All things considered, I had a great weekend. There were however, some bitter pills to swallow.
The demo for UFC Undisputed 2010 appears to have confirmed what I had suspected: This is a new coat of paint on a dilapidated house. Knock-outs appear to occur at random, with (what would normally be) killer blows rocking combatants only slightly and anti-climactic conclusions to all of the bouts I played through. Body blows are just as useless as they were last year. In one bout, I landed over 10 strong body kicks on my opponent with the strongest reaction involving them wincing in pain and Joe Rogan screaming "NICE BODY KICK!!!" The fighter wasn't winded long enough for me to follow up, and in the end I tapped out. The clinch system returns to many a WTF moment, and the ground game is equally as perplexing. I was not a fan of the 2009 iteration, nor am I a huge fan of the UFC (or any of its bastardised MMA cousins), but I was hoping for something a little more intuitive as a friend is an enthusiast, and I would like to be a competent observer of this full-contact fad (in broadcast and videogame formats).
The Split/Second demo offers up one race for consumption and it is a shame to see that Black Rock Studio couldn't make a definitive choice between kart racer and Burnout clone. Technically you don't have weapons, and you don't boost like in Burnout. What you have is the ability to activate Power Plays, which are (almost) unavoidable obstacles that will take out your opponents. You earn the ability to use Power Plays by getting air and drifting (no blue sparks). If you're in front of the pack, Power Plays are less than useless. In one race I was given the opportunity to change the track, which I did. Sure the control tower crumbling to the ground, obscuring the usual track was a visual spectacle, but I couldn't see how that provided any real benefit to me, or challenge to my opponents. As loyal reader 4Xscope had pointed out, Split/Second is only worth playing if you're coming from behind.
The only demo that didn't hurt to play was Rocket Knight. For those of you who haven't played the original, Rocket Knight chronicles the adventures of Sparkster, a possum with a jetpack! The visuals, while not as endearing as the Sega Mega Drive original, are still clean, cute and colourful. The action (best of all) is surpisingly faithful to the original, with plenty of slashing, rocket-dashing, and hanging upside-down by your tail from thin platforms. I won't follow through with a purchase (for now) because of the asking price. From all accounts, this is a 2-3 hour game that costs 1200 MSP/$19.95AUD. That to me, is slightly short of scandalous.
What games were you guys playing over the weekend? Hope it was a good one.
Monday, May 31
Friday, May 28
Wild Horses
Some things never change. I invited my brother to join in on a Free Roam play session, so I could explore Red Dead Redemption's multiplayer offering with a dependable contemporary. Our sibling rivalry was quickly rediscovered. Upon connecting to the session, he looked pretty smug, riding into the MacFarlane Ranch on his shiny mule. I couldn't stand it, so I did what any reasonable man would do: I plugged his awkward steed right in-between the eyes. As his mount collapsed to the ground, my brother's screams of anguish bellowed through our Skype call. Not content to leave my brother alone in the depths of his grief, I strode towards him, gun drawn and sent to him to the underworld with his equine companion. I began to cackle maniacally, content that I had established my authority.
As is most always the case, I had assumed dominance too early. Aforementioned brother proceeded to kill me several times in quick succession. To save face, and to stop an endless run of respawns, I called a truce and we proceeded to storm several gang hideouts. While this was fun, I found much more enjoyment killing NPCs, animals and other players unfortunate enough to join our session with a friend (or sibling as it were) in tow. Poor old sk8erbee, we hunted you down like a dog. You put up a good fight though, until next time.
I'll play the campaign on and off for the next few weeks and will post a review upon completion. The plan for now is to move onto some new stimulus (no Modern Warfare pun intended). We've just upgraded our download quota to the point where I can actually download recent releases from Steam without receding to snail speed. I am inexorably excited at the prospect of being able to download anything and everything until I fill up the hard drives on my 360, PS3 and PC (even my PSPgo). I've already picked up demos for Split/Second, UFC 2010, Rocket Knight, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Tiger Woods 11.
I'm tossing up whether I should get the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Elite Echelon Edition off Steam which includes all the Splinter Cell titles for less than 50 USD. What do you reckon? For me, Sam Fisher has always been Solid Snake's dorky, awkward cousin. From what I've heard, Conviction takes the series in a direction which I would find more agreeable. Chaos Theory was good fun with company, but Double Agent was mediocre at its best. I've always wanted to love the Splinter Cell games, but the combination of flawed stealth mechanics and Michael Ironside's ham-fisted voice acting have ensured that the Metal Gears have secured (exponentially) more playtime.
