The first 45 minutes of Single Player campaign of Tomb Raider, which released last Tuesday. I'll have a review later this week, but here is a sneak preview: it's good.
A look at video games and other deranged thoughts.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
TL;DR Top Games of 2012
Wow, a year does go by pretty quick, doesn't it? In what has become a yearly tradition, I sit here at my in-law's New Years Eve party pounding out this blog post instead of participating in some inane family gathering that involves kids screaming, some sporting event I don't care about, and the eventual countdown to a New Year where I resolve myself to write more blog posts, only to not come close to doing so.
2012 was an odd year. A new console released this year, one that will defy expectations of failure like its predecessor, despite being only on par with consoles seven and eight years older in terms of technology and selection of Library. A new handheld released this year, with all the technological promise to challenge perennial handheld king for its crown, and yet falling flat due to no creativity when it comes to unique IP's and games.
There always appears to be a bit of a lull in the year before major console releases, and while Microsoft and Sony made some efforts, everything seemed to just be waiting until February 2013 when Microsoft is rumored to unveil the next Xbox, or May/June where Sony is rumored to follow suit. Still, We were hit in the last quarter with some quality titles, worthy of filling up a top ten of the year. This list really isn't all that different from other bests of lists and does not vary greatly from lists of years past; chalk full of franchise sequels, franchise adaptations, and remakes. Only one original IP made the list this year. While I am a little disappointed that there weren't more original IPs that made the list, I am hopeful that maybe they were saved for the next console generation or maybe a value game that can be picked up next year and enjoyed.
A quick note about our panelists: This year, this list is a compilation of six people's input. While I will not name them specifically, I will state that I am the only member of this panel that does not work in the video game industry: Two people work for first party companies, one for a top tier developer, one for a prominent mobile game company and one for a prominent accessory company. Each provided me with their top games of the year, with a point value assigned to their choices. The tabulations were made by order of final point tally. So, without further ado...
The contributors of TL;DR present:
Top Ten Games of 2012
10. New Super Mario Brothers (WiiU/3DS)
I have a soft spot for New SMB. Some will say that the 3DS version was way too easy, but Nintendo just keeps proving that if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Maybe this is my sense of nostalgia getting the best of me when it comes to this franchise, but with every iteration of Mario out there currently, just going to the basics of jumping around with the raccoon suit, flower power, or mini mushroom just does not cease to get old.
9. Journey (PS3)
(From Lord Bling): "Probably the best $15 you can spend this year. It contains not a single word of dialog, and yet inspires more emotion than almost every other game I've ever played. Until Fumito Ueda can finally deliver The Last Guardian, I'll be playing through this again."
8: XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Multi, PC)
This is merely an updated version of XCOM: UFO Defense that came out in the mid 90's on MS DOS. However, this version is allowing gamers to discover what I loved then, being the first game to keep me up into the wee hours of the night. This squad turn-based shooter involves elements of managing the XCOM project, keeping governments happy, researching, manufacturing, then going out on missions and killing aliens. The gameplay is addicting as it was almost 20 years ago, the seamless tutorial into game is fantastic. Just make sure you save often.
7. Halo 4 (Xbox 360)
Eyes rolled a bit when this game was announced; with majority of us thinking that Halo was going to be gone when Bungie moved on, and there may not have been equal faith in 343 to carry on. However, we were pleasantly surprised with a good Single Player and multiplayer that both added a needed upgrade while maintaining the integrity of the game most of us all started out loving.
6. Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (Multi)*
This game comes with a bit of a caveat: This game was voted on and included mainly on its multiplayer. The single player campaign is a hilariously ridiculous romp that continues to be the overlooked part of the franchise. I was a large hater when this game came out, but too many people had fun with multiplayer I famously caved and bought in on the fun. Again, Treyarch doesn't reinvent the wheel, here: they just continued with fast paced, multiplayer action.
