http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74543
Pick your winners.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Console fags - Singularity
I finally gave into my brothers nagging and played SINGULARITY on xbox this morning. "play it on hard" he said, "its a better atmosphere." No its not a better atmosphere, its just fucking hard! This game suffered from "difficulty spike syndrome" eventually causing a rage quit after attempting a section about 16 times. Why can't I run over a bug that is 3 inches tall? why does it have to block me when I can't see it, then explode and kill me instantly! What I discovered form this console experience is this: I have become accustomed to PC. I had to have my sensitivity so low just to kill the guys in the tutorial, that it took me 5 seconds to do a 360.
The controllers and controls in these game are a source of infinite frustration and were so, so poor. PUSH LEFT STICK IN TO RUN? ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? that really got me hard. Also, my time slowing button didn't work so I changed controllers. Then 2 minutes later it ran out of batteries in a boss fight. So I changed to my last working controller. It died. Yes I could have done battery transplants, but I wasn't going to give the game that satisfaction. So back to the shitty one. awesome.
This is a shame because the game started off so well. I highly recommend the hour of play as it introduces a nifty story line and has some truly epic horror scenes. After this all subsides you are left with a game that is a mash up of HL2 (you actually get a gravity gun and have to do physics puzzles) Bioshock (looks identical) and is a complete rip off of Timeshift. Timeshift was a pretty cool game that did time manipulation really well. It had many cool puzzle ideas and combat worked really well. The same can't be said for Singularity. Your time device and guns have basically no synergy, and are both clumsy to use. Especially frustrating was the puzzles. For example: "Oh noes! He must have changed the safe combination. Use your time device before it is too late." Cool! I will reverse the lock combination to its previous state in time so he will be able to unlock it. I was wrong. As I used both hands to press my 'time' button, the safe door evaporates. ..... what the hell. This game had a chance for redemption and instead it decides to bone physics and the universe.
Verdict. Play the first hour and see If you like it, on a port!
The controllers and controls in these game are a source of infinite frustration and were so, so poor. PUSH LEFT STICK IN TO RUN? ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? that really got me hard. Also, my time slowing button didn't work so I changed controllers. Then 2 minutes later it ran out of batteries in a boss fight. So I changed to my last working controller. It died. Yes I could have done battery transplants, but I wasn't going to give the game that satisfaction. So back to the shitty one. awesome.
This is a shame because the game started off so well. I highly recommend the hour of play as it introduces a nifty story line and has some truly epic horror scenes. After this all subsides you are left with a game that is a mash up of HL2 (you actually get a gravity gun and have to do physics puzzles) Bioshock (looks identical) and is a complete rip off of Timeshift. Timeshift was a pretty cool game that did time manipulation really well. It had many cool puzzle ideas and combat worked really well. The same can't be said for Singularity. Your time device and guns have basically no synergy, and are both clumsy to use. Especially frustrating was the puzzles. For example: "Oh noes! He must have changed the safe combination. Use your time device before it is too late." Cool! I will reverse the lock combination to its previous state in time so he will be able to unlock it. I was wrong. As I used both hands to press my 'time' button, the safe door evaporates. ..... what the hell. This game had a chance for redemption and instead it decides to bone physics and the universe.
Verdict. Play the first hour and see If you like it, on a port!
A Note of Possible Interest
This short article is directed at those of you who are expecting the second (or perhaps first, but that's not the point) coming of Christ upon the release of Diablo 3. I want you to cast your mind back to the game Hellgate: London, in particular to the development team. You will notice that that particular team was led by some ex-Blizzard Entertainment employees, and guess which games they worked on there?
Of course it could be argued that now those rotters are out, D3 will be better off. It probably helps too that Blizzard lets its developers take as long as it takes to make the game good, whereas Hellgate: London was published by EA, whose strategy is to spew out as many games as possible and hope some of them turn into annual series.
So this small fact could mean nothing at all in the end, and D3 will be everything the fanpeople (lolol political correctness gone mad) want and expect. I would like to think that Blizzard, of all companies, can do this right and show companies like EA and assholes like Bobby Kotick that quality can, in fact, be more profitable than quantity.
Of course it could be argued that now those rotters are out, D3 will be better off. It probably helps too that Blizzard lets its developers take as long as it takes to make the game good, whereas Hellgate: London was published by EA, whose strategy is to spew out as many games as possible and hope some of them turn into annual series.
