, but on a large scale and with a semi-futuristic setting. I say semi-futuristic because the game takes place in 2025, and the weapons are mostly modern. There are a lot of similarities to Enemy Territory, actually. Reviving teammates, capture points, objectives – even the gunplay feels similar, though much friendlier and at a faster pacing – it’s not all strafe and pray like Wolfenstein. A good mix between Wolfenstein and Call of Duty, that’s the best way I can describe it.

So yeah, MAG is still a great game a year after it’s release. I’m glad it’s still being played and I encourage you to give it a try I’d you haven’t – there’s a trial for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Or you can just buy it for $30 new.

But I’ll shut up about MAG now. Perhaps I’ll do a review, it seems like a good idea now.

IN THE NEWS:

- Luckily for gamers everywhere, February is very release-friendly this year! Bulletstorm and Killzone 3 hit stores February 22nd – which is the day before my birthday. I’m buying Killzone for sure, but I think Bulletstorm can wait. Oh, and Marvel Vs Capcom 3 launches on the 15th! I’ve made up my mind about it, if it’s cheaper than $65 on release I’ll buy it.

- Mount & Blade now has guns! Well, it will when the next M&B title launches. Not only can you cut, arrow, and slap people with large wooden sticks – you can shoot them, too! Check this link for more info.

- SOCOM 4 is in the works. Here’s some details along with some developer thoughts on how they’re going about things. If you’re not going to bother reading the article, here’s a little snippet that sums it all up nicely:

Ben Jones, a designer on SOCOM 4 at development studio Zipper Interactive, never said the words “Call of Duty” to me when he showed me the game today. He did talk about “modern games” and about making the game “more accessible.” Those are CoD codewords. They’re consistent with what Zipper people have said before about SOCOM 4. They want people to experience a more dramatic campaign that is spiked with moments of bigger action. The first-person-shooter Call of Duty series sells multi-millions; of course people making a shooter of their own might think there’s a thing or two to imitate.

There you have it. SOCOM 4 is probably going to please fans of the older SOCOM titles (which I have sadly never played… I had a PS2 at one point, but it was all single player games for me. Multiplayer meant co-op with a friend).

I leave you with this video of a large bird eating it’s own shit. I’m serious. Give it a watch.

-rav4ge

Call of Duty’s Future

January 25, 2011 in Console gaming, PC gaming by with 0 Comments

Ever since COD4 was introduced, the traditional multiplayer design was shattered with custom this and custom that, Call of Duty has become one unstoppable franchise. You’d have to be ignorant to not accept the fact that it’s the multiplayer that sells COD games. It’s such a good formula in fact, that they haven’t had to change it much in order to keep sales up.

The latest COD title – Black Ops – has sold the most copies out of all the games in the series. A snowball effect, for certain.

At the same time though, I can’t help but get the feeling that older COD players are getting rather bored of the old Call of Duty, and Black Ops makes this realization even stronger.

Players on YouTube, my friends… the consensus for many of them is that Black Ops got boring quicker than MW2. This isn’t because Black Ops sucks though – rather that this formula is getting old. People are just getting tired of Call of Duty. Infinity Ward (actually Raven software) will have to pull something special for the next COD title if they are hoping to address this complaint. Otherwise, I can see the whole series going downhill – not saleswise – but rather COD’s image as a whole. People will stop buying them altogether after they realize they’re getting almost the same thing everytime. People are finally going to clue in with the fact that Activision likes their money. It’s almost Ike a scam – players wait for the next COD to address their issues with the last. See how that could be manipulated? I’m sure that’s not the developer’s intentions/instructions, but it’s kinda fishy now that I think about it. Maybe they’re just not learning from their mistakes, or learning very slowly for a reason (cough cough) but it’s shameful and I shouldnt have to feel about the games industry this way – no one should. Games are about creating something awesome and sharing it with the world. Put money first for anything in life and you’re doing it wrong.

Black Ops is not a bad game – at all, in fact. It’s a perfect example of good game design – fun to play. All it has done negatively is make some players realize they don’t want something so formulaic every time. They’ve gone off to play other games.

With MW3 launching so soon (this November), I seriously hope it’s something spectacular. Like “best in the series” spectacular. Raven is developing the Multiplayer… which could go both ways… but it’s nice to know someone else is responsible this time around.

Here’s to Call of Duty’s future – let’s hope it’s bright and full of awesome.

-rav4ge

Review: Killzone 2

January 23, 2011 in PS3, Reviews by with 0 Comments

review_killzone2

I could start off this review in many ways, but this is the most effective and also the most truthful.

Killzone 2 is one of the best FPS games I’ve ever played.

FPS games have been at sort of a “king of the hill” standing ever since this generation of consoles. Call of Duty is the current king, with the Halo series hanging on to COD’s rather smelly and fungal toes, while the rest of the FPS games remain at the bottom. Most are forgotten, some dead, and some that just plain suck (also dead).

Killzone is somewhere in the middle of that metaphorical hill. The first game was on the PS2, and was met with rather mixed reviews. I don’t think Killzone’s developer Guerilla Games were certain in making a sequel. I’m glad they did though, because Killzone 2 is pretty freaking awesome.

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