Tag Archives: God of War

Oh Quick Time Events, How Much Do I Hate Thee

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Posted by Rob on October 18, 2011 – 5:53 pm
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I don’t know that I’ve ever met a single gamer that actually enjoyed and looked forward to quick time events. What, you don’t know what the heck I’m talking about?! Quick time events (henceforth referred to as QTE’s) are put into games generally to depict an epic battle between the player’s character and an insane boss. How it works is that eventually the gameplay will turn into more of a movie, and you will lose direct control of your character. Then button prompts will quickly appear on the screen and you will have to push the correct button before it goes away. If you push the button too late, or hit the wrong button, all sorts of bad stuff can happen. The lighter penalties include simply having to start the QTE over again, while others are less forgiving and will result in an instant kill.

Moral of the story is that QTE’s take a lot of control away from the gamer, as he/she has to focus solely on what button is going to appear on screen next. Also they are generally very frustrating and really suck the fun out of a great boss battle. I don’t know what game they first started in, but the game I first remember playing that had them was the original God of War on the ol’ PS2. Other games that I recall that included them were Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Knights Contract and most recently, Warriors: Legends of Troy.

Anywho, here’s a detailed list of why I hate them: Read More »

Knights Contract on the Way from Gamefly

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Posted by Rob on February 22, 2011 – 1:03 pm
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I’ve been waiting a few days for Gamefly to ship a new game to me, and I think it was disrupted a bit due to Sunday and Presidents Day. So I figured that instead of waiting for them to get one of the older games on my queue shipped out to me, I would just get one of today’s new releases. I had three choices: Killzone 3, Bulletstorm, and Knights Contract.

I tried Killzone 2 and did not like it. I’m very picky with FPS, and one of the only ones I really enjoy is Resistance. When the Killzone 3 demo launched last week I gave it a whirl, and could not complete it. It’s a very intense FPS, which ends up being too intense for me. I did enjoy the Bulletstorm demo, but I wasn’t sure it was a game I would enjoy. While it was a fun FPS, it felt to me that the game concentrated too much on massing up major bonus points by performing “trick kills.” This was even more evident when I read an interview by one of the developers, in which he said that co-op was taking out of the main campaign because they didn’t want people rushing through the level and not amassing major points. Bulletstorm just doesn’t sound like my kind of game.

That left me with Knights Contract. I hadn’t heard much about it, but the name sounded good enough for me to consider it. Researching it a bit online, I discovered it was an action beat-em-up of sorts akin to God of War as far as combat and Enslaved as far as having to protect another character throughout the game. That kind of game is more up my alley than a FPS, so I decided to give it a rent. I am a bit nervous about it since I don’t know much about the game, but we shall see. I’ll write up a review after I get some time with it.

Pros and Cons of Mass Effect 2 Going Cross-Platform

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Posted by Rob on August 19, 2010 – 8:11 am
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To the horror of 360 “fanboys” and the cheers of PS3 users, it was officially announced yesterday at Gamescom that Mass Effect 2 would be released on the PS3 next January. To add on to my anti-fanboy argument, when I looked at the post on Joystiq (see above embedded link) for this news, I saw several comments where people were either saying “nooooooo” or “this sucks now all we have is halo and fable”. That is just stupid talk, and I hate it. I would be pleased as punch if God of War went to the 360, and I think it should!While this is a major victory for gamers who only own a PS3, it also has some problems.

The Pros

First and foremost, the biggest pro is that more people will be able to enjoy the wonder world of Mass Effect. If I didn’t have a 360 I would be just as happy, and being a 360 owner I’m not crying over this…I hate console-exclusive games. The fact that before I had a 360 I never got to touch the likes of Left 4 Dead, Mass Effect, and Castle Crashers, and that I know that there are people out there in the world who have never played Uncharted, God of War, or Resistance, just makes me so angry. There is absolutely no way any gamers win from console-exclusive games…unless they count “bragging rights” as a pro. Personally, I don’t, and I think the only people who benefit from exclusive games are the system owners (Sony of Microsoft), since a person like me has to own both systems to enjoy all the greatest games. Not even the game developers win, because they would sell a hell of a lot more units of a game if it appeared on both systems.

So that all being said, gamers will win because more people will be able to enjoy the story of Mass Effect, and Bioware will win because more copies of the game will sell. It can also be assumed that, with this happening, that Mass Effect 3, due out next year, will also be a cross-platform game, which is great. Read More »

My First 24 Hours of 360 Goodness: The Technical Stuff

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Posted by Rob on August 6, 2010 – 5:06 pm
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I’ve had the system for a full 24 hours, and I wanted to lay down my first impressions of the system and the games I’ve checked out so far. Firstly, I would like to address the controller. It’s nice, and is very comfortable in my hand. I like how the left analog stick is slightly higher than the right one, giving you a more natural feel. I was also glad to see that there was a sync button, like the PS3 controller has, to get to the main menu, and to turn the system on. Good stuff! However, there were two things I’m not as big a fan of. First, I don’t like the directional pad. It feels kind of wobbly, as it is on a raised, circular platform of sorts. The PS3 controller has the directional just as four separate buttons, while the 360 has it as one big button. It works fine and all, but just feels a little odd. Secondly, I was disappointed in the controller power situation. I like how the PS3 controller has a battery installed right inside the controller, and to charge it you just plug it into either the system or a computer…wherever you can find a nearby USB drive. The 360 controller CAN do that, but only if you purchase a separate device that hooks it up to do that. Otherwise, your two options are to use two AA batteries per controller or to purchase a battery charging station, which is the path I chose to go. Don’t get me wrong, this is not going to kill me or anything, but I just liked the convenience of being able to use my PS3 controller out of the box and never have to worry about changing batteries. The 360 controller is still pretty awesome.