So this small fact could mean nothing at all in the end, and D3 will be everything the fanpeople (lolol political correctness gone mad) want and expect. I would like to think that Blizzard, of all companies, can do this right and show companies like EA and assholes like Bobby Kotick that quality can, in fact, be more profitable than quantity.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
ME2 review
I recently finished what I believe to be the most immersive game experience I have played in my gaming life. This will sound like a fanboy rant, but I cannot stress how good this game is.
I played and completed the original Mass Effect several years ago now, and Bioware had crafted a gem. It was like being dropped into one of those 1000 page science fiction novels with a space ship on the front. The amount of effort and attention to detail made was nothing short of bowl shatteringly spectacular. The conversation system was smooth, the voice acting was absolutely perfect and the art direction was fantastic. The game looked brilliant. As enjoyable as the game was, the combat and some game play elements where a little bland and didn't really add much to the game. The item system was tedious and combat was slow and repetitive. Overall, it was a great but flawed game. And that is where Mass Effect 2 comes in.
Game developers around the world, please stop playing WoW for 5 minutes, your raids can wait. Take note of a perfect sequel. Clearly, the seasoned team at Bioware (best developers in the biz IMO) took all the aspects of the original and discarded them. The entire character and inventory system have received a massive overhaul. A class based system was introduce which allow for specific play styles, though are somewhat limiting. Items are now researched and upgraded at the ship instead of being scavanged in the classic loot system hat previously had me in my menu screens, maticulously comparing kit, only to find a superior 30s later. The new item and character systems work really nicely in this game. The skills are also very well done, although executed in a familiar experience=level=skill point way. Getting a skill to max rank gives you the choice of giving it an AOE or making it incredibly powerful. Also, you can unlock a special skill from a team-mate further diversifying your character. I really admire Bioware for taking initiative and improving the aspects of Mass Effect that clearly needed improving.
Combat in Mass Effect is a pretty standard 'cover shooter' model. It provides a smooth, if not repeatability experience. As an adept class, I spent most of my time launching balls of God at people. Although it became tedious after not too long, picking up an enemy and throwing his lifeless corpse into an explosive box and scattering his body parts in a pretty explosion never was dull. I found lots of ways to use my powers in combination with each other and my weapons to great affect. The environments where the firefights take place are designed well, allowing you to use strategy and tactics to gain an advantage. These battlefields are well detailed and look fantastic. As for enemies, there is a great variety of bad guys to destroy. Try to infiltrate a cooperate building: expect to fight mercenaries, security and automated defenses. Investigate some abnormal activity on a distant world: have fun destroying waves of those zombies (sort of...) the Geth. No spoilers but the last boss is awesome! Combat in ME2 is an improvement but still could be improved and is not the feature of this game.
If it can be said that Bioware tossed away elements of the original Mas Effect that they poor, what would they do to what made it a great game? The art work, the scifi wealth, the dialogue, the characters, the plot and most importantly the feeling of choice. These are what made Mass Effect great. I wondered how they would reappear in the sequel. Imagine you took all these things, and injected steroids into them until their balls were so shriveled they could run in the woman's 400m event. I will try to empress in words how good these elements are in ME2, but I have no doubt I will fail.
I have loved a lot of games in my life, but I have never been emotionally attached to a game. Mass Effect 2 is unique to me. It is the only game that made me actually feel. The characters, especially those on your crew, are so interesting and well developed that you form a bond with them. Many favorites return from the original and you get to see how their experiences between games have changed them. So many times I was forced to make a decision that i didn't want to. I literally sat with my head in my hands contemplating the decision, weighing up the good and bad. I had to make so many sacrifices, and those decision tore me in two. I was so attached to this game, it was unlike anything I had experienced thus far. I spent an hour searching the citadel for a wallet to prove a poor Quarian girl innocent because I felt sorry for her. She had clearly been on a pilgrimage from the migrant fleet and needed help. I was just so sucked in by this game. The finale of this game forced me to make many choices, most of which I regret. I remember the faces of those lost, and it makes me sad. I know this sounds like a review of a romantic drama instead of a scifi shooter, but understand this: this game is deep. My head is stuck in the rich sprawling universe of Mass Effect 2, and It will likely never return.
I played and completed the original Mass Effect several years ago now, and Bioware had crafted a gem. It was like being dropped into one of those 1000 page science fiction novels with a space ship on the front. The amount of effort and attention to detail made was nothing short of bowl shatteringly spectacular. The conversation system was smooth, the voice acting was absolutely perfect and the art direction was fantastic. The game looked brilliant. As enjoyable as the game was, the combat and some game play elements where a little bland and didn't really add much to the game. The item system was tedious and combat was slow and repetitive. Overall, it was a great but flawed game. And that is where Mass Effect 2 comes in.