I'm also planning to start on Lost Planet 2. My impressions so far have been mixed. Playing the co-op campaign has been an enjoyable exercise in brutality. For competitive matches however, the connection quality is so poor that I have not been able to complete a match. Not because I'm quitting, rather the connection drops after about 3 minutes. Not happy with that I must admit. If at all possible, I am going to avoid playing the campaign solo altogether. I've read enough to know that it's torture that is best avoided.
Can anyone help with Splinter Cell? Yay or nay?
As is most always the case, I had assumed dominance too early. Aforementioned brother proceeded to kill me several times in quick succession. To save face, and to stop an endless run of respawns, I called a truce and we proceeded to storm several gang hideouts. While this was fun, I found much more enjoyment killing NPCs, animals and other players unfortunate enough to join our session with a friend (or sibling as it were) in tow. Poor old sk8erbee, we hunted you down like a dog. You put up a good fight though, until next time.
I'll play the campaign on and off for the next few weeks and will post a review upon completion. The plan for now is to move onto some new stimulus (no Modern Warfare pun intended). We've just upgraded our download quota to the point where I can actually download recent releases from Steam without receding to snail speed. I am inexorably excited at the prospect of being able to download anything and everything until I fill up the hard drives on my 360, PS3 and PC (even my PSPgo). I've already picked up demos for Split/Second, UFC 2010, Rocket Knight, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Tiger Woods 11.
I'm tossing up whether I should get the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Elite Echelon Edition off Steam which includes all the Splinter Cell titles for less than 50 USD. What do you reckon? For me, Sam Fisher has always been Solid Snake's dorky, awkward cousin. From what I've heard, Conviction takes the series in a direction which I would find more agreeable. Chaos Theory was good fun with company, but Double Agent was mediocre at its best. I've always wanted to love the Splinter Cell games, but the combination of flawed stealth mechanics and Michael Ironside's ham-fisted voice acting have ensured that the Metal Gears have secured (exponentially) more playtime.
I'm also planning to start on Lost Planet 2. My impressions so far have been mixed. Playing the co-op campaign has been an enjoyable exercise in brutality. For competitive matches however, the connection quality is so poor that I have not been able to complete a match. Not because I'm quitting, rather the connection drops after about 3 minutes. Not happy with that I must admit. If at all possible, I am going to avoid playing the campaign solo altogether. I've read enough to know that it's torture that is best avoided.
Can anyone help with Splinter Cell? Yay or nay?
Wednesday, May 26
Draw
It is slightly upsetting that there are not more people playing Red Dead Redemption online. Sure some people are playing through the single player campaign (I am still yet to finish it), but I was hoping that more people would at least log on and give it a try. What you will find is not the most refined experience, it is however unapologetically brutal. I've only played Free-For-All matches: they are fast, fun and messy. The auto-aim is a little too overbearing, and if you wait until you can see an opponent, and then choose to aim, you're targeting reticle will be right on them. Dead-Eye also makes it into FFA matches and is used in real-time. When you click the right stick, you'll have a few seconds to wave your reticle over enemies, mark targets and then fire off as many bullets as you can. It is also a little too effective. With the auto-aim and the Dead-Eye, you will sometimes feel like you have copped a few cheap deaths.
The reason I've kept going back though isn't the weapon selection (meh); or the large, vertical maps with ample amounts of cover. I haven't gone back for the cheap deaths and kill stealing. I've gone back because each match starts with a Mexican stand-off. With 2 players it is a great test of timing and wits. With 8, it is straight up hateful. The game suggests an opponent for you to kill and you will obtain a bonus if you manage to dispatch the pre-determined target. Once again, that's all good, but that's not the reason I love it. I love it because if there was someone who was absolutely ruling you in the previous round, you have a sound chance of getting revenge. In matches where there was one player dominating everyone, I couldn't help but laugh when every other player aimed square at the leader's head, and filled it with lead. After the first few shots are fired, it's a mad scramble. The stand-off will expire if players survive for long enough, but even in that event, it is quite the rush.
For anyone wondering, Free Roam is mind-numbingly boring by yourself. When in Free Roam solo, I decided to act on my most jerk-like impulses. It's fun for a little bit, but after about 5 minutes you will find yourself whistling for your trusty steed and dashing to a lobby.