5. Forza Horizon (Xbox 360)
One of those games that kind of flew under the radar, Horizon pissed off the racing sim purists, but for me combined the more fun elements of racing with the Burnout Paradise style play through. You aren't penalized for taking corners too sharp (as you can rewind your screw-ups). You are also able to play "ghosts" of your friends' races, creating an interesting competitive co-op as you play on.
4. The Walking Dead (Xbox 360, PC, PS3)
(from Lord Bling): "If video games ever expand into a larger art form, we may look back on this as one of the turning points. Even though it's more of an interactive novel than a traditional game, Lee and Clementine are the most 'real' characters in any game I've ever played. Struggling for their survival will have you making moral choices that you'll think twice about, and then you'll second-guess those choices after the fact. By the end of the final episode, I was an emotional wreck. This game had me excited for what this medium can eventually become."
3. Far Cry 3 (Multi)
(once again from Lord Bling):
"I punched a shark in the face.
Just when I thought I was burned out on open-world games, this one delivered more 'holy crap' moments and genuine laughs than anything else I played this year. It made me feel like the star of an action movie. The first two Far Cry games were ambitious but uneven. This one corrects all the wrongs, and has a blast doing it. The tagline of 'Skyrim with guns' isn't too far off. While there are many ways to get around the massive island (cars, jeeps, jet skis, patrol boats, ziplines, hang gliders, wingsuits), exploring on foot while hunting was just as much fun. The "L.A. trust-funder turns into jungle mercenary" story is enjoyable (especially by normal shooter standards, even if it starts to tail off near the end), and the voice acting is stellar. The side missions are varied too, and are short enough to not overstay their welcome.
The AI is fairly random, which leads to some memorable moments. Sometimes while trying to capture a base, I spotted a caged animal inside. You can shoot the cage door lock and let the animal out, and it will distract the bad guys. At one point, I was observing a base through my camera when a black bear came out of the jungle and started attacking everyone. Instead of firing at them, I just watched as they screamed in horror and tried to kill it, and failed. The bear ripped every one of them apart, and then I got credit for capturing the base. I was in the right place at the right time. And I couldn't stop laughing. Besides a lengthy campaign, and tons of post-game exploration and side missions, there is also a decent co-op campaign, a full competitive multiplayer, and a map editor. It's not all perfect though. The graphics on Xbox aren't as sharp as I'd like, but I suppose it's a fair trade for drawing such a huge open map.
The multiplayer feels a little floaty when compared to other AAA shooters. However, I think the biggest omission is not being able to start a "New Game Plus" and carry your unlocked perks and weapons over into a new game. But, these are all minor complaints in my book. It's the most fun I had with a game this year."
2. Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360)
Everyone talks about the end, which was initially panned when spoiled on the internet. However, once you went through the game, which was a long goodbye wrapped in an action packed finale, you accepted the end. Still, Bioware went back to and amended an extended ending that gave fans more satisfaction. I had always been a huge Mass Effect fan (was my personal Game of the Year this year, as ME2 was my Game of
the Year in 2010), this game said goodbye to long time friends, solidified Shepard's mission to save an Earth under siege. The voice acting is top notch (I love you, Jennifer Hale), the story gives you difficult choices, and the game is actually pretty difficult.
This time around, Bioware incorporated a co-op Multiplayer element that was no only fun, but crucial to the Single Player campaign in effecting the eventual outcome.
1. Borderlands 2 (Multi)
This was the near-unanimous Game of the Year. Gearbox took all the fun, gameplay, story, humor, and enjoyment of the first Borderlands and turned it up to 11. This game was challenging, hilarious, and encouraged a full 4 player party with diverse classes in order to take down the big bosses. Downloadable DLC add ons were available not long after the game released in September. We all found ourselves running around talking to NPC's, frantically looking to finish every mission, laughing at most, but even taken back by a few outcomes.
