Looks like progress is being made here. Parasite Eve is now crossed off the list and am now on to game number three. I didn’t think I would finish Parasite Eve that fast. For some reason, I thought that this game was pretty long. For what it’s worth, the game was a joy to play and I’m glad I got it done. I guess I should go look for Parasite Eve II next. I have a verdict in the works, with Darksiders II almost finished and ready to go up.
The next game on the list is DmC: Devil May Cry. For this one, I’m playing the game on PC at Nephilim difficulty. At this point, I’m one hour into the game and on mission three. The train will keep going until this is done. Let us continue…
To kick things off, Darksiders II is now completed. I finished the game this morning and took a little over 17 hours to finish. As I stated before, I would finish four games this month and now this one can be taken off the list. I did enjoy my time with this game and will go back to try and achieve the max level for Death. I’m hoping to have a full written verdict up sometime soon.
With one game done, it’s time to move on to the next one on the list and that game is Parasite Eve. I’ve booted the game up a little after I finished Darksiders II and have made it to Day 2 right now. I’m not sure how long this one will take, but here we go.
Again I’ll keep everyone informed of progress. Thanks for reading and leave your thoughts.
I started my run with the ‘Four in February’ with Darksiders II being the first game to go for.According to game time, I’ve put in six and a half hours at this point. I’m enjoying what I’m playing and am starting to dig it. I’m currently located in the Forge Lands with the Makers trying to get to the Tree of Life. I don’t think I’m that far in to the game right now and have quite a distance to go.
One thing that keeps distracting me is trying to do the side quests in the game. I’ve already completed a few of them right now and have this strange obsession to complete them. I need to work out my time carefully to complete the game and move on. I don’t think this will be a problem, but something I need to keep an eye on.
From now, I’ll be referring to ‘Four in February’ as FnF. I’ll give another update in the next few days.
I was reading an article on Kotaku about this and seems like a good idea. I’m going to give this a shot because I already have a big enough backlog, I don’t want to make it any bigger now. The four that I’m going with are:
DmC: Devil May Cry
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Parasite Eve
Darksiders II
I have a lot of other games to pick, but I have made up my mind on these. This will start today and will continue until the end of the month. I will keep an update throughout and give my thoughts on these games as well (I want to write a review for these games when I’m done).
The first game to go on this is Darksiders II. I’m looking forward to this.
A few days ago, I made a post that I bought a 3DS XL and have been messing around with the system. I can say that, as of this point, I do enjoy this system and am surprised about the thing as well. I did try out a normal 3DS, just to see what that was all about again before getting the XL. There is a fair bit of weight to it and still finding that sweet spot to view the 3D is a little issue for me, but not too big of an issue. The system feels better in the hands compared to the original, my hand felt that it was being cramped all the time.
I can't wait now for Fire Emblem Awakening to come out. Also, after looking at Pokemon X and Y, a release date for Devil Summoner Soul Hackers and a North American release for Project X Zone, this is the right time to get a 3DS.
I'll try to keep updating my page with more, so keep in touch and see ya guys soon.
A week ago, I asked around on the forums on whether to buy a 3DS XL or the Fire Emblem bundle to prepare for the release of Fire Emblem Awakening. I just bought one today and am enjoying the system. I got the demo for Awakening and Adventure Time.
I just have to buy a screen protector for the thing and some other games as well. What are some good ones to pick up? I plan to get Fire Emblem when it's available on February 4. I also plan to get Adventure Time as well. I have already played Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 already. Any suggestions would be awesome.
Heyo everyone, again. I put up my top ten picks for game of the year, but I figured I should also do another list of some games that deserve some notoriety. Without further ado, here are some honourable mentions:
When I saw that Dodonpachi Resurrection was being released for consoles, I had my fingers crossed for a North America release. Unfourtanetly, that wasn't the case, but Rising Star Games came in and saved the day by adding NTSC support for their release. The craziness that is known by this series remanis intact, but the beauty with this entry is how the game is more accessible and finely balanced. The scoring system is one that keeps players on their toes and can lead to some insane combos and high scores on the leaderboards. This is easily one of the top games for this genre and the best shmup that I've played in a while now. Here's hoping for another Dodonpachi game or even Akai Katana Shin coming out in North America.
I've heard of visual novel games, but have not played a lot of them. The first time I encountered this type of game was the Story Mode from Blazblue: Calamity Trigger. I went into this game with no knowledge at all and I have to say, this is not what I was expecting. The main thing that I took away from this game was the interaction with the girls that you talk to. Those moments, along with the story, were all well written and made me see what was going to happen next. Since this is a hentai game, there has to be sex scenes in it, I suppose. I guess they were good, but I'm not one to comment on that kind of stuff. I've heard that there is a sequel for this game and I'd like to see that localized. Now this makes me feel both guilty and dirty for wanting that.