I'm ranking up at a (suprisingly) steady rate and I am interested in trying out some team modes. The only problem is that given how slowly these matches populate, I dare say I lack the patience to actually compete in a team match. I'm going to put the multiplayer adventure on the shelf for now and complete the single player game. Do yourself a favour and start playing Red Dead Redemption......now!
The reason I've kept going back though isn't the weapon selection (meh); or the large, vertical maps with ample amounts of cover. I haven't gone back for the cheap deaths and kill stealing. I've gone back because each match starts with a Mexican stand-off. With 2 players it is a great test of timing and wits. With 8, it is straight up hateful. The game suggests an opponent for you to kill and you will obtain a bonus if you manage to dispatch the pre-determined target. Once again, that's all good, but that's not the reason I love it. I love it because if there was someone who was absolutely ruling you in the previous round, you have a sound chance of getting revenge. In matches where there was one player dominating everyone, I couldn't help but laugh when every other player aimed square at the leader's head, and filled it with lead. After the first few shots are fired, it's a mad scramble. The stand-off will expire if players survive for long enough, but even in that event, it is quite the rush.
For anyone wondering, Free Roam is mind-numbingly boring by yourself. When in Free Roam solo, I decided to act on my most jerk-like impulses. It's fun for a little bit, but after about 5 minutes you will find yourself whistling for your trusty steed and dashing to a lobby.
I'm ranking up at a (suprisingly) steady rate and I am interested in trying out some team modes. The only problem is that given how slowly these matches populate, I dare say I lack the patience to actually compete in a team match. I'm going to put the multiplayer adventure on the shelf for now and complete the single player game. Do yourself a favour and start playing Red Dead Redemption......now!
Sunday, May 23
Deep Red Bells
Red Dead Redemption is Grand Theft Auto IV on horseback. To have assumed anything else would have been naive, and it is comforting to finally have this confirmed; for GTA IV is one of the greatest games released in the last few years with a gripping narrative, a cast of likeable characters, an authentic score and solid (if slightly flawed) gameplay.
There is no avoiding the comparison, or the conclusion. Most obviously, both games are third-person, sandbox action games developed by Rockstar. There are ample amounts of fetch quests at the outset of the campaign, designed to familiarise you with the controls and mechanics at play in the game. Missions are doled out by pivotal characters in a logical sequence, pushing you further out into the (brutal) landscape. There are various in-game vendors who sell weapons and consumbales. Also present are a variety of side quests from NPCs that are non-essential to the main story. You can also enjoy some mini-games which draw inspiration from the setting. Even the on-screen map is lifted from GTA IV. There are of course some subtle changes to the formula: health now regenerates if you hide from danger, there are (finally) mid-mission checkpoints and the cover mechanic is much tighter.
Does this mean that if you have played Grand Theft Auto IV you need not bother with Red Dead Redemption? Absolutely not. The story is truly compelling, and John Marston is proving to be even more endearing than Niko Belic. The combat is satisfying, with the refined Dead-Eye mechanic engineering some devastating kill shots. The soundtrack, while cliched, is thoroughly effective in capturing the grandeur of the Wild West. The missions you accept from non-essential NPCs, dubbed "Strangers," are also more interesting than those given by the random characters encountered in GTA IV. Plus, you don't see civilians attacked unprovoked by coyotes, cougars and other dangerous fauna in Liberty City.
There is of course something else distinctly different about Red Dead Redemption: the landscape. The harsh, bitter, expansive landscape. It is possibly the most captivating aspect of the game. Nothing matches the spectacle of traversing the arid desert, watching rabbits and foxes scurry in front of your speeding equine companion. As you look up to the ominous sky, you can hear a steam-powered locomotive approaching from the east. You spur your horse on, matching the speed of the train. Against the sounds of the machinery and the various creatures, you hear a distressed traveller begging for help. Do you stop to help them? It could be a ruse, a trap to steal your noble steed. They may have been swindled themselves. There is so much violence, desparation and intrigue across this great land that it demands to be played.
Grandiose travel experiences aside, some of the mini-games and side quests are real time sinks. I spent an hour and a half playing Texas Hold 'Em on Saturday. I'm also prone to dropping anything and everything when I see a wanted poster.
I'm really looking forward to testing the multiplayer suite with a posse of noble/nefarious cowboys. I am hoping that enough of you grab Red Dead Redemption so that we can deliver some Unbearable Dutch justice to gamers across the world. Who's in partners?