The playability of this game will continue far beyond 2012 with the promise of new DLC down the road, and going back and trying to finish all the missions on the increasingly difficult "True Vault Hunter Mode". This game is the personification of what makes cooperative multiplayer a near necessity for future games. From the more coherent story and hilarious dialogue, to the improved gameplay, inventory, Borderlands 2 is the clear class of 2012.
2012 was an odd year. A new console released this year, one that will defy expectations of failure like its predecessor, despite being only on par with consoles seven and eight years older in terms of technology and selection of Library. A new handheld released this year, with all the technological promise to challenge perennial handheld king for its crown, and yet falling flat due to no creativity when it comes to unique IP's and games.
There always appears to be a bit of a lull in the year before major console releases, and while Microsoft and Sony made some efforts, everything seemed to just be waiting until February 2013 when Microsoft is rumored to unveil the next Xbox, or May/June where Sony is rumored to follow suit. Still, We were hit in the last quarter with some quality titles, worthy of filling up a top ten of the year. This list really isn't all that different from other bests of lists and does not vary greatly from lists of years past; chalk full of franchise sequels, franchise adaptations, and remakes. Only one original IP made the list this year. While I am a little disappointed that there weren't more original IPs that made the list, I am hopeful that maybe they were saved for the next console generation or maybe a value game that can be picked up next year and enjoyed.
A quick note about our panelists: This year, this list is a compilation of six people's input. While I will not name them specifically, I will state that I am the only member of this panel that does not work in the video game industry: Two people work for first party companies, one for a top tier developer, one for a prominent mobile game company and one for a prominent accessory company. Each provided me with their top games of the year, with a point value assigned to their choices. The tabulations were made by order of final point tally. So, without further ado...
10. New Super Mario Brothers (WiiU/3DS)I have a soft spot for New SMB. Some will say that the 3DS version was way too easy, but Nintendo just keeps proving that if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Maybe this is my sense of nostalgia getting the best of me when it comes to this franchise, but with every iteration of Mario out there currently, just going to the basics of jumping around with the raccoon suit, flower power, or mini mushroom just does not cease to get old.
9. Journey (PS3)
(From Lord Bling): "Probably the best $15 you can spend this year. It contains not a single word of dialog, and yet inspires more emotion than almost every other game I've ever played. Until Fumito Ueda can finally deliver The Last Guardian, I'll be playing through this again."
8: XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Multi, PC)
This is merely an updated version of XCOM: UFO Defense that came out in the mid 90's on MS DOS. However, this version is allowing gamers to discover what I loved then, being the first game to keep me up into the wee hours of the night. This squad turn-based shooter involves elements of managing the XCOM project, keeping governments happy, researching, manufacturing, then going out on missions and killing aliens. The gameplay is addicting as it was almost 20 years ago, the seamless tutorial into game is fantastic. Just make sure you save often.
7. Halo 4 (Xbox 360)
Eyes rolled a bit when this game was announced; with majority of us thinking that Halo was going to be gone when Bungie moved on, and there may not have been equal faith in 343 to carry on. However, we were pleasantly surprised with a good Single Player and multiplayer that both added a needed upgrade while maintaining the integrity of the game most of us all started out loving.
6. Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (Multi)*
This game comes with a bit of a caveat: This game was voted on and included mainly on its multiplayer. The single player campaign is a hilariously ridiculous romp that continues to be the overlooked part of the franchise. I was a large hater when this game came out, but too many people had fun with multiplayer I famously caved and bought in on the fun. Again, Treyarch doesn't reinvent the wheel, here: they just continued with fast paced, multiplayer action.
5. Forza Horizon (Xbox 360)
One of those games that kind of flew under the radar, Horizon pissed off the racing sim purists, but for me combined the more fun elements of racing with the Burnout Paradise style play through. You aren't penalized for taking corners too sharp (as you can rewind your screw-ups). You are also able to play "ghosts" of your friends' races, creating an interesting competitive co-op as you play on.