I didn't include this game on my top ten list because I didn't play enough of the game to make a decision. As of this writing, I have played some more of the game, and I have to say, I'm thoroughly impressed. I'm not a fan of MMORPG's, with the only one that I've played is Guild Wars (if that can be considered an MMORPG). This game is the amalgamation of a strong single player RPG like Knights of the Old Republic, but expanding that into the online world like World of Warcraft. The big difference here is that the game gives players a focus from the start and doesn't let up. The game can be completed solo if players choose to or participate with others to do group quests. I plan to play this game for a while and applaud Bioware for this.
Atlus is a company that has yet to disappoint me with their releases, along with Aksys. Catherine is a game that I wanted to play for the story and what a story it was. This game proves that there can be mature and intricate stories told in this type of media. Vincent's journey through this game, trying to deal with both Katherine and Catherine, is well told and makes one wonder if the decision that was made is the right one. This does make me think about how faithful can one be in this situation and love isn't superficial. Some have said that this game is just smut (that was just looking at the cover), but looking past that and digging deeper into the game, there's an experience that must be experienced by all.
This game has the potential to be a complete failure and derivative, like Duke Nukem Forever. However, where Duke fell into that trap, Garcia managed to avoid with grace. Shadows of the Damned proved to be something funny and fun in the process. The game just seems to be another third person shooter with some crazy demons and stuff, with a weird story. With this being a Suda 51 game, what more is to be expected from that man? After finishing the game (a few times, to be honest), I can say that this is perhaps the best game that the man has produced. Garcia "Fucking" Hotspur is one of the best characters that I've seen in a game and Johnson is a fun sidekick, next to Wheatley.
I have never seen any of the anime or read the manga for this, but after playing this game, Bleach has my interest. The game plays like any hack n slash, similar to God of War III or even Dynasty Warriors 7. I'm not a huge fan of these types of games, but this managed to be fun. The difference here is that the game manages to strike a balance between slaughtering all enemies in sight, but has enough depth and upgrades to keep players busy. The look of the game is really solid and has more of the anime vibe behind it. The game uses the same visual style like Tales of Vesperia. I only rented this game for a few days and took it back. I should have bought this and now I'm on the hunt for a copy.
I'm not a fan of wrestling games at all. The last one I played was WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2007 and that was just meh. After playing WWE All Stars, this game shows that wrestlers don't have to be complex to play. The developers take a fighting game approach, which makes sense since Sal Divita (the producer) worked on Mortal Kombat 3. This approach makes the game more accessible and fun to play, while leaving a layer of depth underneath for players to discover. My favourite mode in this game has to be Fantasy Warfare. This mode puts Legends against Superstars with some interesting results. There are some that work better than others, but was fun no doubt. For the next WWE simulation, I think these guys should work on that.
The original Descent: Freespace was one of the best space flight simulators that I played back in the day. I never got a chance to spend a lot of time with the sequel due to other games out at the time. After finally getting my hands on Freespace 2 (there has been a 12 year wait, woah), I wished I did spend more time with this. The game has an excellent pace to it along with smooth control and fun space battles. The game feels more refined than the first game in almost every way possible. This makes me sad that there won't be another Freespace game since I would like to see this series return, but Volition already has Saint's Row to rely on. I would like to see another game, but I'm not holding my breath.
I've been a fan of Mortal Kombat since Mortal Kombat 3 the Sega Genesis. The last few entries in the franchise were all fine, but nothing spectacular or something to write to home about. After the resurgence of fighting games in 2008, thanks to Street Fighter IV, the time was right for Mortal Kombat to return. What has been done here is a different vision of what this franchise is and has been modernized for the current era. The fighting is really well balanced, while also bringing all the best characters from the first three games and wrapping that up in well executed Story Mode. I'm glad to see this franchise return and wish for all the best to come from NetherRealm Studios.
Dragon Age: Origins was one of the best RPG's that I played in a while. The game gave me the vibe of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Planescape: Torment, which are considered some of the best RPG's for the PC. The direction that was taken with Dragon Age II was alright, but Bioware seemed to appeal to more of the console players than stick with what worked. The game is more button masher than more strategic, also the game's story was just not well put together. Each time, the game would build up to a great moment and then just drop it. They did leave the fans hanging and I hope that this isn't repeated for the third game. One suggestion is keep the combat mechanics from the second game for the consoles and use the mechanics from the first game for PC.
