Tag Archives: online

XBL Gold vs. PS+

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Posted by Rob on July 8, 2011 – 7:13 am
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I received an e-mail from Microsoft this morning notifying me that my XBL Gold account would be expiring next month, which makes sense since I got a 360 last August. However, now I had to pose myself a question…do I want to spend the $50 to renew my Gold account? Not only do I rarely play 360 games online, but at the same time I’m paying for a PS+ account. Thing is, my PS+ account will be coming due soon too. Seeing how I’m currently unemployed and times are hard, I don’t want to be spending money I don’t have on things I really don’t need right now. So I got to thinking about the perks of both, and whether they were worth the price of admission or not.

What I get with a XBL Gold Account:

  • The ability to play online. This is arguably the best perk to having a Gold account, simply because you cannot play online without it.
  • Superior online experience. The 360 does offer a better online experience than the PS3, from the awesome and comfortable headset that plugs in right to your controller to the ability to have cross-game chat. I do believe there are more 360 players than PS3 players as well, so it’s easier to find a game to play online with the 360
  • Exclusive content. Gold members do get access to exclusive betas and demos before the general public.

What I get with a PS+ Account:

  • Free games. On average, PS+ users get one free game PSN game a week. It’s not just lame shovelware games either; I’ve gotten some pretty great games like Magic the Gathering, Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage II and others.
  • Discounted games. This is the biggest advantage to PS+, as I can buy games over PSN for less money than it costs on XBLA. Often times, many games are discounted from 33-50% off, particularly in the first week of release. I’ve gotten a ton of games on the cheap from PS+, and it has paid for itself many times over.
  • Exclusive content. I received early access to betas for DC Universe, Uncharted 2, and Uncharted 3, as well as early access to demos and other PS-exclusive content. Read More »

PS3 Review: Dungeon Siege III

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Posted by Rob on June 30, 2011 – 8:15 pm
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I love a great hack-and-slash/ dungeon crawler RPG grindfest, but the current generation has been lacking in this department…until this year, when a large amount of these games are coming out. Dungeon Siege III is the first full retail game (Dungeon Hunter: Alliance was a downloadable title), and while the developers made some bad decisions as far as co-op goes, the general game is pretty sweet.

The Characters:

One of the main things that make a hack-and-slash RPG is the characters and/or classes. Dungeon Siege III focuses around a group called “The Legion”, and the four playable characters are all descendants of this order that was pretty much decimated thirty years prior. The four characters are all different and do, generally speaking, have varying play styles. The “rogue” is a female human who uses guns as weapons, and also has access to some curses for good measure. There is a human knight who deals heavy melee combat, making him a fine tank. There is a female archon (aka “fire demon”) who has two different forms; as a human she can deal melee damage with her staff/spear, but when in her fire demon form she gains access to some crazy fire magic. This makes her an ideal character as she can switch between melee and magic combat fairly quickly. The last character is a dwarven…something. I’m not entirely sure what he does since I haven’t played as him yet, but he claims that using mathematical calculations and his mind he can rip an enemy in two once he’s trained to do so, so that’s something to look forward to I suppose.

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Eleventh Platinum Trophy: WWE All Stars

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Posted by Rob on May 16, 2011 – 9:59 am
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I was about eight online matches away from receiving the final two trophies in WWE All Stars (Main Eventer and All Trophies Awarded, which is the Platinum) when disaster struck and the PSN went down. The past twenty-some odd days have been a haze as I struggled to survive playing online offline games, knowing that the Platinum trophy was so close yet so far. So this morning, once I downloaded the new firmware and changed my password, the first thing I did was jump on All Stars and start grinding towards my 50th win.

Initially I was going to be boosting because two friends who I’ve boosted with previously were online. However, neither one wanted to, so I sucked it up and spent the next two hours getting my wins the old fashioned way…beating the shit out of noobs online. I ended up going for 11-3 today, with three of those wins not registering due to rage quitters. After my 50th online win (I beat the floor with Ultimate Warrior’s ass as Kane) I was pleased to hear the awesome ding of the last two trophies unlocking. I enjoyed playing All Stars online, and I will still be going back on to kick butt. I’ll probably start playing more ranked matches just to get my official stats up.

As for the next Platinum, I have no idea. I don’t have any games currently that seem to be Platniumable, so it will probably be some time before I get another.

Finally, The PSN Has Come Back…Online

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Posted by Rob on May 16, 2011 – 6:18 am
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It’s been a tough twenty-three days, but the PSN returned (for the most part) yesterday. The online play, chat, friends list, and trophies are the important features that returned, and the only one missing is the PSN Store, which will hopefully get back into service soon (I just want to sync all my RB songs to RB3.) It’s been a long time coming and I’ve been itching to get online for two main reasons:

  • To play Dungeon Hunter Alliance online
  • To Platinum WWE All Stars

I’m currently nine online wins away from getting the Platinum in All Stars, and when I downloaded the new firmware and got the PS3 going again, I had a friend request from a guy who wanted to boost All Stars. Pretty soon this guy and I will be sitting back and basking in the glory of our new Platinum trophy! After I get All Stars out of the way, I’ll probably take a break and get some stuff down around the house, then I’ll see if I can’t get a game of Dungeon Hunter Alliance underway.