4. The Walking Dead (Xbox 360, PC, PS3)
(from Lord Bling): "If video games ever expand into a larger art form, we may look back on this as one of the turning points. Even though it's more of an interactive novel than a traditional game, Lee and Clementine are the most 'real' characters in any game I've ever played. Struggling for their survival will have you making moral choices that you'll think twice about, and then you'll second-guess those choices after the fact. By the end of the final episode, I was an emotional wreck. This game had me excited for what this medium can eventually become."
3. Far Cry 3 (Multi)
(once again from Lord Bling):
"I punched a shark in the face.
Just when I thought I was burned out on open-world games, this one delivered more 'holy crap' moments and genuine laughs than anything else I played this year. It made me feel like the star of an action movie. The first two Far Cry games were ambitious but uneven. This one corrects all the wrongs, and has a blast doing it. The tagline of 'Skyrim with guns' isn't too far off. While there are many ways to get around the massive island (cars, jeeps, jet skis, patrol boats, ziplines, hang gliders, wingsuits), exploring on foot while hunting was just as much fun. The "L.A. trust-funder turns into jungle mercenary" story is enjoyable (especially by normal shooter standards, even if it starts to tail off near the end), and the voice acting is stellar. The side missions are varied too, and are short enough to not overstay their welcome.
The AI is fairly random, which leads to some memorable moments. Sometimes while trying to capture a base, I spotted a caged animal inside. You can shoot the cage door lock and let the animal out, and it will distract the bad guys. At one point, I was observing a base through my camera when a black bear came out of the jungle and started attacking everyone. Instead of firing at them, I just watched as they screamed in horror and tried to kill it, and failed. The bear ripped every one of them apart, and then I got credit for capturing the base. I was in the right place at the right time. And I couldn't stop laughing. Besides a lengthy campaign, and tons of post-game exploration and side missions, there is also a decent co-op campaign, a full competitive multiplayer, and a map editor. It's not all perfect though. The graphics on Xbox aren't as sharp as I'd like, but I suppose it's a fair trade for drawing such a huge open map.
The multiplayer feels a little floaty when compared to other AAA shooters. However, I think the biggest omission is not being able to start a "New Game Plus" and carry your unlocked perks and weapons over into a new game. But, these are all minor complaints in my book. It's the most fun I had with a game this year."
2. Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360)Everyone talks about the end, which was initially panned when spoiled on the internet. However, once you went through the game, which was a long goodbye wrapped in an action packed finale, you accepted the end. Still, Bioware went back to and amended an extended ending that gave fans more satisfaction. I had always been a huge Mass Effect fan (was my personal Game of the Year this year, as ME2 was my Game of
the Year in 2010), this game said goodbye to long time friends, solidified Shepard's mission to save an Earth under siege. The voice acting is top notch (I love you, Jennifer Hale), the story gives you difficult choices, and the game is actually pretty difficult.
This time around, Bioware incorporated a co-op Multiplayer element that was no only fun, but crucial to the Single Player campaign in effecting the eventual outcome.
1. Borderlands 2 (Multi)This was the near-unanimous Game of the Year. Gearbox took all the fun, gameplay, story, humor, and enjoyment of the first Borderlands and turned it up to 11. This game was challenging, hilarious, and encouraged a full 4 player party with diverse classes in order to take down the big bosses. Downloadable DLC add ons were available not long after the game released in September. We all found ourselves running around talking to NPC's, frantically looking to finish every mission, laughing at most, but even taken back by a few outcomes.
The playability of this game will continue far beyond 2012 with the promise of new DLC down the road, and going back and trying to finish all the missions on the increasingly difficult "True Vault Hunter Mode". This game is the personification of what makes cooperative multiplayer a near necessity for future games. From the more coherent story and hilarious dialogue, to the improved gameplay, inventory, Borderlands 2 is the clear class of 2012.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
You should be playing Battlefield 3.