To quote the quick look for the game "Did you guys know that Postal III came out last year?" The fact is, the game did come out last year, I did play it and I regret doing that. I liked Postal 2 when it came out back in the day. Back then, times were different and my idea for enjoyment was somewhere else. Maybe that's why I liked Postal 2. There were a few moments that were alright, but this game is just a waste of time and effort. While I did like Duke Nukem Forever, Postal III is just broken and not completely funny.
This is the first time that I'm writing a list for this, but this is a better time than never. I've been discussing this with my friends, but I've never done a blog post. Without further ado, here are my top 5 picks for music in 2011:
1. Radiosurgery - New Found Glory
In order to move forward, sometimes it's necessary to go back a few steps. To me, this is the case with Radiosurgery. New Found Glory went back to what worked for them back on Nothing Gold Can Stay and have returned with excellent results. This is easily one of the most catchiest and fun records that the band has produced. The subject matter is a little depressing (this is all about heartbreak and the stages one goes through), but this makes for some great music. Easily my top album of 2011 and will see repeated listens in 2012.
2. Wasting Light - Foo Fighter
This album was a real surprise for me. Their last outing Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace was alright, but nothing too exciting. I kept hearing that the new album was a great listen, so I figured I would give it a chance. I'm glad that I did because this has one of the best sounds to lay on my ears since Era Vulgaris by Queens of the Stone Age. Foo Fighters have found a sound that works and back it up with some good lyrics to produce what is perhaps the best album of their career.
3. In Waves - Trivium
Trivium is a band that has been on my radar for a while now. I listened to their last outing Shogun and was impressed with that and curious to see where the would go next. After listening to In Waves, I was a little shocked. This album still has the vibe of Shogun, but with a little bit of pop infused. That doesn't sound like a good mixture, but they make the best out of it and produce an entertaining record through and through. I would hope for something a little more heavier next time.
4. The Hunter - Mastodon
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Mastodon is awesome. Keep in mind that this is the first album that I've listened to and the bar has been set high for this team. This has to be one of the weirdest albums that I've listened to since Mezmerize and Hypnotize by System of a Down. I have no idea what these guys are thinking when they are making music, but this makes for one hell of a ride and enjoyable experience even if I don't know what a Stargazm is.
5. Neighborhoods - Blink-182
When word that Blink-182 was reuniting, the world went silent for a minute. This did take them a while to produce a new album since their self-titled, which is one of the best albums that I've heard. The final results were a little mixed, but was none the less a Blink-182 album. All the members took their experience from their side projects and incorporated that into the new record. While this may not be anything new, this was a great welcome back for the boys and I will be watching to see where they continue to go, just don't take too long for the next album.
Didn't make the cut, but deserves a honorable mention
Screaming Bloody Murder - Sum 41
These guys are on a slippery slope. After Dave Baksh left the band and the sub-par Underclass Hero, the future didn't look bright for Sum 41. They had the choice of either fade into oblivion or make something that'll improve themselves. They seemed to have taken the latter option and this was the right choice to make. This make a welcome change for the band and a sense of progression. I'm hoping that the band continues with this style and refine it down. Welcome back guys.
2011's 2010 Album of the Year
Diamond Eyes - Deftones
To me, Deftones have yet to disappoint me. When Chi Cheng went into a coma, the band shelved Eros indefinitely and started over. The band recruited Sergio Vega to take over duties for Chi and the result is Diamond Eyes. This is easily the band's best work since White Pony. Every song has a sense of urgency and boom to them that makes them stand out. The other surprise was the tone which is more optimistic compared to their last few outings. I welcome this change and seeing the band grow.
This is that time of the year again. All of these great games have come out and now must be placed in a list to see what is deserving of the title 'Game of the Year.' I present to you, the reader, my picks for this year. I will have another post of other picks for 2011 soon.
This was a hard choice to make, but this game deserves it. A love letter to Batman fans, Arkham City is one of the best experiences I've had in gaming for a while. The villains you meet along the way, plus the side characters and missions that they have really expand the world and make players believe that Arkham is where these guys belong. One great moment after another and always wanting to see what or where The Dark Knight will go next. If there's going to be another game, how will that top this?
This game is the best example of a developer listening to their fan base and how to make a proper sequel. After the abysmal failure that was The King of Fighters XII, there was a lot of expectations and anticipation when the next installment was announced. Suffice to say, SNK Playmore have hit this out of the court. Including a plethora of modes, more fighters, balanced gameplay, and functional (yet room for improvement) online play, The King of Fighters XIII has the king return to glory as one of the top fighters of this generation.