The PS3 Directional Pad:

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The 36o Directional Pad:

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Book Review: God of War

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Posted by Rob on June 13, 2010 – 12:57 am
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Yes, it’s true…there is a novel out for God of War, which is based on the first game. Being a huge God of War fan I had it pre-ordered, and I read it during my down time on the honeymoon. I was a bit skeptical at how the author would tackle turning an action game into a good read, but I was pleased with the results.

The book follows the action of the game very closely. All the puzzles that you must battle your way through, the enemies you must dispatch, the events that occur in the game…it’s all in the book. It was a bit tough to read at certain parts, especially the three-page sections devoted to a single trap or puzzle that I already knew about from playing the game. So some parts of the book did drag on in this respect. Read More »

I’m in a State of Fear

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Posted by Rob on May 14, 2010 – 7:24 am
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I received State of Fear as a Christmas gift, and have finally gotten around to reading it. State of Fear is a work of fiction by the late, great Michael Crichton. I love his books, as while they are fiction, they do have some plausability, and he backs up his works with science, which can often go over the reader’s head. Just for the record, Jurassic Park is one of my all-time favorite books, and I read it BEFORE the movie came out, and I can definitely say that despite how awesome the film was, it didn’t do the book justice.

State of Fear is based around global warming. A small island nation sues the United States, claiming that it is the largest contributor to global warming, and that the higher ocean levels will soon flood the entire island country. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there may in fact be no global warming at all. So this story takes some turns as a lawyer and others try to find the truth. Oh yeah, and they are also trying to stop some eco-terrorists from doing something crazy.

It’s pretty good so far at about 1/3 the way into the story. I’m trying to blast through it because I’m excited to read the God of War novel, which comes out May 28th.

PS3 First Impressions: God of War III (contains spoilers)

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Posted by Rob on March 20, 2010 – 11:40 pm
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I just have to say that the minute you pop the game in, you are pretty much blown away. The game starts with the credits rolling against animations of the two previous games, bring you up to speed and refreshing your memory of the stuff that went down in the previous installments. Then the fun begins.

The game picks up right where God of War II leaves off…Kratos is riding the titan Gaia as they scale Mt. Olympus to wage war on and kill Zeus and the other gods. The game is full of plenty of cut scenes to really get into the story, and most of the first stage deals with Kratos fending off an attack by Poseidon, who takes on the from of a man/water horse/crab creature. The level design is amazing as Kratos jumps between Gaia and Mt. Olympus as he tries to save the titan from the god. The boss battle with Poseidon is huge…not only is Poseidon’s form large in scale, but it is spread out across the level, meaning you will fight him for a bit, he will retreat, and you will chase him down to his new location. As you run through the level you are reacquainted with Kratos’ move set, and also get to kill some minions.

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Read More »

PS3 First Impression: Darksiders

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Posted by Rob on January 7, 2010 – 12:37 am
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I started looking forward to the game once I found out it was actually about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Ive been anxiously awaiting its arrival from Gamefly, and it came in today. I was able to get in a little over an hour, but it was enough to get me hooked.

The basic story of the game is that you play as War, one of the Four Horsemen. There are three kingdoms: Heaven, Hell, and Earth. There is a special council that ensures there is a balance between them, and they use the Horsemen to keep that balance. One seven special seals are broken, it is the Apocalypse, and the Four Horsemen will be summoned to punish enemies. The game starts out as the Apocalypse begins on Earth, so you run around battling demons and angels as you progress through a devastated city (it appears to be NYC, but it could be any generic city.) However, War is suddenly stripped of his powers as he was tricked into being summoned. The council sees him as a traitor, yet they allow him to investigate how the demons orchestrated this trick. And thus the game begins.

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The gameplay is very similar to that of God of War. You have your light and heavy attacks, and you can grapple enemies and items from the environment, such as cars and furniture. As you defeat enemies, you earn experience points (in the form of souls) which can be traded in to upgrade your character. War can learn a variety of special attacks and upgrade his weapons and armor. Visually the game is stunning, and there is a heck of a lot of blood and guts flying around as you dismember demons.