Long time, no post! I figured I'd start off the New Year by contributing something to this long-forgotten site. Between this and the Top Ten, it's a regular firestorm of content all of a sudden!
So, if you're not playing Battlefield 3 ... why not? This is what you're missing out on:
The footage is from the Xbox. The wonderful Lady Bling (not her real name) got me a Hauppage HD PVR for Christmas. It was easy to set up, and works just like advertised. Then I bought Adobe Premiere Elements 10 and have been learning how to use it. It's not as full-featured as the more expensive editing programs, but it's a hell of a lot better than the free ones I'd been messing around with.
Now let's see if this site stays empty for the next 11 months....
So, if you're not playing Battlefield 3 ... why not? This is what you're missing out on:
The footage is from the Xbox. The wonderful Lady Bling (not her real name) got me a Hauppage HD PVR for Christmas. It was easy to set up, and works just like advertised. Then I bought Adobe Premiere Elements 10 and have been learning how to use it. It's not as full-featured as the more expensive editing programs, but it's a hell of a lot better than the free ones I'd been messing around with.
Now let's see if this site stays empty for the next 11 months....
Saturday, December 31, 2011
TL;DR Top Games of 2011
Well holy shit, you guys; where has the time gone? Where have all my blog posts gone? I swear I've been dropping three or four posts a week for the last six months, what is this I don't even.
OK FINE. I haven't been around. Sorry, but it really isn't like those who read this know that I've been busy, and that everyone else apparently has as well. However, since this is New Year's Eve, I suppose I shall grace this Earth with a Top 10 of the year, even though the shelf life on this list is about another six hours.
This list is a compilation and combination of what the contributors of this site (or, just the list) have provided. I have some perspectives on some games, others I haven't even had the ability to get into yet because I've been so busy playing other games on this list. One of my resolutions for next year is to be more diligent about wasting time reviewing games that you've already played and won't even read this. However, here goes anyway:
9. Dead Space 2
(from IGN):
"While Deus Ex: Human Revolution can't be the revelation that Deus Ex was in 2000, it's an achievement nonetheless. It's a visionary, considered piece of work, and while my thoughts drift to the things that could have been and the compromises made due to the possibilities of video games in 2011, they're just as quick to consider playing through it again. Human Revolution is a smart, rewarding piece of transhumanist noir that does justice not just to Deus Ex, but to the fiction that inspired it"
"Here's a franchise that lives and breathes set pieces. No matter where Nathan Drake is in the world, expect everything to go tits-up and you'll be racing to escape a crashing airplane, a sinking ocean liner, etc. They also included some multi-segmented MP maps, which felt different from everything else I've played this year. So why isn't the game higher on this list? Part 2 was #2 in 2009. Unfortunately, this one doesn't live up to the gold standard of that game. The campaign's story and dialogue aren't nearly as sharp, and weakly ties the set pieces together. The aiming and shooting mechanic was tweaked, and now it felt a lot sloppier (Naughty Dog has since patched this, but I haven't replayed any of the campaign since). Worst of all, I wasn't really rooting for Nathan in this one. His motivation is largely selfish and stupid. But wow, those set pieces."
Gears was a very satisfying conclusion to one of the better shooter sagas of this console generation. Both single player and multiplayer were solid, as I finally got to enjoy Gears' multiplayer instead of being pulverized by people running around using Host Shotguns to their advantage. Horde Mode was great, but the best part was the 4 player co-op campaign. Finally, as the franchise concludes, Epic gets it.
"If you want to be reductive about it, Arkham City is more Batman, and if you want more Batman, there's no question: you should play this game. But there's more to it than that. In the two years since Arkham Asylum, there hasn't really been anything like it until now. Getting another chance to use Batman's considerable combat talents as you engage in one of the best fighting systems going today is a joy. The city looks terrific, like it's one step away from just bursting into flames as criminals crawl across every single surface doing... whatever it is that criminals do when they're locked in a city-shaped prison. The interior areas look just as good, giving you a sense that, again, this is a realistic place that's been overrun. The voice acting, featuring plenty of the same cast members that performed so perfectly last time around, is incredibly sharp, with writing that fits what you'd expect from most of the different characters you face. But to sum it all up, it's hard to imagine any fan of action games coming away from Arkham City disappointed. It might not rewrite the book on Batman video games, but when you're building off of such a strong position--and you're only shipping the second game with such similarities, rather than a third or fourth--it's hard to bicker too much about what changes the developers did or didn't make."