Game developers around the world, please stop playing WoW for 5 minutes, your raids can wait. Take note of a perfect sequel. Clearly, the seasoned team at Bioware (best developers in the biz IMO) took all the aspects of the original and discarded them. The entire character and inventory system have received a massive overhaul. A class based system was introduce which allow for specific play styles, though are somewhat limiting. Items are now researched and upgraded at the ship instead of being scavanged in the classic loot system hat previously had me in my menu screens, maticulously comparing kit, only to find a superior 30s later. The new item and character systems work really nicely in this game. The skills are also very well done, although executed in a familiar experience=level=skill point way. Getting a skill to max rank gives you the choice of giving it an AOE or making it incredibly powerful. Also, you can unlock a special skill from a team-mate further diversifying your character. I really admire Bioware for taking initiative and improving the aspects of Mass Effect that clearly needed improving.
Combat in Mass Effect is a pretty standard 'cover shooter' model. It provides a smooth, if not repeatability experience. As an adept class, I spent most of my time launching balls of God at people. Although it became tedious after not too long, picking up an enemy and throwing his lifeless corpse into an explosive box and scattering his body parts in a pretty explosion never was dull. I found lots of ways to use my powers in combination with each other and my weapons to great affect. The environments where the firefights take place are designed well, allowing you to use strategy and tactics to gain an advantage. These battlefields are well detailed and look fantastic. As for enemies, there is a great variety of bad guys to destroy. Try to infiltrate a cooperate building: expect to fight mercenaries, security and automated defenses. Investigate some abnormal activity on a distant world: have fun destroying waves of those zombies (sort of...) the Geth. No spoilers but the last boss is awesome! Combat in ME2 is an improvement but still could be improved and is not the feature of this game.
If it can be said that Bioware tossed away elements of the original Mas Effect that they poor, what would they do to what made it a great game? The art work, the scifi wealth, the dialogue, the characters, the plot and most importantly the feeling of choice. These are what made Mass Effect great. I wondered how they would reappear in the sequel. Imagine you took all these things, and injected steroids into them until their balls were so shriveled they could run in the woman's 400m event. I will try to empress in words how good these elements are in ME2, but I have no doubt I will fail.
I have loved a lot of games in my life, but I have never been emotionally attached to a game. Mass Effect 2 is unique to me. It is the only game that made me actually feel. The characters, especially those on your crew, are so interesting and well developed that you form a bond with them. Many favorites return from the original and you get to see how their experiences between games have changed them. So many times I was forced to make a decision that i didn't want to. I literally sat with my head in my hands contemplating the decision, weighing up the good and bad. I had to make so many sacrifices, and those decision tore me in two. I was so attached to this game, it was unlike anything I had experienced thus far. I spent an hour searching the citadel for a wallet to prove a poor Quarian girl innocent because I felt sorry for her. She had clearly been on a pilgrimage from the migrant fleet and needed help. I was just so sucked in by this game. The finale of this game forced me to make many choices, most of which I regret. I remember the faces of those lost, and it makes me sad. I know this sounds like a review of a romantic drama instead of a scifi shooter, but understand this: this game is deep. My head is stuck in the rich sprawling universe of Mass Effect 2, and It will likely never return.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Nick's List for 11-07-2010
No major releases from the list (just 2 little Messiah Tier releases to my knowledge), but a few reshuffles and one addition.
Zeus Tier:
30-06-2011: Deus Ex 3: Human Revolution (Zeus)
God Tier:
2011 : Half-life 2: Episode 3 (Athena)
2011 : Max Payne 3
2010 : Crysis 2
2011 : Star Wars: The Old Republic
27-07-2010: Starcraft 2
2010 : Portal 2
2011 : Diablo 3
Demi-god Tier:
2011 : Rage (Hercules)
2010 : FEAR 3
2010 : Call of Duty: Black Ops
2010 : Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam
2010 : Fallout 3: New Vegas
Messiah Tier:
2011 : Fable 3 (Jesus)
01-02-2011: Dragon Age 2
2010 : Rayman Origins
2010 : Dead Space 2
2011 : Duke Nukem Forever
2011 : XCOM
2011 : Red Faction: Armageddon
2011 : Bulletstorm
2010 : Brink
14-10-2010: Medal of Honour
30-09-2010: Arcania: Gothic 4
Notes:
Singularity has been removed. Apparently it's OK but not brilliant. I'm torrenting it very slowly atm. If it had received better reviews, I would have left it on the list and waited to play it myself. Also waiting for Sniper from Nabs. It only got 5 I think on IGN.