There is no avoiding the comparison, or the conclusion. Most obviously, both games are third-person, sandbox action games developed by Rockstar. There are ample amounts of fetch quests at the outset of the campaign, designed to familiarise you with the controls and mechanics at play in the game. Missions are doled out by pivotal characters in a logical sequence, pushing you further out into the (brutal) landscape. There are various in-game vendors who sell weapons and consumbales. Also present are a variety of side quests from NPCs that are non-essential to the main story. You can also enjoy some mini-games which draw inspiration from the setting. Even the on-screen map is lifted from GTA IV. There are of course some subtle changes to the formula: health now regenerates if you hide from danger, there are (finally) mid-mission checkpoints and the cover mechanic is much tighter.
Does this mean that if you have played Grand Theft Auto IV you need not bother with Red Dead Redemption? Absolutely not. The story is truly compelling, and John Marston is proving to be even more endearing than Niko Belic. The combat is satisfying, with the refined Dead-Eye mechanic engineering some devastating kill shots. The soundtrack, while cliched, is thoroughly effective in capturing the grandeur of the Wild West. The missions you accept from non-essential NPCs, dubbed "Strangers," are also more interesting than those given by the random characters encountered in GTA IV. Plus, you don't see civilians attacked unprovoked by coyotes, cougars and other dangerous fauna in Liberty City.
There is of course something else distinctly different about Red Dead Redemption: the landscape. The harsh, bitter, expansive landscape. It is possibly the most captivating aspect of the game. Nothing matches the spectacle of traversing the arid desert, watching rabbits and foxes scurry in front of your speeding equine companion. As you look up to the ominous sky, you can hear a steam-powered locomotive approaching from the east. You spur your horse on, matching the speed of the train. Against the sounds of the machinery and the various creatures, you hear a distressed traveller begging for help. Do you stop to help them? It could be a ruse, a trap to steal your noble steed. They may have been swindled themselves. There is so much violence, desparation and intrigue across this great land that it demands to be played.
Grandiose travel experiences aside, some of the mini-games and side quests are real time sinks. I spent an hour and a half playing Texas Hold 'Em on Saturday. I'm also prone to dropping anything and everything when I see a wanted poster.
I'm really looking forward to testing the multiplayer suite with a posse of noble/nefarious cowboys. I am hoping that enough of you grab Red Dead Redemption so that we can deliver some Unbearable Dutch justice to gamers across the world. Who's in partners?
Friday, May 21
Fun in the sun
Firstly, a massive thank you to Alex Connolly (AKA loyal reader, 4xscope) who has drawn up our new, uniquely Dutch header. It is great to see someone take such an interest in this endeavour and it definitely provides inspiration to keep on writing. Alex has also worked on the logo for our Facebook fan page, and the work displayed there is equally spectacular. I would also like to thank our small vocal minority who comment regularly on the blog. The dialogue on display here is interesting to say the least, and the Dutch lexicon borders on the controversial more often than not.
Bleak weather coupled with my darling Carly's work commitments has resulted in a situation that I have (shamefully) been longing for, for quite some time; I will be in the house alone, with a shiny new game, and nothing to make me feel guilty for lavishing my time and affection on my PlayStation 3 save for the deep, brown eyes of my dog, Bosca.
I plan to spend the majority of my time with Red Dead Redemption, however I am also hoping to conquer my recent aversion to survival horror games and start playing Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. It is recent in that up until the release of Resident Evil 5, I quite enjoyed my forays with survival horror games. My first encounter with the genre was via the Resident Evil 2 demo. I believe I would have played through that timed trial about 20 times. From those horrific seeds, came the flourished experience of the full game which was just as enjoyable and (embarrassingly) terrifying. I didn't finish RE3 or Code Veronica, but both were still good enough games in their own right. Resident Evil 4 however, is one of the greatest games I have ever played. I've touched on this before, but RE4 was so brutal to Leon S Kennedy that I fought tooth and nail to keep him healthy (read: with head firmly on shoulders). Other survival horror notables include Dino Crisis and one of the first true next-generation (now current) games, Dead Rising.
What's wrong with RE5? Nothing really; but, when compared to its predecessor, which was such a leap forward for the series, my limited experience with RE5 has been awkward, frustrating and above all disappointing.
I'll let you know how it goes either way. If I don't end up rediscovering the joy of survival horror there is always King of Fighters XII. I picked up the collector's edition, complete with a Terry Bogard statue for $19! If I find time I also plan to log some time on SSFIV and Team Fortress 2.
What are your plans for this weekend?