"Expectations can be a bitch. When The Orange Box was released, Portal was the sleeper hit of the year, and for good reason. The first-person puzzle gameplay was one-of-a-kind, and the writing was whip-smart and laugh-out-loud funny. It not only told a compelling story, but did so in about two hours. So here comes a sequel, which is around six to eight hours long, and adds a meaty 2-player co-op mode. And people still flooded Metacritic user reviews to complain. "It's too short! It's not worth $60!" Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG. They added to an already deep and rich universe, with new gameplay mechanics that somehow don't break what had been established previously. That alone is worth celebrating. And then there's Wheatley, the best character in a video game in a long damned time. I had very high expectations for this game, and it met every single one of them."
"This is the deepest, loveliest world ever created for a single player to explore, and one that no one should deny themselves. This is a game about following Emerson's advice, leaving the trail and finding that the most powerful force on Earth or Tamriel isn't fire or sword, but the ever-insistent desire to know what lies beyond."
OK FINE. I haven't been around. Sorry, but it really isn't like those who read this know that I've been busy, and that everyone else apparently has as well. However, since this is New Year's Eve, I suppose I shall grace this Earth with a Top 10 of the year, even though the shelf life on this list is about another six hours.
This list is a compilation and combination of what the contributors of this site (or, just the list) have provided. I have some perspectives on some games, others I haven't even had the ability to get into yet because I've been so busy playing other games on this list. One of my resolutions for next year is to be more diligent about wasting time reviewing games that you've already played and won't even read this. However, here goes anyway:
Now the Contributors of TL;DR present:
TOP TEN GAMES OF 2011
10. L.A. Noire
Earlier this year, I was torn between the awesomeness of the presentation and beginning of the story, and the eventual letdown and WTF moments in how that story unfolded at the conclusion. Even if you could boil this game down to Grand Theft Auto of the late 40's playing good guy, that really isn't a bad place to start.
9. Dead Space 2
Some of us really liked it, some of us didn't, but Visceral Games' follow up to a Sci-Fi horror classic is back for more with less frights and more action. I, for one, was perfectly fine with less fright because I can now sleep at night. While the multiplayer is very forgettable, the campaign doesn't disappoint.
8. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
(from IGN):
"While Deus Ex: Human Revolution can't be the revelation that Deus Ex was in 2000, it's an achievement nonetheless. It's a visionary, considered piece of work, and while my thoughts drift to the things that could have been and the compromises made due to the possibilities of video games in 2011, they're just as quick to consider playing through it again. Human Revolution is a smart, rewarding piece of transhumanist noir that does justice not just to Deus Ex, but to the fiction that inspired it"
7. Dead Island
I mean, come on, who can hate a game with ZAMBIES? Dead Island was almost exactly like Borderlands for me; a game that came from out of no where when I was waiting for other games to come out. It pretty much is Borderlands. On an Island. With Zombies. The game was insanely addictive from start to finish, as I pretty much went to look to upgrade killing utensils. By the way, in playing this, prepare to die: A LOT.
6. Uncharted 3
(from Lord Bling):
"Here's a franchise that lives and breathes set pieces. No matter where Nathan Drake is in the world, expect everything to go tits-up and you'll be racing to escape a crashing airplane, a sinking ocean liner, etc. They also included some multi-segmented MP maps, which felt different from everything else I've played this year. So why isn't the game higher on this list? Part 2 was #2 in 2009. Unfortunately, this one doesn't live up to the gold standard of that game. The campaign's story and dialogue aren't nearly as sharp, and weakly ties the set pieces together. The aiming and shooting mechanic was tweaked, and now it felt a lot sloppier (Naughty Dog has since patched this, but I haven't replayed any of the campaign since). Worst of all, I wasn't really rooting for Nathan in this one. His motivation is largely selfish and stupid. But wow, those set pieces."
