I was fiddling around on my Gamefly account today, and I was surprised to find that they had a full log of every game I ever rented from them, started from 2008 to the present. I decided to use this information to my advantage and factor in how many games I rented for the year 2010 and, based on the yearly membership price, determine if it was worth it. Below is a list of all the games I rented in 2010: Read More
I hadn’t seen too much hype around the 360-exclusive Alan Wake, but the few people I have heard discuss it had nothing but good things to say. Initially, it wasn’t an exclusive that made me want to get the 360, like Fable and Mass Effect were. Within minutes of starting up the game, I realized that this was something different than anything I ever played, and the more I played it, the more I got sucked in. The game is very story-driven, so I will make this review relatively spoiler-free.
You play as Alan Wake, a writer who has taken a vacation with his wife to a small Washingon town. Shortly after, your wife disappears and you wake up behind the wheel of a car that has just had an accident, with no recollection of how you got there. Armed with simple weapons (revolver, shotgun, hunting rifle, flare gun) and a flashlight, you set out to uncover the mystery of what is going on. The game was definitely inspired by the works of Stephen King, which can be seen by not only the general story, but also the references. I noticed nods to The Stand, The Shining, Insomnia, and Misery, as well as the couple of times that Wake, through narration, gives a direct quote of King. Overall, the general story is amazing, and you can really picture the game as a book.
So I was kinda watching the VGAs last night, and what I didn’t watch I followed on joystiq’s live blog, and the game announcements for next year were epic. It’s not like there were one or two game announcements to get me excited…there were FOUR! Four games which come from some of my most adored franchises, and they all come out in November. This Fall season didn’t offer too many must-haves for me, aside from Fallout: New Vegas, but next year is a different story indeed.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception will be released on 11/1/11. I love the Uncharted series, and Uncharted 2 took the franchise to new heights by adding in some awesome co-op and multiplayer modes, which really added to the life and replay value of the game. I’ve got my fingers crossed that there will finally be some campaign co-op, especially since there are almost always two characters on screen at any given time in the games. Read More
I’ve complained about Gamefly in the past for the occasionally slow service, especially since their nearest facility to me is in Pittsburgh. I got a nice surprise this time around, and experienced their fastest service yet. I dropped Mass Effect into the post office’s hands on Thursday afternoon. On Saturday I received a notice in the afternoon that they had physically received Mass Effect (not the super-fast post office scanning, but they got the disc), and later that afternoon I was informed that they had shipped Mass Effect 2. I was plenty surprised to find Mass Effect 2 waiting for me in the mailbox this afternoon. So I returned a game late Thursday afternoon, and received the next one Monday afternoon, and that includes the Sunday the post office didn’t deliver or pick up mail.
I hope this trend continues so that I can receive quicker gamey goodness.
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
Ahh, my first 360 game review. Playing games only on the PS3 until about a week ago, I missed out on a lot of great RPGs designed by Bioware…the two that come to mind are Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. I got my first taste of Bioware when I played through Dragon Age: Origins FOUR times (I did get a nice Platinum trophy for that one, too), and I loved it. So when I received my 360 last Thursday, I quickly popped Mass Effect onto the top of my Gamefly queue. I’ve had a few days to check it out, and so far I am totally loving it.
What Mass Effect does is that a fast-paced third person shooter and add to the gameplay possibilities by making it into an RPG. The story is basically about a human who is drafted into an intergalactic organization and must stop an alien from unleashing terror across the galaxy. First off, the main character, last name Shepard, can be a male or female, and there are a variety of different classes to choose from. Like an RPG, the classes are all distinct, ranging from warriors (the soldier, with automatic weaponry and heavy armor) to the “mage” characters, who are able to manipulate machines or create force fields. You can create a party of three out of seven characters (three human, including the main character, and four different alien species), but you can only directly control the main character. However, you are able to bring up a menu during combat to order your allies on which action to take. So it’s basically your typical fantasy RPG in a sci-fi environment, and the combination is pure awesome.
So I previously went over my first impressions of the system itself, and what it offers. Now I’m going to spend some time talking about the great games I have gotten to play, and there are some great ones indeed!
Castle Crashers:
This is one of the games that had me drooling for a 360, especially since first getting to actually play it at PAX. It’s still in the works for a PS3 release, but it took so dang long so this was one of the first games I snagged. Castle Crashers is a beautiful, colorful, BLOODY beat em’ up, straight out of the old school days. Up to four players (locally or online, which is awesome) can team up with a character of their choice and lay the smackdown on dozens of minions and giant bosses. The leveling system is great, where if you die on a level you maintain all the gold, weapons, creatures, and XP you earned, and it all adds in to the awesome replay value of the game. This is the game I was waiting for, and now that I have it, I see that it’s everything I thought it would be and more. If you have a 360 and don’t have this game, then you’re a fool!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 1989 Classic Arcade
This game is straight out of the old school arcade we all know and love. The graphics and gameplay are all down right as they were…no lame “revival” like Turtles in Time Re-Shelled was. There is really little to say about the awesomeness of this game: old school arcade beat em’ up! The only thing they did was make it so that you have unlimited continues, so no worries about losing your last quarter by being turned into a little turtle by Shredder!!!