Post-script to Wednesday: After some spirited debate from one party, and some observations about a game I had already concluded that I would purchase from another, Lost Planet 2 will be the Reader's Choice for the week ending May 23, 2010. The decision was made much easier after the revelation that Lost Planet 2 contains the following:
Bleak weather coupled with my darling Carly's work commitments has resulted in a situation that I have (shamefully) been longing for, for quite some time; I will be in the house alone, with a shiny new game, and nothing to make me feel guilty for lavishing my time and affection on my PlayStation 3 save for the deep, brown eyes of my dog, Bosca.
I plan to spend the majority of my time with Red Dead Redemption, however I am also hoping to conquer my recent aversion to survival horror games and start playing Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. It is recent in that up until the release of Resident Evil 5, I quite enjoyed my forays with survival horror games. My first encounter with the genre was via the Resident Evil 2 demo. I believe I would have played through that timed trial about 20 times. From those horrific seeds, came the flourished experience of the full game which was just as enjoyable and (embarrassingly) terrifying. I didn't finish RE3 or Code Veronica, but both were still good enough games in their own right. Resident Evil 4 however, is one of the greatest games I have ever played. I've touched on this before, but RE4 was so brutal to Leon S Kennedy that I fought tooth and nail to keep him healthy (read: with head firmly on shoulders). Other survival horror notables include Dino Crisis and one of the first true next-generation (now current) games, Dead Rising.
What's wrong with RE5? Nothing really; but, when compared to its predecessor, which was such a leap forward for the series, my limited experience with RE5 has been awkward, frustrating and above all disappointing.
I'll let you know how it goes either way. If I don't end up rediscovering the joy of survival horror there is always King of Fighters XII. I picked up the collector's edition, complete with a Terry Bogard statue for $19! If I find time I also plan to log some time on SSFIV and Team Fortress 2.
What are your plans for this weekend?
Post-script to Wednesday: After some spirited debate from one party, and some observations about a game I had already concluded that I would purchase from another, Lost Planet 2 will be the Reader's Choice for the week ending May 23, 2010. The decision was made much easier after the revelation that Lost Planet 2 contains the following:
- A confetti shotgun
- Frank West from the aforementioned Capcom classic, Dead Rising; complete with a teddy bear backpack
Wednesday, May 19
So its up to a vote
This week sees the release of several high profile titles including: the already critically successful, Red Dead Redemption; franchise reboot; Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands; Xbox 360 exclusive, Alan Wake; PS3 exclusive cart racer, Modnation Racers; and explosive Disney racer, Split/Second. Also for consideration are several high profile games that were released last week: the sequel to the frost-bitten sleeper hit, Lost Planet 2; old-school RPG throwback 3D Dot Game Heroes; and the third game in a franchise that I have so far been uninterested in, Skate 3.
I'm picking up Red Dead for sure. I was huge fan of the first one (AND its local multiplayer), and it seems as though every game critic and their dog is jumping on the wild west bandwagon. I will leave it up to you, my beloved readers, to put your case forward for what should be my other purchase this week.
Why can't I make the decision myself?
That's easy. Lost Planet 2 has been critically savaged, however Penny Arcade and Kotaku have thrown their conditional support behind the Capcom battler. I appreciate the views of these websites for two reasons:
1) Krahulik and Holkins (Penny Arcade) are hilarious and if you aren't reading their web comic you're doing yourself a disservice;
2) Both teams play devil's advocate well. Kotaku is one of the few gaming publications which has abandoned the redundant practice of assigning quantitative scores to videogames.
I know what you're thinking: You (as in I, Tristan Damen) assign scores (out of 10) to games. As a smaller opinion provider, I believe a score allows me to summarize and legitimise my opinion. Once there are branches of Unbearable Dutch in multiple regions and I have several talented, credible authors keeping it Dutch I promise I will ditch review scores. Back on point, with nothing but raw opinion, and no score to dilute their evaluation, the Kotaku team (and scheme) are a valuable purchase evaluation tool. If you can't tell, I am so far most interested in Lost Planet 2 when compared to the competition, but due to severe critical backlash I have been forced to weigh up my options.