5. Gears of War 3
Another in my failure to get on the 'reviewing games' ball. Gears was one of those games that kind of got lost in the flood of games that came out between September and November.
Gears was a very satisfying conclusion to one of the better shooter sagas of this console generation. Both single player and multiplayer were solid, as I finally got to enjoy Gears' multiplayer instead of being pulverized by people running around using Host Shotguns to their advantage. Horde Mode was great, but the best part was the 4 player co-op campaign. Finally, as the franchise concludes, Epic gets it.
4. Batman: Arkham City
Batman is so hot right now. But in seriousness, Arkham City is a great expansion of Arhkham Asylum of a few years ago. One of our contriubutors, who will not be mentioned, put this game as their number one game of the year.
(from GiantBomb):
3. Portal 2
(again, from Lord Bling)
"Expectations can be a bitch. When The Orange Box was released, Portal was the sleeper hit of the year, and for good reason. The first-person puzzle gameplay was one-of-a-kind, and the writing was whip-smart and laugh-out-loud funny. It not only told a compelling story, but did so in about two hours. So here comes a sequel, which is around six to eight hours long, and adds a meaty 2-player co-op mode. And people still flooded Metacritic user reviews to complain. "It's too short! It's not worth $60!" Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG. They added to an already deep and rich universe, with new gameplay mechanics that somehow don't break what had been established previously. That alone is worth celebrating. And then there's Wheatley, the best character in a video game in a long damned time. I had very high expectations for this game, and it met every single one of them."
2. Battlefield 3
This is THE BEST Multiplayer Shooter of the year. I don't care if the single player campaign is dull, un-original, short, and forgettable. There isn't a better place to squad up and shoot other people in the face. The fact that many here will still be playing this game well into 2012 is one of the reasons we all voted this game so high on our lists. Gameplay is well balanced between classes, you actually HAVE TO PLAY AS A TEAM, and kill-whoring basically gets you nowhere. Did I mention, you get to fly FUCKING JETS?!?
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
(from Joystiq):
Let us all be honest with ourselves: this comes as a surprise to precisely no one, considering Skyrim is pretty much on everyone else's GOTY lists.
Bethesda pretty much writes its own ticket when it comes to these type of Role Playing Masterpieces. This game is like Second Life with Dragons; you can engross yourself in the world of Skyrim for hours upon hours, and not even touch the main storyline. Some complain that there is somewhat of a lack of overall story, but I disagree: Skyrim is a world where you can dictate your own story, at your own pace. Do you want to mine ore and smith? Ok. If you want to affectionately count blades of grass, and cultivate flowers? No complaints. People have leveled multiple times over without having killed a single creature. Skyrim is what you make it; and for us, we've made it the best of 2011.