Someone, I think Jon, complained at the high ranks of Starcraft 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic. I've decided to shift them down somewhat because although they still have next-clan-rts/WoW-killing-MMO potential respectively, there are other such vidyas, and who is to say these others won't be better, even if less hyped? Furthermore, I've never actually played SC1 or KoTOR, though they are high on my to-play list (I've actually just compiled one, it's enormous).
Dragon Age 2 is confirmed for early next year, so has been added.
I found out that Fallout: New Vegas is being developed by the Alpha Protocol team, which recently received average reviews and sales, so this forboding sign caused a slight shift downwards.
APB, an MMO of sorts which just released and wasn't on the list, sounds good but apparently loses appeal after a while.
Requesting a Red Dead Redemption PC port.
GlaDOS beat Bowser and Ol' Man for #1 Video Game Villain of All Time on an IGN table. Not sure if just...
I formally apologise for including non-gaming related material in my "rant" yesterday. If I feel compelled to do so again I will use Macebook or make my own blog. And to those who have been incessantly hailing this question down upon me:
Zeus Tier:
30-06-2011: Deus Ex 3: Human Revolution (Zeus)
God Tier:
2011 : Half-life 2: Episode 3 (Athena)
2011 : Max Payne 3
2010 : Crysis 2
2011 : Star Wars: The Old Republic
27-07-2010: Starcraft 2
2010 : Portal 2
2011 : Diablo 3
Demi-god Tier:
2011 : Rage (Hercules)
2010 : FEAR 3
2010 : Call of Duty: Black Ops
2010 : Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam
2010 : Fallout 3: New Vegas
Messiah Tier:
2011 : Fable 3 (Jesus)
01-02-2011: Dragon Age 2
2010 : Rayman Origins
2010 : Dead Space 2
2011 : Duke Nukem Forever
2011 : XCOM
2011 : Red Faction: Armageddon
2011 : Bulletstorm
2010 : Brink
14-10-2010: Medal of Honour
30-09-2010: Arcania: Gothic 4
Notes:
Singularity has been removed. Apparently it's OK but not brilliant. I'm torrenting it very slowly atm. If it had received better reviews, I would have left it on the list and waited to play it myself. Also waiting for Sniper from Nabs. It only got 5 I think on IGN.
Someone, I think Jon, complained at the high ranks of Starcraft 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic. I've decided to shift them down somewhat because although they still have next-clan-rts/WoW-killing-MMO potential respectively, there are other such vidyas, and who is to say these others won't be better, even if less hyped? Furthermore, I've never actually played SC1 or KoTOR, though they are high on my to-play list (I've actually just compiled one, it's enormous).
Dragon Age 2 is confirmed for early next year, so has been added.
I found out that Fallout: New Vegas is being developed by the Alpha Protocol team, which recently received average reviews and sales, so this forboding sign caused a slight shift downwards.
APB, an MMO of sorts which just released and wasn't on the list, sounds good but apparently loses appeal after a while.
Requesting a Red Dead Redemption PC port.
GlaDOS beat Bowser and Ol' Man for #1 Video Game Villain of All Time on an IGN table. Not sure if just...
I formally apologise for including non-gaming related material in my "rant" yesterday. If I feel compelled to do so again I will use Macebook or make my own blog. And to those who have been incessantly hailing this question down upon me:
Friday, July 9, 2010
Nick's Rant for 10-07-2010
Gaming status: Piracy, piracy everywhere. So many rendang vidyas to try out. More primarily, I'm slowly working though Splinter Cell 1 (I intend to finish the other 3 I've not played too, then review them collectively here, expect that sometime next year), Bioshock 1 (with a view to 2), MW2 and Modern Warfare 2.
