Here's the video to show everyone that Meggo requested :-p
FALCON PUUNCH!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Ok, so i pretty much have annoyed everyone in earshot of me with my rantings about Warhammer (especially poor Meghan, my fiancee). Needless to say, I am eagerly anticipating its release :). Also, I am currently playing the beta for the game, but of course I can't mention anything about it due to the NDA. However, I aim to be compiling a list of beta impressions and information about the game as the beta progresses, so I can slap it all down on the web as soon as the NDA is lifted.
For those of you who don't know, WAR is being created by Mythic Entertainment, the developers of Dark Age of Camelot (which I was engrossed in for about 3 and a half years, and recently romped around it again because I was bored). Mythic has since by acquired by the evil empire, Electronic Arts (booooooooooo). Hopefully, WAR doesn't suffer for this down the road.
DAoC was known for its top notch PvP content (called Realm vs. Realm by Mythic... and don't called it PvP to their faces or they'll whine). As such, WAR will feature the same type of 'RvR' combat, focusing on keep sieges, city sieges, and also Scenarios (or Battlegrounds).
Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of this post is, because if you want info about WAR, you probably already have it, and if you don't you won't read my rantings anyway.
Just wanted to give people the heads up to look for beta impressions when possible, and I;m gonna try to dig up some videos to give people a glimpse of the game.
Some links for info and forum trolling:
WAR Vault (IGN)
WAR RvR
Warhammer Alliance
For those of you who don't know, WAR is being created by Mythic Entertainment, the developers of Dark Age of Camelot (which I was engrossed in for about 3 and a half years, and recently romped around it again because I was bored). Mythic has since by acquired by the evil empire, Electronic Arts (booooooooooo). Hopefully, WAR doesn't suffer for this down the road.
DAoC was known for its top notch PvP content (called Realm vs. Realm by Mythic... and don't called it PvP to their faces or they'll whine). As such, WAR will feature the same type of 'RvR' combat, focusing on keep sieges, city sieges, and also Scenarios (or Battlegrounds).
Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of this post is, because if you want info about WAR, you probably already have it, and if you don't you won't read my rantings anyway.
Just wanted to give people the heads up to look for beta impressions when possible, and I;m gonna try to dig up some videos to give people a glimpse of the game.
Some links for info and forum trolling:
WAR Vault (IGN)
WAR RvR
Warhammer Alliance
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mass Effect, Epilogue
Ok, so it seems I'm not the only one with some ill will towards Mass Effect (see two posts down). Apparently the guys over at Penny Arcade aren't huge fans either. Here's a link to the first of their 'Nitpicking: Mass Effect' strips. Press next on the site to view 2 and 3.
Nitpicking: Mass Effect, Part One
The second one is great :-p.
Nitpicking: Mass Effect, Part One
The second one is great :-p.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Before I run to the gym this morning, I wanted to try my hand at embedding a video... (I know it's simple but html hates me....)
Here's a video of all the 'Final Smashes' from Brawl, for those of you haven't seen it. I am really looking forward to its release (March 9th!). Melee was the only game I gave a lot of play time to on Gamecube, and Brawl will most likely be the same for the Wii.
I, of course, will be looking forward to pwning with my usual two characters, Link and Ganondorf, while trying out the new chars (Wario looks like fun!).
Here's a video of all the 'Final Smashes' from Brawl, for those of you haven't seen it. I am really looking forward to its release (March 9th!). Melee was the only game I gave a lot of play time to on Gamecube, and Brawl will most likely be the same for the Wii.
I, of course, will be looking forward to pwning with my usual two characters, Link and Ganondorf, while trying out the new chars (Wario looks like fun!).
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an action-RPG from BioWare, makers of KOTOR and the Baldur's Gate series. Mass Effect has received rave reviews about its greatness in story and game play.
I've played about an hour and a half of Mass Effect. I really never want to play it again.
I was fully expecting a game on par with KOTOR, and well, its not. Let's take the Star Wars out of KOTOR for a second... is it even interesting any more? I would say yes. You have interesting, witty characters and dialog, game play that is interesting, and RPG elements that make the player want to reach the next skill and power (even if we are taking the Star Wars out, there are still powers). So, we still have a pretty fun game.
Not so for me in Mass Effect. First of all, the characters are so uninspiring. They look great in screen shots for sure, but once they start moving around, they seem like they are mannequins. They have no emotion on their faces and they talk like robots. There's no witty conversation like we see from Carth, Atton, and HK-47 in KOTOR.