The 3D Prince of Persia games are starting to feel a bit old-hat, and, after the 2008 meh-fest, I have only slight interest in the lastest iteration of the classic franchise. Modnation Racers sounds interesting, and the user-friendly track editor is bound to add longevity, but I have trouble playing any kart racer that doesn't feature Mario (or at least blue sparks). Carly has thrown her support behind Alan Wake as she loves the opportunity to watch me play survival horror games. The combat looks fluid, but from all accounts the character of Alan Wake is unlikable at best. Split/Second looks beautiful, but consensus is that the core mechanic makes the game feel very one dimensional. As a Dutch fan (ha!), the new World Cup game gets a quick mention. I have fond memories playing the mediocre 2002 iteration with friends on the Gamecube. There are others, but the last that warrants a mention is Splinter Cell: Conviction. Sam Fisher is the dark horse, as his new adventure isn't shiny new, hasn't been showered in unbridled praise and features a comprehensive suite of multiplayer modes.
With great power, comes great responsibility. Please peruse the list below and make your recommendation.
As a post-script to Monday's post: The Halo:Reach experience has well and truly fizzled. While the new abilities do serve to add some variety and unpredictability to the conflict, the lack of vehicles (that truly differentiate Halo from its competitors) has meant that any further time spent with the beta has been unmemorable.
I'm picking up Red Dead for sure. I was huge fan of the first one (AND its local multiplayer), and it seems as though every game critic and their dog is jumping on the wild west bandwagon. I will leave it up to you, my beloved readers, to put your case forward for what should be my other purchase this week.
Why can't I make the decision myself?
That's easy. Lost Planet 2 has been critically savaged, however Penny Arcade and Kotaku have thrown their conditional support behind the Capcom battler. I appreciate the views of these websites for two reasons:
1) Krahulik and Holkins (Penny Arcade) are hilarious and if you aren't reading their web comic you're doing yourself a disservice;
2) Both teams play devil's advocate well. Kotaku is one of the few gaming publications which has abandoned the redundant practice of assigning quantitative scores to videogames.
I know what you're thinking: You (as in I, Tristan Damen) assign scores (out of 10) to games. As a smaller opinion provider, I believe a score allows me to summarize and legitimise my opinion. Once there are branches of Unbearable Dutch in multiple regions and I have several talented, credible authors keeping it Dutch I promise I will ditch review scores. Back on point, with nothing but raw opinion, and no score to dilute their evaluation, the Kotaku team (and scheme) are a valuable purchase evaluation tool. If you can't tell, I am so far most interested in Lost Planet 2 when compared to the competition, but due to severe critical backlash I have been forced to weigh up my options.
The 3D Prince of Persia games are starting to feel a bit old-hat, and, after the 2008 meh-fest, I have only slight interest in the lastest iteration of the classic franchise. Modnation Racers sounds interesting, and the user-friendly track editor is bound to add longevity, but I have trouble playing any kart racer that doesn't feature Mario (or at least blue sparks). Carly has thrown her support behind Alan Wake as she loves the opportunity to watch me play survival horror games. The combat looks fluid, but from all accounts the character of Alan Wake is unlikable at best. Split/Second looks beautiful, but consensus is that the core mechanic makes the game feel very one dimensional. As a Dutch fan (ha!), the new World Cup game gets a quick mention. I have fond memories playing the mediocre 2002 iteration with friends on the Gamecube. There are others, but the last that warrants a mention is Splinter Cell: Conviction. Sam Fisher is the dark horse, as his new adventure isn't shiny new, hasn't been showered in unbridled praise and features a comprehensive suite of multiplayer modes.
With great power, comes great responsibility. Please peruse the list below and make your recommendation.
- Skate 3 (PS3/360)
- Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (PS3/360/PSP)
- Lost Planet 2 (PS3/360)
- Alan Wake (360)
- 3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3)
- Modnation Racers (PS3)
- Split/Second (PS3/360)
- World Cup 2010: South Africa (360/PS3/PSP)
- Splinter Cell: Conviction (360)
- Mass Effect 2 (360), please note that I refuse to play through the first chapter again (zzzzzzzzzzzz)
As a post-script to Monday's post: The Halo:Reach experience has well and truly fizzled. While the new abilities do serve to add some variety and unpredictability to the conflict, the lack of vehicles (that truly differentiate Halo from its competitors) has meant that any further time spent with the beta has been unmemorable.
Monday, May 17
Halo: Replica
I won't bore you with the details of my time with the PSP this weekend. I will however bring you the highlights. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite looks like a dream, but plays like a nightmare. It is a good game, with (potentially) hours of skinning, slaying and strategy, but my word is it brutally hard. I enjoyed little success on my quests, but my Felyne companion, Petunia provided some lols. I also logged a few hours with the portable version of Tekken 6, and while it looks beautiful and all the characters, and most of the modes (the modes worth playing anyway) from the home console version are present, fighting games are only half the fun if you aren't facing human competition. Further to that, some of the more subtle directional inputs possible with a PS3 controller are not possible on even the PSPgo's D-Pad.