Dance Central was the reason that I bought a Kinect. After that, there have been some alright games for the device, but nothing can top that. That is until now. Dance Central 2 brings with it a better song selection, more interesting dance routines, and a interesting Crew Challenge mode. I know this will keep my Kinect busy for a while and hopefully keep me fit and hopefully get me back in shape.
I'll always have a place for Mario for my platformers, but the best character for that is Rayman. This game signals a proper return to the gameplay that made Rayman popular and amazing. The last time we saw the man in a platformer was Hoodlum Havoc. The return to a simple, yet gorgeous art style and tough as nails, but precise platforming. This was the reason that I got into Rayman and I'm glad to see the man and his rag tag team back in style.
The original Deus Ex was, at least to me, a pioneer in letting players have multiple approaches to an objective. Many games today give this option, but still nothing can beat this series. Human Revolution has one of the most believable worlds that I've experienced and bring the series to the modern era of hardware while not sacrificing what made the series fun. Well, the exception to that is the boss fights, but that's just a minor blemish on what is a entertaining experience from beginning to end.
I've been a fan of this series since Battlefield 2 came out on the PC back in 2005. The wait has been long for sure, but DICE delivers on what they do best and that is Multiplayer. Bringing back 64 player battles (at least on PC), the fun of the game is cooperating with your squad and the whole team to take out the objective. No other game that I've seen has this level of fun and strategy included.
I'm going to be right up front with this, I didn't like Oblivion at all. To me, that game had a lack of direction at first and was just boring to play. I had the same thoughts going into Skyrim as well. After reading about what the game has changed and the improvements added, this is what a RPG should be. The game gives players a focus on what to do, if they choose to and a huge open world to just let loose in. The main quest is fun, but my fun came from slaying dragons and seeing what lies over the horizon. A huge improvement in every way possible.
While this wasn't surprising that Portal would get a sequel, despite the short length of the game, Portal 2 surpasses the first in every way possible. The single player had an excellent pace to it and the writing was top notch. The puzzles were a little tough, but when the solution presented, there was a moment of "Why didn't I see that before?" Add in cooperative play, and the craziness goes up a notch. Plus, coop is a great way to screw around with you partner.
Even though the changes and additions seem minor at first, they all add up to what is probably the most atmospheric horror game that I've seen in a while. The multiplayer was a bit of a let down when compared to the excellent single player campaign. I'm still surprised that Issac has a voice, but the voice actor who plays him nails the role.
The first time that I saw this, I was stunned with what I saw. On the surface, the game appears to be another typical action RPG. Beneath that surface lies an enthralling and well told experience presented by one heck of a narrator to boot. The game is also fun to play and has enough depth to it for players to return and enjoy the experience.
While E3 doesn’t begin until June 7, most of the press conferences were today. The stuff that was shown between the companies that presented today were good and had some genuinely exciting stuff to show. Now with that said, I was left with a feeling that there could have been more or even done better. Keep in mind, there was a lot discussed during these conferences, but I’m only listing the things I was interested in and what I can remember. If you ask why I don’t have the Ubisoft press conference, that’s why.
To kick things off, Microsoft was first out of the gate this morning. The show started off with an in game demo of Modern Warfare 3. The mission was a group of soldiers infiltrating a submarine, acquiring the keys to launch missiles at a Russian war-boat. This mission reminded me of the cargo boat mission at the beginning of the first Modern Warfare. The sense of scale has been improved here, but that’s all it seems the game has. Hopefully there’s more to show and anticipate for this. Following that was a first look at the rebirth of Tomb Raider.The game seems to have a completely different vibe to it. There seems like a cross of a survival horror game with a mix of Uncharted. The demo left me impressed and want to see more of. There was also Mass Effect 3, but I’ll touch on that later.
One impressive thing was the new dashboard that was demonstrated. This has been optimized for Kinect and voice commands, with a similarity to what was shown for Windows 8. To make this the ultimate entertainment device, YouTube and LiveTV is being added to this. How did it take this long for YouTube to get here? The LiveTV seems cool and also may get rid of using satellite or a box. I’m not sure how successful this will be, but I’m curious to see how this will turn out. Back to game demos with Gears of War 3 and lots of Lambent Locusts were all over the place. The mech suit, called the Silverback, was cool and a Lambent Sea Monster. There isn’t much to say about that except it’s more Gears.
The highlight for me were Dance Central 2.Since I love the first game, this was expected, but welcome. At least there’s going to be a proper campaign mode, import tunes from the first game and the DLC, along with a improved ‘Break it Down’ as well. This is easily my most anticipated game from this press conference. One surprise though was Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster.Now, I’m too old for this, but this seems like a fun game. This will be great for kids and parents to teach their children, but this may be something interesting to try out. Double Fine is behind this game, and anything they do is great fun. I’m looking forward to seeing this. There’s also Halo 4.
