Category Archives: Video Games

God of War III Ships Tuesday

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Posted by Rob on March 13, 2010 – 9:57 am
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It has finally come…March 16th is just around the corner, meaning that in a few mere days God of War III will be making it’s way to my house (I pre-ordered it from Gamestop.) I really have no idea what to expect. I have been avoiding reading up on the game, ignoring any review or article I see about it in magazines or online. I have also boycotted the demo and have not touched it, since I did not want to go into the game with any misconceptions based on anything that was not the final version of the game. God of War III is definitely one of my most-anticipated sequels, and would only be overshadowed by the release of a Kingdom Hearts 3 on the PS3.

Once I receive the game, you know darn well that all other games will be stepping aside for the time being, and all my gaming time will be solely devoted to the masterpiece which is GoW III.

PS3 Review: Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce

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Posted by Rob on March 3, 2010 – 6:08 pm
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Once of my most favorite games from the PS2 was Dynasty Warriors 4. I had never played any of the previous games in the series, and it was by far one of the best co-op games the PS2 had to offer. It was a perfect hack-and-slash game where you and a friend could just run around with swords and cut up minions and tough bosses. I’m not joking when I say that one of my most fond gaming memories was when Steve and I first laid eyes on the badassness that is Lu Bu. That being said, I have played the older and newer games from the series, and I have always compared them to Dynasty Warriors 4. The older ones were a bit too slow, and the newer ones tended to focus more on strategy and unit management more than just tried and true mindless hack-and-slash action. Luckily, Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce is extremely successful in focusing a lot on the action, while at the same time intergrating a great RPG aspect, bringing the game to be the best in the series.

For those who are not familiar with the series, let me just take a moment or two to explain why it’s so awesome. Dynasty Warriors is loosely based on actual Chinese history, and you take control of one of many historical figures who were in China when the game takes place. To be more specific, it is based on the text “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” Now, I say loosely because there are near-invincible characters, magic, and, depending on which faction you play as, may not be entirely accurate (ex- your faction lost a battle historically, but you won that battle when playing.) So the game revolves around you choosing a faction (Wei, Wu, Shu), and taking their officers into battle against rival forces. Since it takes place in ancient China, the weaponry is basically swords, spears, bows, etc., with some other ones thrown in (like fans and clawed gloves.)

But enough of that. Let’s get into what makes Strikeforce such a great game!

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Playstation 3/ PSN Still Glitched Out

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Posted by Rob on March 1, 2010 – 6:27 pm
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So last night, it was around 10:00pm, and I was ready to get my game on. Before I hopped on, I checked my e-mail and checked out joystiq, and I saw a notice that the PS3 was busted, and warned against turning the PS3 on. While it wasn’t entirely clear what the issue was, I didn’t want to risk anything, so I didn’t go on.

It has now been about 22 hours, and the PSN is still messed up. Reports have been flying around that you can’t play most games, and that you will run the risk of losing trophies and save files. While I did not experience any of this personally, Steve happened to be on his PS3 last night.

Steve was playing Fallout 3, and he had no problem actually playing the game. He did realize two things though. First, his save files were getting the wrong date imprinted on them. Secondly, he was unable to see his Fallout 3 trophies. What will become of his saves and trophies?! We will not know, until it is safe to turn the system back on and to look over the damage.

The worst part is that I received Dynasty Warriors: Strike Force in from Gamefly, and I can’t play it!!!

Boycotting the God of War III Demo (for good reason)

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Posted by Rob on February 25, 2010 – 9:10 pm
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Today’s PSN update includes a demo for God of War III, and I for one am not downloading it. Not because I hate God of War, but because I don’t want to ruin the experience. I have the game pre-ordered from Gamestop, so I am definitely going to be owning it when it launches in a few mere weeks. I don’t want to spoil it by cheating and taking a peek at the demo before playing the finished game. That being said, I am not going to play the demo.

But I know it is going to rock!!!!

Tuesday Night = Uncharted 2 Co-op Night

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Posted by Rob on February 24, 2010 – 9:14 am
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The past couple of weeks, after Lost (which is 10pm), I have been meeting up with a couple of guys from co-optimus, and we have been playing Uncharted 2 online. For the last two-three weeks there have only three or six of us, so we broke into teams of three to play either the survival mode or the gold rush mode.