This afternoon I managed to fit in a few matches of Halo: Reach, and I am happy to report that it has learned quite a few things from its FPS competitors. After having played Halo 3 with some buddies last weekend, I was afraid that Reach would be as (painstakingly) slow as its predecessor. This is thankfully, not the case. You can sprint (finally!), however only when fighting with a gear load-out which includes that as an armor ability. Not to say that sprint is the only ability worth using, but with it equipped, Halo: Reach does manage to capture the pace and intensity of contemporaries like Modern Warfare 2. There are 5 abilities to be used in the beta, and I imgaine Bungie may add one or two more before the retail release. The jetpack is slow, but fun. I found it especially useful during CTF matches. Evade (exclusive to Elites) is essentially sprint, but it cannot be turned off once activated. Active camouflage is great for sniping but ineffective (not entirely, but still compromised somewhat) when moving. I am yet to use Armor Lock because it sounds pointless. Sure you become invulnerable, but you can't move. Essentially what it means to me is that when in use, armor lock would render me impervious to harm, however my enemies would need only run behind me to assassinate me once the effect has expired. I would not be able to evade my enemies' impending attack from behind. I'll give it a go sometime before the 19th, but I'm sure I won't appreciate it as Bungie intended.
Sprint (and Evade) better enable you to perform assassinations, elaborately (for Halo) animated melee attacks from behind that will kill the unlucky recipient. Since Halo hasn't traditionally seen excessive amounts of blood spattered throughout its online battlefields (and Reach is no exception), the assassinations do not make their intended visual impact. Bungie had indicated that they anticipate the assassination to replace teabagging in the near future. Due to the lack of viscera however, I am sure that we will see young gamers squatting on the faces of the fallen for years to come. So far the assassinations look and feel like a missed opportunity, as hitting an opponent from behind with a melee attack does not necessarily equate to a fancy one hit kill animation. Sometimes it just looks like it always had previously in Halo-land, a king hit to the back of the head.
The two maps I've played on are the usual vertical Halo fare. Powerhouse reminds me an awful lot of High Ground, except slightly more ravine-ish and bereft of vehicles. Sword Base (silly name, ha!) is a winding, multi-level complex with several quality vantage points that are easily accessible. I'm yet to have a match on Boneyard, but it is a long time until Wednesday.
Throughout my matches I have only encountered one new weapon, and I had access to it from my first spawn. The new default Elite weapon, the Needle Rifle is for all intents and purposes, a Covenent version of the Battle Rifle. It looks better than a Battle Rifle, mainly because of the pretty colours, but it is used in the same fashion (hint: aim for the head). Melee hits are quicker, but also weaker. This change has not brought an end to the popular strategy of running at an opponent, showering them with bullets and finishing them off with a melee hit. It has however managed to lower the success rate of this methodology. Even with the Armor Abilites, Halo: Reach plays very similarly to its predecessors, but it does feel as though there has been enough added to warrant interest in the final release.
To those of you who have Halo 3: ODST and a Gold Subscription, I recommend that you jump in and play a few matches just to see what has changed, and as what is most often the case in Halo: Reach, what has stayed the same. So far I've had quite a bit of fun, and I intend to get in quite a few matches more before the end of the beta. The only negative I have to report, which is to be expected, is the unbelievable pettiness, rudeness and puzzling homophobia of the Xbox Live community. After completing my last Stockpile match of the afternoon, a player sent me a message implying I was stealing points from them. To give a little bit more background, Stockpile requires players to deliver flags littered throughout the battlefield to their team's safe zone. After 60 seconds, you are given points for any flags that are in your safe zone. While defending my teams's stockpile, a friendly had been dispatched and a group of enemies began stealing flags. I threw a few grenades to handle the red menace and then quickly returned the stolen flags to the safe zone. So from this I can conclude that my efforts to consolidate the team's victory were not appreciated, and not all the blues were working toward a common goal, rather for their own personal gain. I am yet to encounter this sort of criticism while playing FPS titles over the PSN. I can attribute this to the following: a) Bluetooth headsets are much more expensive than the standard, wired 360 headset, b) A wired headset comes free with Xbox 360 Elite consoles. Whether these are the main reasons the Playstation 3 online community prefer to play silently or not, thank you gouging games retailers for expensive headsets.
Has anyone else had a go at the Halo: Reach Beta? Does anybody play on both Xbox Live and the Playstation Network? If so, which do you prefer?