I missed being able to play online, and I’m so glad I can now. Welcome back, PSN!

Dungeon Hunter: Alliance Character Build: The Warrior

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Posted by Rob on May 11, 2011 – 4:48 pm
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I’ve done a few character builds for Sacred 2, and I enjoyed sharing my thoughts on creating a strategic character who was well-built and used all of their skill points to the maximum advantage. While Dungeon Hunter: Alliance is nowhere near as complex as Sacred 2, there are still a lot of skills to choose from for each class. Granted, if you play to max out your character at level 75 you will have most of the skills by default, but this is a guide for someone who does not want to put as much time into their warrior, and won’t play past a single playthrough.

The Basics:

First off, some general info on the warrior. I think the warrior is best suited as a tank. Sure, he has some buff skills, but if you’re playing in co-op, it’s best to save the buffs for the mage, and let the warrior get down and dirty in the front lines. Unfortunately, it takes time for the warrior to become a “tank”, in that he can run to the front lines and hack up enemies while absorbing little damage. It took until about level 25, when I was getting decent armor stats on equipment, had a lot of attribute points in endurance, and had the Hardiness (increases your armor stat) skill maxed out. The good news is that it is ridiculously easy (and affordable) to reset your characters skills and attributes, so doing so every few levels, after some good skills have been unlocked, will be key. Read More »

PSN Review: Dungeon Hunter: Alliance

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Posted by Rob on May 3, 2011 – 4:05 pm
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Anyone who truly knows that my favorite genre of game is not FPS or wrestling or even RPGs…it’s the good ol’ genre of hack-and-slash dungeon crawlers! Nothing is better than sitting down, choosing a class, and then spending fifty or more hours grinding that character by killing endless streams of monsters over and over again while searching for more xp and loot. The PS2 had quite a few excellent games in this genre, but the PS3 has been relatively lacking…the best being Sacred 2. Then along came Dungeon Hunter: Alliance; a PSN-exclusive that really scratched my itch for a genre that has been severely under-represented in this generation of home consoles.

There is a basic story in the game. You play as a dead king who is resurrected by a fairy, who needs your help to stop your wife (the queen) from resurrecting a dark fairy who will destroy the world. There are three classes to choose from; warrior, rogue, and mage. As with most dungeon crawlers, each class depends on different stats (ex- warrior uses strength, rogue uses dexterity) and combat skills to take on the forces of evil. There are twelve acts, each one made up of a couple of different dungeons/maps that offer their own enemy type. While the lack of class choice is a tad disappointing (I compare most hack-and-slash dungeon crawlers to Champions of Norrath: Return to Arms), it works just fine for a $9 PSN title (the PS+ price, of course.)

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PS3 Review: Mortal Kombat

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Posted by Rob on May 2, 2011 – 9:40 am
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My first impression of the new Mortal Kombat game was a pretty positive one. What was a stale franchise literally took a step back by changing from a 3D arena back to a 2D arena and also removed more “modern” features of the series. However, the changes resulting from going back to the basics, as well as some new innovations, have re-vitalized the franchise, and I think Mortal Kombat can arguably be one of the best fighting games on the market today.

As can be seen by the name of the game itself (going by simply “Mortal Kombat” rather than “Mortal Kombat IX, which it technically is), Mortal Kombat is a throwback to the founding games in the franchise. The roster encompasses most of the fighters from Mortal Kombat I-III, as well as a few other characters from later games, as well as the PS3-exclusive Kratos (twenty-seven fighters on 360, twenty-eight on PS3.) Also making a return are the stages themselves, as most of the stages are a re-imagining of previous ones, such as Goro’s Lair and The Pit. The return to a side-scrolling 2D fighter is a good change, and playing the game feels as if you’re on your Genesis in the 90s, only with incredible graphics and a lot more blood and gore. Each character can perform two finishers as well as stage finishers (see knocking opponents into The Pit) and babalities. Sadly the friendships and animalities did not make a return, but what does make a comeback is pure win.

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Dungeon Hunter: Alliance: A Worthy Predecessor to Sacred 2

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Posted by Rob on April 19, 2011 – 5:02 pm
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If anyone knows my gaming habits, they know I’m a sucker for the hack-and-slash/dungeon-crawler/RPG genre. Ever since getting the PS3 I’ve been itching for something that equaled the awesomeness of Champions of Norrath and Baldurs Gate on the PS2, but that has been a challenge. The closest game was Sacred 2, which is incredibly under-rated in my opinion, but I do acknowledge the limitations it had. There were a few other games that tried to squeeze into the genre, but just didn’t cut the mustard (Untold Legends didn’t have online voice chat and was otherwise mediocre, and the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series just didn’t have as much replay value as I would have liked.)