The story is basically your standard sci-fi fare (i.e. a Star Wars clone). Of course it doesn't have to feel like this with good story telling, but it feels too much like a bad clone. It feels too much like they were trying to make a story as "Star Wars" as possible without actually using the license, and it just doesn't feel quite right. I could care less about any of these characters, or the world that is about to be destroyed.
So the character and story shortcomings could be made up for by great, addictive game play, right? Unfortunately, Mass Effect manages to ruin the game play too. The game plays a lot like Gears of War. Yes, I said Gears of War, a 3rd-person shooter. I wish someone has told me this before I bought the game. It would have changed my expectations a lot. So you spend a lot of time behind cover, waiting to take shots on your enemies. but unlike Gears of War, where enemies have to reload, the enemies in Mass Effect always seem to have ammo and are ready to shot you in the head as soon as you pop out. Its incredibly frustrating. Also, the other members of my party are complete idiots, so they will stand out in the open and die, leaving me to fend for myself against like 10 enemies.
So, what about the "Force Powers", you ask? Well, they have named the "Force" something else, and I forget the dumb name they gave it. So, My half Soldier, half Force-wielder started out with "Force Push" and some other talent. Unfortunately, the genius game designers at BioWare set the button to use your power to the same button as changing your power, where you simply press to use and hold to change. However, the change power threshold is incredibly sensitive, so most of the time you want to use a power, you end up going to the menu to change the power, and then you have to release it and try again, all the while you of course are being shot at by your dead-eye enemies. Also, you have to be right next to your enemy to use force push, you would have to first run straight at it in order use the power, and again you are under fire the whole time. Once again, this is incredibly frustrating.
So, maybe the game gets amazing if you play more than an hour and a half. Maybe not, but I will never know, because I have no desire ever to pick it up again. I know I should, but I'd rather be playing something enjoyable (such as the current MMO or Bioshock again).
I've played about an hour and a half of Mass Effect. I really never want to play it again.
I was fully expecting a game on par with KOTOR, and well, its not. Let's take the Star Wars out of KOTOR for a second... is it even interesting any more? I would say yes. You have interesting, witty characters and dialog, game play that is interesting, and RPG elements that make the player want to reach the next skill and power (even if we are taking the Star Wars out, there are still powers). So, we still have a pretty fun game.
Not so for me in Mass Effect. First of all, the characters are so uninspiring. They look great in screen shots for sure, but once they start moving around, they seem like they are mannequins. They have no emotion on their faces and they talk like robots. There's no witty conversation like we see from Carth, Atton, and HK-47 in KOTOR.
The story is basically your standard sci-fi fare (i.e. a Star Wars clone). Of course it doesn't have to feel like this with good story telling, but it feels too much like a bad clone. It feels too much like they were trying to make a story as "Star Wars" as possible without actually using the license, and it just doesn't feel quite right. I could care less about any of these characters, or the world that is about to be destroyed.
So the character and story shortcomings could be made up for by great, addictive game play, right? Unfortunately, Mass Effect manages to ruin the game play too. The game plays a lot like Gears of War. Yes, I said Gears of War, a 3rd-person shooter. I wish someone has told me this before I bought the game. It would have changed my expectations a lot. So you spend a lot of time behind cover, waiting to take shots on your enemies. but unlike Gears of War, where enemies have to reload, the enemies in Mass Effect always seem to have ammo and are ready to shot you in the head as soon as you pop out. Its incredibly frustrating. Also, the other members of my party are complete idiots, so they will stand out in the open and die, leaving me to fend for myself against like 10 enemies.
So, what about the "Force Powers", you ask? Well, they have named the "Force" something else, and I forget the dumb name they gave it. So, My half Soldier, half Force-wielder started out with "Force Push" and some other talent. Unfortunately, the genius game designers at BioWare set the button to use your power to the same button as changing your power, where you simply press to use and hold to change. However, the change power threshold is incredibly sensitive, so most of the time you want to use a power, you end up going to the menu to change the power, and then you have to release it and try again, all the while you of course are being shot at by your dead-eye enemies. Also, you have to be right next to your enemy to use force push, you would have to first run straight at it in order use the power, and again you are under fire the whole time. Once again, this is incredibly frustrating.
So, maybe the game gets amazing if you play more than an hour and a half. Maybe not, but I will never know, because I have no desire ever to pick it up again. I know I should, but I'd rather be playing something enjoyable (such as the current MMO or Bioshock again).
First Post!
Yay I've created a blog! I make no promises on how long I will keep it or how much I'll post. I will also blog about things other than games, such as movies and music, but mostly games probably.
So anyway, enjoy my rantings about random stuff....
So anyway, enjoy my rantings about random stuff....
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