Bethesda pretty much writes its own ticket when it comes to these type of Role Playing Masterpieces. This game is like Second Life with Dragons; you can engross yourself in the world of Skyrim for hours upon hours, and not even touch the main storyline. Some complain that there is somewhat of a lack of overall story, but I disagree: Skyrim is a world where you can dictate your own story, at your own pace. Do you want to mine ore and smith? Ok. If you want to affectionately count blades of grass, and cultivate flowers? No complaints. People have leveled multiple times over without having killed a single creature. Skyrim is what you make it; and for us, we've made it the best of 2011.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Duke Nukem Forever Review
Screw the naysayers, Duke Nukem Forever is a fun game. 15 years ago, shortly after Duke Nukem 3D successfully released, 3D Realms (and even though Gearbox's name is on the cover, this is still a 3D Realms game, their last one) decided that the sequel to their game would be called Duke Nukem Forever, and began initial work on it. At the 1998 E3, the first trailer was released to the public. 13 years later the game finally released. Is it perfect? No. I'll get to that in a minute. Is it Raucous, immature, and humorous? If you played Duke Nukem 3D, I don't need to answer that. And if you are expecting anything different, this is not the game for you. It's Duke Nukem, not Call of Duty, Halo, or Dead Space (there are references to all of these in the game). It never takes itself seriously, which is exactly how it should be. First the good. As the game opens, an Alien Mothership has returned to Earth claiming goodwill. It doesn't take long before they start taking our women, and Duke is called
back into action (against the President of the US's orders) to save them and all of humanity. The levels are linear, but well designed. You'll fight aliens in a stadium, a Vegas casino, a fast food joint high above the Vegas streets, the Nevada Desert, and on top of, inside of, and even deep underwater by the Hoover Dam. The FPS action is mixed up between mini games, turret battles, and little distractions scattered throughout the levels, that once you try for the first time, add to your EGO Gauge (life meter). Things like turning on a hand dryer in the restroom, peeing into a urinal, playing a game of pool or pinball, and several others. There's a few levels mid-way where you are headed to the Hoover Dam (the first part of the game takes place in Las Vegas), and you are given a monster truck to drive. These were some of the funnest levels I played. The truck never felt like it was floating or skating. There are areas where your truck runs out of gas, and you have to go out on foot, find gas, and bring it back to the truck before you can move on. In several places, you are shrunk down to action figure size. These areas consist of mostly platforming sequences that other than a couple of hiccups, work surprisingly well. A lot of this takes place at Duke Burger in Vegas, another area, that was one of my favorites. The weapon variety is pretty good, although except for boss battles and a few other instances, you'll probably find yourself sticking to the Ripper. There's some fun to be had with the Shrink Ray and the Freeze Gun, but you'll always come back to the Ripper. You can find several "power up" items throughout the game as well. You use them by pushing a specific direction on the D Pad, however you can only carry one of each at a time. Beer will make you stronger, and you take less damage. Steroids make you almost invulnerable, and you get one punch melee attacks. The Holoduke creates a hologram of you, while turning you invisible so that enemies focus on him instead of you. And finally, you always have Dukevision, this game's version of night vision.
As I stated above, this game isn't without it's faults. After you beat the game, you'll unlock some extras, including videos of previous trailers, and art from previous versions. There's also a nifty little timeline for the game. Based on all that, I'm guessing this game was visually finished in 2008. And since I'm guessing, I'll go one further, and say that the visuals are based on the engine
from another 3D Realms game, Prey, which released in 2006. And it shows. The graphics are far from what is coming out of most games this far into the consoles' lifecycles. And there are some framerate issues. I would be surprised if the game is evening running at 30 FPS in some places. But perhaps the most surprising and disappointing thing about the game is the load times. I could forgive the sub-par graphics and the framerate issues. Between each, level you will wait 40-50 seconds for a level to load. If you die, you also have to wait that long. I didn't die a lot (playing at the normal level), but there are a couple of boss battles that are very trial and error, and it doesn't make things any better having to wait almost a minute after each death. According to the timeline in the extras, the single player was pretty much done in 2009. While they used the extra time to get through legal and ownership issues, as well as add a multiplayer component to the game, you'd think in two years they would be able to fix the load time issues. It's disappointing. And while there is a multiplayer part included in the game, I didn't play it. Didn't have any interest. I got the game for the singleplayer campaign, so I won't be reviewing the MP.
This game should never have released at a full $59.99 retail. Had it been released at $39.99 or less, I would probably give it an 8 out of 10. At full price though, I can't give it anything higher than a 6.5. I'd recommend it at a lower price point or as a rental.
TL;DR: Fun, entertaining game with 2006 visuals, and enjoy those load times!
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