UPDATE: BIG SWINGING DICKS. I'm near the end of Modern Warfare 2 and it crashes every time it tries to load the next section. I'm forced to look at the Wikipedia plot synopsis and imagine how epic playing it out would have been. For the record, despite the multiplayer quarrels (basically the same game, PC features retarded) the singleplayer campaign is awesome, possibly better than the first, with lots of twists. There's also some good rendang singleplayer challenge mission things. And it still has great mechanics. wawisgood.jpg
Sex status: This is well-distinct from conventional "gaming status". Gladwrap your immediate surroundings (slightly more specifically, your whole suburb) and prepare to expel a prolonged, veritable fountain of warm, gooey love from your loins:
Visceral descriptions of ejaculation aren't gay
Through the haze of the rogue-nerd-discrete-vidya-cam-massive-faggot-headintheway viewpoint, the graphics seem solid, and the environment of the city and nightclub seem sexy and filled with heaps of NPCs with their own characters and opinions to share, which was so good about the first two games. Jensen is a madcore badass like JC, and although I like Alex too, Jensen seems to have a better voice and more conviction than Alex. Both JC and Alex I thought were often quite neutral in some ways - Jensen's responses, whatever they are chosen to be, really go at it. This is probably a good thing, and the voice-acting seems good, but this is something that has been really over-marketed in the last 5 years or so (Oblivion FFFUUUUUUUU-). It doesn't add THAT much, as long as the breadth of starters and responses is there, even if they are just in text (Morrowind FUCK YE).
It looks like you enter codes manually - small thing but good thing, which hopefully shows that more subtle but awesome things from the original will be maintained. Grid system of inventory is also confirmed (God-tier inventory system, Zeus-tier if weight is also a separate consideration). Moving of corpses looks good, I really wanted to see it dragged into the vent shaft though. I hope they spontaneously ignite upon contact with a fire source. Deus Ex 2 bonfires with a whole cleared-out zone of corpses are among my dearest [strikethrough]gaming memories[/strikethrough] lifetime memories. Some possibly bad things being criticised by HK fans on the forums are:
There are also claims of ME2 clone elements in DX3. Pic hopefully not too related.
UPDATE: BIG SWINGING DICKS. I'm near the end of Modern Warfare 2 and it crashes every time it tries to load the next section. I'm forced to look at the Wikipedia plot synopsis and imagine how epic playing it out would have been. For the record, despite the multiplayer quarrels (basically the same game, PC features retarded) the singleplayer campaign is awesome, possibly better than the first, with lots of twists. There's also some good rendang singleplayer challenge mission things. And it still has great mechanics. wawisgood.jpg
Sex status: This is well-distinct from conventional "gaming status". Gladwrap your immediate surroundings (slightly more specifically, your whole suburb) and prepare to expel a prolonged, veritable fountain of warm, gooey love from your loins:
Visceral descriptions of ejaculation aren't gay
Through the haze of the rogue-nerd-discrete-vidya-cam-massive-faggot-headintheway viewpoint, the graphics seem solid, and the environment of the city and nightclub seem sexy and filled with heaps of NPCs with their own characters and opinions to share, which was so good about the first two games. Jensen is a madcore badass like JC, and although I like Alex too, Jensen seems to have a better voice and more conviction than Alex. Both JC and Alex I thought were often quite neutral in some ways - Jensen's responses, whatever they are chosen to be, really go at it. This is probably a good thing, and the voice-acting seems good, but this is something that has been really over-marketed in the last 5 years or so (Oblivion FFFUUUUUUUU-). It doesn't add THAT much, as long as the breadth of starters and responses is there, even if they are just in text (Morrowind FUCK YE).
It looks like you enter codes manually - small thing but good thing, which hopefully shows that more subtle but awesome things from the original will be maintained. Grid system of inventory is also confirmed (God-tier inventory system, Zeus-tier if weight is also a separate consideration). Moving of corpses looks good, I really wanted to see it dragged into the vent shaft though. I hope they spontaneously ignite upon contact with a fire source. Deus Ex 2 bonfires with a whole cleared-out zone of corpses are among my dearest [strikethrough]gaming memories[/strikethrough] lifetime memories. Some possibly bad things being criticised by HK fans on the forums are:
- Third-person views. I think this ability to look around corners and also see your delicious, manly cyber-punk character is excellent. This is seen in part 1 of the leaked vidya, followed by the main thing in dispute which is:
- the "press A to win in third-person" combat implementation. I'm not a fan. I don't see how it can be implemented without being OP and - in combination with regenerating health - destroying the brilliant use-your-limited-selection-of-weapons-and-gadgets/
SHIT-I-ONLY-HAVE-ONE-LIMB-LEFT-LOL combat and stealth. But we shall see. Hopefully if it sucks, this will be an OP gameplay implementation which is easier to ignore and not use than Oblivion's fast-travel (FFFUUUUUUU-). For those not in-the-know, the original had INDIVIDUAL LIMB/HEAD(isthatalimb?)/TORSO DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION. I cum every time I remember that fact. Please don't talk to me about Deus Ex in the company of family, acquaintances or strangers - shit gets weird.
There are also claims of ME2 clone elements in DX3. Pic hopefully not too related.
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