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Aside from combat, you will find yourself navigating large maps with the aide of a useful and clear mini-map displayed in the corner. You will also be required to perform many jumps to get to locations, and I will admit that I am still getting used to it. For some reason I find myself walking off platforms instead of jumping, so I have to get used to the timing. Gameplay wise there is nothing all that new thrown into the game, but it doesnt mess with a time-tested great combat system, so Im not complaining. Add in a killer storyline about the ultimate battle of good vs evil, trophies, great graphics, and superb voice-overs and you got yourself one heck of a great game. There is no multiplayer or DLC for the game, so it does have a low replay value. However, its definitely worth the rent. I know I wont be putting it down until I play through it.

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PS3 Demo Review: Bayonetta

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Posted by Rob on December 16, 2009 – 8:12 am
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When I first saw and heard about Bayonetta, I wasnt interested. It looked like an unappealing God of War clone to me, and reminded me too much of Heavenly Sword, which was a game that looked cool but sucked when I played it. So I had no intentions of checking out Bayonetta. That is, until I played the demo. Then I changed my tune.

Without knowing too much about the game (from not reading up on it due to lack of interest), from the demo I can derive that you play as some hot chick who lives amongst a secret society. The game has her going off to fight a bunch of demons (some of which are HUGE). The main character is very interesting. As you control her, you fight with hand to hand combat and guns. As you defeat enemies, you can pick up their weapons…some of which are ridiculously huge. There is also some magic thrown in there to spicen things up.

One of the craziest things about the demo that snagged my attention was the combat itself. Aside from what I just mentioned, there were a few large enemies where, at the end, you had to finish the enemy off with some on-screen button prompts. By successfully doing this, her clothing comes off to reveal the fact that it is her hair. Then her hair turns into a monster’s mouth, and proceeds to bite the giant enemy in half. It was so unexpected, yet so cool to see a hair monster bite a huge chunk out of some other large monster.

In the end, the demo succeeded in blowing me away. I wish it was a little longer, but it was still enough to grab my interest and leave me wanting more. I will definitely be renting this game at some point when it comes out in January.

PS3 Demo Review: Dante’s Inferno

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Posted by Rob on December 11, 2009 – 8:28 pm
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Ive been interested in checking out this game for awhile, and after playing a demo, I am looking forward to it even more. Not because it is based on the epic poem/ode/whatever you want to call it, but because it was being compared to God of War. After playing the demo, I can say that this is a true comparison, and a good one at that.

From the controls to the gameplay to the story, it is all very reminiscent of God of War. In the demo, you play as a knight during the Crusades, and you go about killing the “heathens”. However, it turns out that God did not see it as being just (despite the fact that the Church claimed it was), and the hero finds himself murdered. You are then suddenly pitted in a boss battle with Death, and after defeating him you acquire your  signature weapon, which is his reaver. The remained of the demo has the hero attempting to go to Hell to save the soul of his murdered wife.

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Sony’s E3 PS3 Conference

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Posted by Rob on June 2, 2009 – 2:01 pm
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I’ll be keeping this blog active and write as I watch Sony’s E3 conference. Im very excited for it…more so than Nintendo’s. Im looking forward to seeing more God of War and hoping for some voice chat news. Sony is really behind compared to Microsoft.

-Talking about the PS2. Interesting that they are still planning to keep it going, and keep making games for it. With the price tag of $100, everyone should have a PS2.

-Uncharted 2. Lots of gameplay. Looks awesome. The first one was great, and I would love to buy it, but its still a ridiculous $40 used at Gamestop. The game has been around for a long time, it really should be cheaper by now. But I think it is one of the PS3′s best franchises, next to Resistance.  Its gonna be a must-have.

-Showing off some MAG. Thats the 256-player FPS. Sounds ridiculous. Looks good. Also looks a little more complex and strategic compared to most FPS. I like how you can be a soldier, or pilot the tank or helicopter. Very cool.

-Some PSP info. I dont really care because personally, I believe the DS > PSP.

-MGS Peace Walker for the PSP. Not only do I not care because its on PSP, but MGS 3 and MGS4 were not my cups of tea. I’ll pass.

-PSN. FFVII coming as downloadable! Im soooo buying that!

-Home. What a waste of my time. Home is insanely ridiculous and retarded.

-New Rockstar exclusive game. Titled Agent. Im not sure how I feel. I dont like GTA games because I hate the controls. I’ll have to see how this one is.

-Assassins Creed 2 looks interesting. I dont know how I feel about da Vinci creating inventions to help the main character assassinate people…

-OK, seriously?! You have a trailer for FFXIII which comes out early 2010, and then follow up RIGHT BEHIND that with FFXIV?! Ridiculous.

-The PS3 wireless controller. Looks like a black Wiimote, but has a sphere that is read by the PS Eye. Seems pretty awesome.

Click here to see Joystiq’s full synopsis of all the gaming goodness that occurred!

Now I have to leave for school, so I’ll miss the rest. Was decent, but I think Nintendo had a better, more exciting showcase.

I was disappointed the God of War III has been set back until March 2010. I was really looking forward to it. Im hoping they decide to go with including Blu-ray versions of GoW I and II with it also, seeing how one cannot play Ps2 games on some PS3′s (particularly mine).