Last night started out with just three of us, and we played through one mode of survival. After that, four others joined us, and we started playing a variety of different team elimination matches. Unfortunately, all the true co-op modes only support up to three players, so with seven we had to abandon co-op for the greater good of everyone playing together.

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All in all, Tuesdays prove to be a fun night where I get to play with some fun people. I have been having a blast playing Uncharted 2 online (which I haven’t been doing so much before I started playing with the crew), and it is a great game to play online with friends. The co-op modes are definitely best played with people who you know and can talk to, because communication is key.Whether you need to be saved from a “ninja attack” or you need to be warned of incoming chain gun-wielding enemies, communicating with the others is the only way to successfully survive the co-op modes.

Bioshock 2 = Great Multiplayer Experience

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Posted by Rob on February 22, 2010 – 6:29 pm
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Now I know that in the past Ive said that I hate playing FPS in online competitive matches. This is due to the fact that I tend to just really suck. I don’t have enough experience playing against other players, and that leads to me generally getting killed more than I kill others. Now I received Bioshock 2 when it came out, but I had not checked out the multiplayer mode since I hate playing online. But I was bored last night, so I decided to give it a whirl. I was not disappointed.

Between last night and today, I have logged in close to two hours online. I have definitely been doing well, and often come in within the top three places in the team-based deathmatches. Since I do fairly well, I enjoy playing it. There are a few traits to the online mode which I think are what attract me to it.

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PS3 Review: Aliens vs. Predator

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Posted by Rob on February 20, 2010 – 5:27 pm
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As you may know, I had some real issues with the AVP demo that came out two weeks ago. While the demo proved the game had a good premise and some great ideas, complex controls and the fact that it was impossible to get a game going left me a bit concerned for the final product. Well, I received the disc from Gamefly on Thursday, and have since then given most of the different game modes a whirl. Unfortunately, the demo gave a very accurate pretense on how the finished game would be…a game with great ideas, but executed badly.

First off, the story/background to the game is virtually non-existent. The game takes place shortly after the events of Alien 3, but I would not have known that had I not read it somewhere online. There is no background story at all, and the cut scenes, while looking and sounding good, do little to explain what the heck is going on. Im going to take a stab at it and say that humans find some ancient Alien/Predator temple and start creating mutant Aliens. The Marines and Predators come in to put a stop to it, resulting in a three-way battle royale to be the last species standing.  There are three single player campaigns (Marine, Alien, Predator), and each three tell the same story through the respective species point of view. For example, as an Alien you are defending the hive from the invading factions, and as a Marine you are called in to clean up the mess. That being said, I’ll start this review up with the single player campaigns.

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AVP is on the Way

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Posted by Rob on February 16, 2010 – 10:43 am
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I just got the notification from Gamefly that Aliens vs. Predator has shipped, so I should be enjoying that by Thursday afternoon. Im looking forward to playing it since the demo was so lame and busted up. I have yet to check out the Predator, and I cant wait!!!

PS3 First Impressions: Bioshock 2

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Posted by Rob on February 10, 2010 – 1:07 am
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Yes, the long wait is over as Bioshock 2 was released upon the world today. I was really looking forward to it, as the first game really blew me away like no other game had done in such a long time. Also, because I was so interested in the game, I refused to watch trailers and read in-depth reviews since I wanted to wait and experience everything as fresh as possible. Im a little under two hours into it, and thus far I am pleased, and I can honestly say that Bioshock continues the trends started by the first game.

The game takes place ten years after the first, and you play as a Big Daddy. Thats all I will say about the story. Right off the bat, the controls and the look of Rapture itself take you back to the first game. If you played the first, you will feel right at home, as the game looks and plays just like its predecesor. If you never played the first one, then why the hell are you reading this? Go out, play the first one, then get back to me.

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Bioshock 2 Has Arrived!!!!!!!!!

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Posted by Rob on February 9, 2010 – 6:22 pm
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On this day, February 9, of the year of our Lord 2010, at 17:14 EST,  Bioshock 2 was delivered unto me my the divine forces of Amazon and UPS.

Let all rejoice as I adventure into Rapture!!!

Gamestop Buys My Loyality, Pre-order GoW III From Them over Amazon

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Posted by Rob on February 9, 2010 – 5:53 pm
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I am always flaunting the Gamestop giftcards I receive from doing surveys. I had two saved up (totally $50), and was all set to pre-order God of War III from them. However, I also checked out Amazon (since I pre-ordered Bioshock 2 from them) and compared the two offers.

