Ransom

I forgot about something when I ordered 3 new release games online: I would have to wait for them to be delivered. Now I know the courier has my games in a facility located about half an hour down the road; problem is they are only prepared to deliver them to me during business hours which is when I work, for money. Money which I need to buy games. We've reached an impasse, and soon I may be forced to do something desperate, like pay them an extra $50 to deliver the games to my modest workspace. I could just get them to leave the precious package somewhere on my premises, but I couldn't handle the heartache of someone pinching my special delivery.

On another topic, I'm finally finished with my secondment as of 4:30 this afternoon, meaning that I can spend less time commuting and more time gaming. I assumed this would bring me joy until I loaded up Crackdown 2. I know it's been out for a while, but I managed to find it for a reasonably low price, and I loved the original. Not that Crackdown was a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it did manage to get the feel of superheroism down pat. Towards the end of the game you could leap over buildings in a single bound, and throw cars (as well as many other inanimate objects) at your enemies. A couple of years on and it appears as though nothing has changed for the better, if anything the milk has gone bad (so to speak).

The most bothersome new addition is the announcer and his non-stop commentary on anything from orbs, to combat and the unlocking of achievements. I understand the allure of the achievement, but does the game need to explicitly refer to them each time you knock one over? There is already the usual visual and aural cues, typical of every achievement unlock in any other game; having a voice actor piping over this in addition, adding emphasis to the word almost cheapens the acquisition. When I first acquired my first 360, I quickly became an Achievement Point addict. I would play games that I had no interest in to acquire precious cheevos. Sometimes this allowed for me to discover some exceptional titles that didn't fit the typical Dutch mould (sandbox games, shooters and fighting games), but more often than not it meant playing Fusion Frenzy 2 and King Kong to add a few hundred to my Gamerscore. A few years on and I believe that I have bested my demons, and the heavy handed announcer in Crackdown 2 seems to be only helping with my recovery.

There are other annoyances too, flashes of tedium from the demo released months ago now fully realised. There's the worthless targeting system, the (dull as) dishwater AI and predictably, a completely disposable storyline to consider too. I honestly can't see myself completing a second tour of Pacific City, especially when Enslaved, the new Castlevania and NBA 2K11 are on the horizon.

Finally, I have a very exciting announcement. Next week we should see the work of another Dutchman, Tim Dawson. Tim answered the call I put out about a month ago seeking authors to not only cover my absence during my honeymoon at the end of this year, but offer some more breadth of opinion. Tim and I attended the Queensland University of Technology together, and now he works in marketing, is keen on games and has a hot wife (from the horse's mouth Carly, please don't hit me!). TJ owns a dusty Wii (his daughter probably won't grow fast enough for it to be of any use, I'm afraid) and regularly plays his Xbox 360; preferring games of the shooting, rhythm and fighting genres. Please welcome Tim to the team (more of a dynamic duo for the moment), and I hope you will comment on his work as vigorously as you have for my own.

What are you guys playing this weekend?