This afternoon I managed to fit in a few matches of Halo: Reach, and I am happy to report that it has learned quite a few things from its FPS competitors. After having played Halo 3 with some buddies last weekend, I was afraid that Reach would be as (painstakingly) slow as its predecessor. This is thankfully, not the case. You can sprint (finally!), however only when fighting with a gear load-out which includes that as an armor ability. Not to say that sprint is the only ability worth using, but with it equipped, Halo: Reach does manage to capture the pace and intensity of contemporaries like Modern Warfare 2. There are 5 abilities to be used in the beta, and I imgaine Bungie may add one or two more before the retail release. The jetpack is slow, but fun. I found it especially useful during CTF matches. Evade (exclusive to Elites) is essentially sprint, but it cannot be turned off once activated. Active camouflage is great for sniping but ineffective (not entirely, but still compromised somewhat) when moving. I am yet to use Armor Lock because it sounds pointless. Sure you become invulnerable, but you can't move. Essentially what it means to me is that when in use, armor lock would render me impervious to harm, however my enemies would need only run behind me to assassinate me once the effect has expired. I would not be able to evade my enemies' impending attack from behind. I'll give it a go sometime before the 19th, but I'm sure I won't appreciate it as Bungie intended.
Sprint (and Evade) better enable you to perform assassinations, elaborately (for Halo) animated melee attacks from behind that will kill the unlucky recipient. Since Halo hasn't traditionally seen excessive amounts of blood spattered throughout its online battlefields (and Reach is no exception), the assassinations do not make their intended visual impact. Bungie had indicated that they anticipate the assassination to replace teabagging in the near future. Due to the lack of viscera however, I am sure that we will see young gamers squatting on the faces of the fallen for years to come. So far the assassinations look and feel like a missed opportunity, as hitting an opponent from behind with a melee attack does not necessarily equate to a fancy one hit kill animation. Sometimes it just looks like it always had previously in Halo-land, a king hit to the back of the head.
The two maps I've played on are the usual vertical Halo fare. Powerhouse reminds me an awful lot of High Ground, except slightly more ravine-ish and bereft of vehicles. Sword Base (silly name, ha!) is a winding, multi-level complex with several quality vantage points that are easily accessible. I'm yet to have a match on Boneyard, but it is a long time until Wednesday.
Throughout my matches I have only encountered one new weapon, and I had access to it from my first spawn. The new default Elite weapon, the Needle Rifle is for all intents and purposes, a Covenent version of the Battle Rifle. It looks better than a Battle Rifle, mainly because of the pretty colours, but it is used in the same fashion (hint: aim for the head). Melee hits are quicker, but also weaker. This change has not brought an end to the popular strategy of running at an opponent, showering them with bullets and finishing them off with a melee hit. It has however managed to lower the success rate of this methodology. Even with the Armor Abilites, Halo: Reach plays very similarly to its predecessors, but it does feel as though there has been enough added to warrant interest in the final release.
To those of you who have Halo 3: ODST and a Gold Subscription, I recommend that you jump in and play a few matches just to see what has changed, and as what is most often the case in Halo: Reach, what has stayed the same. So far I've had quite a bit of fun, and I intend to get in quite a few matches more before the end of the beta. The only negative I have to report, which is to be expected, is the unbelievable pettiness, rudeness and puzzling homophobia of the Xbox Live community. After completing my last Stockpile match of the afternoon, a player sent me a message implying I was stealing points from them. To give a little bit more background, Stockpile requires players to deliver flags littered throughout the battlefield to their team's safe zone. After 60 seconds, you are given points for any flags that are in your safe zone. While defending my teams's stockpile, a friendly had been dispatched and a group of enemies began stealing flags. I threw a few grenades to handle the red menace and then quickly returned the stolen flags to the safe zone. So from this I can conclude that my efforts to consolidate the team's victory were not appreciated, and not all the blues were working toward a common goal, rather for their own personal gain. I am yet to encounter this sort of criticism while playing FPS titles over the PSN. I can attribute this to the following: a) Bluetooth headsets are much more expensive than the standard, wired 360 headset, b) A wired headset comes free with Xbox 360 Elite consoles. Whether these are the main reasons the Playstation 3 online community prefer to play silently or not, thank you gouging games retailers for expensive headsets.
Has anyone else had a go at the Halo: Reach Beta? Does anybody play on both Xbox Live and the Playstation Network? If so, which do you prefer?
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