Gamestop offers:

  • the game for the full MSRP of $59.99
  • an exclusive skin
  • free “value” shipping, which takes 5-11 days

Amazon offers:

  • the game at a discounted price of $56.99
  • an exclusive skin
  • $10 off your next video game purchase from Amazon
  • free release-date shipping, meaning I get to play the game the day it comes out

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Big Day Tomorrow!!!

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Posted by Rob on February 9, 2010 – 12:56 am
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Ahhhh, Tuesday. Not only is Lost on tomorrow night, but its also the release of Bioshock 2! Granted, I’ll have to wait until about 6pm when UPS usually shows up, but once Lost is over I guarantee I will be poppin the ol’ Bios in for a long night of exploring Rapture.

I will definitely post up my first impressions first thing tomorrow Wednesday morning.

Finally Got Some Alien Time in Aliens vs. Predator PSN Demo

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Posted by Rob on February 8, 2010 – 8:20 pm
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As I mentioned earlier, I had a bit of a hard time getting a match going in the AvP demo that launched on Thursday. I tried throughout the weekend at random times, and was unable to get another match going. Today I tried again, and I finally got into a match. I basically set it up and while it searched for a match, I walked into the other room and played around on the computer. After about six minutes, I began to hear other people on their head sets, which meant that I had finally gotten into a game.

First off, I must correct a previous statement. In my other post, I complained that you were unable to choose your character in the demo, and that both times I was assigned to be a Marine. That is only half true. You are able to choose your own character, but you have to be quick. For some reason, the developers didnt want an 8-Alien or Predator battle royale going down, so once the first few Aliens or Predators are selected (I do not know the exact number), the remaining players are automatically assigned to be Marines.

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Book Review: Dragon Age: The Calling

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Posted by Rob on February 8, 2010 – 12:14 pm
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I enjoyed reading the first Dragon Age book, which was The Stolen Throne. It did a great job of beginning to introduce the background which eventually would lead to the Dragon Age: Origins game. The characters were well-developed, and felt like they belonged in the book. However, I did not get the same vibe from The Calling.

The term “The Calling” refers to the fact that, when a Grey Warden ages enough, he/she journey to the Deep Roads so that they can die valiantly fighting darkspawn. In the book, a Grey Warden goes off on his Calling. However, his sister (who is also a Grey Warden) has a vision in that her brother did not die, and instead was captured, which is an odd thing for darkspawn. So a group of Grey Wardens (including the rookie Grey Warden Duncan, who makes an appearance in Dragon Age: Origins) approach King Maric and ask him to guide them through the Deep Roads. Thus, the book follows the adventure of Maric, Duncan, and several other Grey Wardens as they journey through the Deep Roads in search of the imprisoned darkspawn.

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Frustrations with Aliens vs. Predator Demo on the PS3

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Posted by Rob on February 5, 2010 – 5:28 pm
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Ive been anxiously awaiting the release of AVP. I love the Alien/Predator series, and played the AVP game on the Atari Jaguar back in the day at my friend’s house in middle school. The game is right up on my Gamefly queue, so I will definitely be snagging it when it releases in two weeks. However, the demo released yesterday on the PSN, and I was excited to get my hands on it and try out the three races (Alien, Predator, and Colonial Marine) in the deathmatch demo. Unfortunately, the demo is plagued with failure, and I have been unable to enjoy it.

Apparently, the game servers were not prepared for the amount of people who downloaded the demo yesterday. As a result, it has been impossible to find a game to join. I tried at four different intervals to get a game going yesterday, and succeeded in getting two matches total going. After each match was over, the initial host left, so I was booted out and then unable to find another game. This inability to find a game to play is very annoying and frustrating. I hope it gets fixed so I can start checking out the game more.

My other complaint is with choosing a race. Both times I was unable to choose a race, and was stuck playing as the Marine. This is upsetting because the Marine is the least original. Playing as the Marine is just like playing any other FPS. While the Aliens crawl around and go in for melee kills and the Predator stays invisible and hunts, the Marine plays as you would in any other FPS.

But enough of my complaints. From what I did see and experience, it was a blast. It is a very intense FPS, and very fast paced. The Alien players are able to move extremely quickly, and can climb walls and hang from ceilings. Their main attack is melee based, and playing as the Marine I suffered several tails through the torso and eating of my face. The speed of the Aliens is what allows them to get up close for these devastating attacks. Oh, and in case I didnt make it clear, these are one-hit kills. So yeah, the Aliens are nasty.