Mass Effect:
After playing the crud out of Dragon Age: Origins through four different play-throughs, I was extremely jealous of Biowares sci-fi RPG Mass Effect. I didn’t think it was a game to own, so I rented this one from Gamefly so I could play through it and then send it back for Mass Effect 2. I am about an hour or two into the game, and so far it is a great combination of RPG goodness in a sci-fi environment. It has everything that Dragon Age had: several backgrounds and classes to choose from, a ton of weapons and equipment to keep checking on, and special abilities for you and your party to make short work of your enemies. I can’t say too much more since I’m still in the beginnings of the game, but I’m impressed by what I’ve seen so far.
Crackdown 2:
Crackdown 2 is an interesting third-person shooter that takes place in a city overrun by zombie-ish creatures (referred to simply as “freaks”.) Your mission is to help clear them out of the city by running or driving around and fulfilling various missions. I have not personally played online yet, but when you do your friends can come and join in your world to help you on your missions. I haven’t put much time into the game yet, so I don’t have too much to say about it yet, but when I do a full review will be forth-coming.
Left 4 Dead:
This is hands-down one of the definitive games for the 360. Left 4 Dead is a FPS that sticks you smack dab in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. You and three allies (either actual players or AI) must race through the level and try to survive to the end, where rescue awaits. The typical weapons of pistols, rifles, shotguns, and machine guns are what stands between you and hordes of various zombies, all of which move extremely quickly (no shambling here.) I played through two levels (each level contains five stages) with some people online last night and had a true blast. This is a game that I can’t see ever getting old, and was definitely something I was missing on the PS3.
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:
The 36o Directional Pad:
I received the 360 in from UPS today, and I’m pretty pleased. I’m taking a quick break from set-up to put up some pics and whatnot.
The package:
The package opened:
The package contained more than just the 360, as the dudes over at co-optimus.com also sent over a t-shirt and stickers.
Also included was a brand-spanking new copy of Crackdown 2:
The system looks pretty sweet with the black finish. It’s like a matching pair for my PS3. Now all I need is to trade my white Wii in for the black one…
Also came with matching black controller and headset. It’s kind of sad that the headset is wired, but I’m not complaining, since the price was right!
So there you have it: my 360! I’m pretty excited to get playing. As of right now I have Crackdown 2, Castle Crashers, and TMNT Arcade (the awesome 1989 one!!!) By tomorrow I should have Left 4 Dead (from amazon) and Mass Effect (from Gamefly), and in a few days, once I get some credit in from amazon, I’ll be ordering Gears of War 2. I think these games are going to be a great start to my 360 experience.
Last week, the good folks at co-optimus.com had a contest to celebrate the fact that their database now contains over 1,000 co-op games. As I was getting ready to eat breakfast Sunday morning, I received a PM from the owner of the site, with the subject being “Grand Prize Winner.” I got excited and started cursing, and Shell was confused. I ran into the computer room and went online to read the PM, and sure enough, I had been selected as the grand prize winner. The prize is a 250gb 360 slim, as well as a copy of Crackdown 2. I gave my info to the site owner, and I should have the 360 in my possession by the weekend.
I never talked much smack about the 360, and I was actually on the verge of buying one when I was ready to purchase a current gen system back in 2008. However, in the end I was diswayed from the 360 due to the RROD problems, as well as the high start-up cost (having to buy a system, a $90 wireless device for it, and having to purchase a Gold account just to play online.) These issues, coupled with the fact that I got a PS3 for $100 off, caused me to go with Sony over Microsoft. However, I always wanted to get a 360 as well, especially within the past year as I have made friends with people online who only have 360s, and not PS3s. Read More
So as I have saying over the weekend and today, I was able to finally check out the 360 at PAX, and I liked what I played.
First off, remember that I am not a 360 hater. I don’t necessarily believe that the PS3 > 360, or that I hate the 360 simply because I have a PS3 instead. When I was ready to jump into the current-gen consoles, I was tossed up between the PS3 and 360. My friend and I had lengthy conversations about the pros and cons of each, and for awhile it looked like I would get a 360, for the lower price and the far-superior online service. However, one of the biggest problems was that I had never touched a 360 before. None of my friends ever had an Xbox or a 360, so I never knew how it was. Also, I was skeptical of the 360′s life due to all the RROD reports, and I didn’t want to think about the chance that I would have to worry about getting my console fixed. So when Wal-Mart happened to have a $100 deal on the PS3, I was quickly sold, and that laid it to rest. Read More
Content © BigBadBob's Blog. Proudly powered by WordPress. To bookmark this site, press Control+D.
"Black Hat" theme by Nicki Faulk. For best results, please view with Firefox. [ Register / Log in ]