EA had probably the most exciting stuff there, despite it being very limited. The show opened up with Mass Effect 3. This was basically a live demo of the game. It seems that the combat is smoother and bigger. At the Microsoft event, the game will have Kinect support by allowing players to speak the answers in the dialog wheel and giving squad commands. That was a cool touch to the game and adds a deeper level of immersion. The game now has a release date of March 6, 2012 (03.06.12) and a collector’s edition was announced as well.
After that was live demo Need For Speed: The Run. Interesting fact about the game is that it uses Frostbite 2, the same engine for Battlefield 3. The game now allows players to leave the car and engage in on foot chases, but these sequences play out as quick time events and seem a little out of place. The two things I’m curious about is the handling of the cars and with the emphasis on story, how will that turn out? EA Black Box is trying to do something similar to Fight Night Champion with this game. If this turns out well, we could end up with another great Need For Speed game.
There was also a quick demonstration of the rebirth of SSX. They seem to take an extreme approach with this, probably like the older ones. There are three modes: race, trick, and escape (if I remember correctly). I’m not a fan of these types of games, but I’m interested. SSX will be out January 2012. Peter Moore took to the stage to talk about FIFA 12 and Madden 12. I didn’t really pay much attention to this, but one thing that did stick out was, the goal forMadden 12 is to bring emotion to the game (if I’m right). Insomniac’s game was also revealed during the press conference.
This is a completely new IP called OverStrike and the game looks like intense action taking a reference from The A-Team and Smokin’ Aces. Unfortunately, there was no gameplay shown, but knowing Insomniac, this will be another hit for them. The show ended with live demo of Battlefield 3 running on PC. That game is shaping up to be the FPS to get this holiday. The demo was a tank battle with the objective to take out a missle silo that’s preventing troops from moving in. This looked fantastic and was a true sight to behold. At the end of the demo, a release date was given of October 25. That’s two weeks before Modern Warfare 3. I wonder if Battlefield 3 will take any of the thunder away? I hope so.
The day ended with Sony, which had a decent amount of stuff to discuss. The opener was Jack Tretton giving a public apology for the PSN outage and thanking everyone for their patience while they sorted that mess out. This is one of the reasons I like Jack, along with John Riccitiello. They respect the fans and are gamers themselves. Possibly the best guys in the industry. After that, the show kicked off with Naughty Dog coming on stage to demo off Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. The demo was on a ship, possibly a cruise ship because there was a pool. Basically, this seems like a refined version of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but I’m not complaining because that was an excellent. I did like his ability when he finishes guys with grenades, he pulls the pin and kicks them back, then they explode. I’ve noticed a trend, wherever Drake goes, shit happens. Can’t a guy catch a break? Next to Battlefield 3 and Dance Central 2, this is one of my most anticipated games this year.
Following that was a demo for Resistance 3. By the looks of things, it seems a lot better and more balanced than Resistance 2. The last one had some difficulty imbalances, so I’m hoping that’s fixed for this one. We also got some info and a release date for the Ico & Shadow of the Colossus pack. Both games have been redone with HD graphics, supposedly run at 60 Frames Per Second, and have 3D support along with trophies. That will be out in September. Last year, Gabe Newell of Valve was at the press conference. This year, Ken Levine of Irrational Games was at the show. He was there to talk about Bioshock Infinite. While there was no live demo, he did talk about the game and the team experimenting with Move and maybe a small possibility of that being added. Before he left, he showed that he had a NGP and that they may be working on something for it.
Which was a segway to Kaz Hirai appearing on stage and talking about the NGP. There’s an official name for the device called, Playstation Vita. ‘Vita‘ is latin for the word ‘Life.‘ There were some interesting demonstrations for the platform with Uncharted, Ruin,and Modnation Racers. A unique thing is that there’s Cloud support, which means that the game works on both Vita an PS3. You save you game on one of the systems and play it on another platform. After that, Yoshinori Ono came on the stage and showed off Street Fighter x Tekken on the Vita. The game is running and will be available for the system. An exclusive character, Cole from Infamous 2, is added to the game and said the game will be available soon. Hirai also said the system will be available by the end of this year and in two versions: WiFi version for 249 and WiFi/3G version for 299. This is a good price for the device and isn’t as outrageous as some of us were expecting. I’m planning to pick this up.
That pretty much sums up the day. Day Zero is over and now Day One is coming. Let us see what comes.
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