I didnt see much of the Predator, and from what I did, he was just invisible. Well, not totally invisible, as you can faintly make out his outline. However, I killed quite a few Predators, and I didnt meet death from any, so I dont know how their attacks are. What I do know is that many of the Predators stronger weapons are scattered throughout the map, and you have to track them down to use them.

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King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (or Losers)

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Posted by Rob on February 4, 2010 – 11:41 am
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So this documentary is basically about two guys who compete for the high score in the arcade version of Donkey Kong. While I thought it would be interesting to see “professional” gamers go at it, I quickly realized the kind of people that play games professionally are vain, inconsiderate, arrogant, and all-around losers. Let me introduce the two main players in the game.

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Above is the defending champion, Billy Mitchell. This mullet-toting weirdo has been known as one of the best gamers ever due to his high score in Donkey Kong. He enjoyed a simple life of selling hot sauce by day and being a gaming ambassador by night. However, this arrogrant prick is exposed as the jerk he is when a newcomer challenges his score.

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PSN Review: Critter Crunch

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Posted by Rob on February 2, 2010 – 3:47 pm
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I played and enjoyed the Critter Crunch demo. It was bright, colorful, cute puzzle game with a unique premise. However, I wasnt enjoying it enough to pay full price. But once PSN put it on sale for $3.49, I jumped at the chance to snag it. I mean, $3 for a new game is pretty sweet.

So Critter Crunch takes place on an island. You control an adorable little “critter” named Bigs. The main premise of the game is following the island’s food chain, in that the smaller creatures get eaten by the larger creatures. You have to keep this in mind as you play each stage. The stage is set up with several varying roles of creatures coming down at you. To the left is Bigs hunger meter. The point is to feed little creatures to big creatures. Doing this makes them pop, and they drop an item that, when collected, will increase your hunger meter. Once you fill up the hunger meter, you complete the stage. However, if one of the rows of creatures hits the end of the row, its game over.

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Just Beat Dead Space

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Posted by Rob on February 1, 2010 – 1:18 am
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I just wrapped up Dead Space. It was a great game, and I really enjoyed it. The ending cinematic really creeped me out as well. One of my only complaints was that it was too short…I would have loved to be playing it longer. I might actually go through a second playthrough.

A full review is forthcoming in the next day or so.

Book Review: Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne

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Posted by Rob on January 31, 2010 – 3:23 pm
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I really enjoyed the story and lore that shaped the RPG Dragon Age: Origins. When perusing the Dragon Age Wiki one day, I saw that there were two novels written by the game’s writer. These novels served as prequels to the game, and I was excited to start reading them to partake of more adventures in Ferelden. The first book in the series, The Stolen Throne, proved to be an excellent edition to Dragon Age lore.

The Stolen Throne starts off depicting the adventures of Prince Maric, the heir to the Ferelden throne. Unfortunately, the Orlesian nation has conquered Ferelden, and the royal family has been running a rebellion against the usurper. After his mother (the Queen) is killed, Maric flees, and eventually meets up with Loghain (who is one of the antagonists of the Dragon Age: Origins game.) The book then follows their adventures over the next few years, as they work to get Maric back on the throne.

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Thursday= Resistance 2 Co-Op Night

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Posted by Rob on January 29, 2010 – 3:25 am
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Just finished a four-hour co-op session of Resistance 2 with a few of the folks over at co-optimus. We started at around 10pm, and I was the first to bounce at 2am, but the rest were still going strong. There were five of us total, plus the occasional guest who joined in for a round or two. I got my Solider raised up to level 14, but the Spec Op is still stuck at level 10. Man, I really dont play the Spec Op very well.

I really do enjoy playing Resistance 2 online, for the co-op. Im not as big a fan of the competitive. I hope that Resistance 3 (whenever it comes out) borrows from this, and establishes a good online co-op mode. So I just figured I would write a quick little post up to calm down before hitting bed.

Tonight was a success, and I hope we have more organized game nights in the future. I believe that Tuesday night next  week is going to be dedicated to co-op and competitive Uncharted 2, which should be fun since I havent delved too much into it. If you read this and have a PS3, just add me. You know the PSN name: BigBadBob113!!!