Then I started hearing about Dungeon Hunter: Alliance; a PSN-exclusive that enables up to four players to raid some dungeons. Being a PSN title, I was initially skeptical for the replay value, particularly in the number of maps and the max level. After reading co-optimus’ review on the game, my worries were tossed aside as there are over twelve levels and the character level cap is set to 75. So I jumped on the PSN and put my birthday money to good use, and had some time to check the game out. Read More »

Tenth Platinum Trophy: Dead Nation

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Posted by Rob on April 14, 2011 – 1:46 pm
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When I first picked up Dead Nation on PSN, I never dreamed I would get the Platinum trophy, titled “Romero Would Be Proud.” There were some really challenging trophies to get; one involving having to complete the game on Morbid difficulty, and the other being to collect 100% of the loot in every level. Playing solo, I knew I would never have achieved these trophies. Thanks to a buddy over at co-optimus, we spent the past three weeks or so busting through the game after I got off work each day. In the end, we were rewarded for our hours of time and dedication to the game with a shiny new Platinum trophy.

To start off, we had to unlock Morbid difficulty by playing through on Grim. It wasn’t too challenging, but it still took a few days as we encountered problems here and there. After that was complete, we moved on to Morbid difficulty. This was where the real challenge began, and some of the levels required not only many, many deaths to get to the end, but also many hours. Some levels took over two hours to complete. In fact, the final level (suitably named “Highway to Hell”) took us over three and a half hours to complete, as the final section of the level was swarming with countless zombies. Once we completed that, we just had to complete one level on the hardest difficulty (Undead) to claim that trophy, and then we moved on to two of the final trophies. Read More »

Stupid Hackers

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Posted by Rob on April 6, 2011 – 4:16 pm
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I don’t want to get into specifics, mainly because I really don’t care about the actual issue, but there is currently a group (or perhaps several groups) of hackers who have been attacking Sony the past two days. Basically, they are upset with Sony and how Sony deals with certain issues, so they decided to go against Sony by taking several actions…one which includes disrupting the PSN service. As a result of this, the past two days have been hit or miss with getting online the PS3, as a disruption of service means I can’t play online.

Now here’s what I don’t get: the hackers are mad at Sony, and want to not only hurt them but also gain public support by getting attention. Well, they sure are getting attention, but they are actually getting the people upset. I mean, how the hell am I supposed to say “yeah you wacky hackers, stick it to the man!” when THEY are the ones who don’t let me play online. It’s THEIR fault I can’t watch Netflix, THEIR I can’t kick ass in WWE All Stars, and THEIR fault that I’ve been getting somewhat spotty connections when playing Dead Nations with my friend. Read More »

Closing in on Two More Platinum Trophies

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Posted by Rob on April 4, 2011 – 4:25 pm
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I’m getting close to unlocking two more Platinum trophies, but I’m not sure which will be hitting first.

In WWE All Stars, I’ve unlocked the vast majority of the trophies. The only ones remaining are the online ones (win 10 matches, win 25 matches, win 50 matches, and win 10 matches in a row) and two massive ones; one requiring me to defeat the entire roster with Triple H and one requiring me to not only defeat the entire roster but also clear all three Path of Champions with Ultimate Warrior. Once I snag these, I will be in Platinum paradise. Read More »

PS3 Review: Dead Nation

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Posted by Rob on April 3, 2011 – 8:15 pm
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When it comes to zombie related games, my two favorites used to be the Left 4 Dead series, followed by Zombies Ate My Neighbors. However, I do believe there is a new contender in Dead Nation, the PS3-exclusive top-down, twin-stick zombie shooter. I had initially shied away from it based on it’s difficulty, but once it went on sale I jumped on it…and have been kicking myself for waiting so long to enjoy the game!

There are two characters to choose from in Dead Nation…a guy and a lady. The only difference between them is the color of their clothing and gun’s laser sight (to help you differentiate between the two when playing co-op). The general story is that zombies have taken over the world, and for some reason these two characters are immune from the zombie virus. The two characters then embark on a mission to help a scientist trace the cause of the virus outbreak while surviving increasing hordes of zombies.

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PS3 Review: WWE All Stars

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Posted by Rob on April 3, 2011 – 11:05 am
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This game is one heck of a slobber knocker as THQ redeems themselves for WWE Legends of WrestleMania with their newest title, WWE All Stars. I have been following this game for quite a few months now, and the end product was as good as I expected. First and foremost, this is NOT a wrestling sim like the Smackdown vs. Raw series. All Stars is a fighting game in every sense of the word, from having insane moves, devastating combos, tons of lockables…and the simple fact that it’s easy to pick up and play but challenging to master. That being said, I did not intend to make this a comparison of All Stars and SvR, but I ended up doing just that. This game is definitely on the radar of any SvR fan, so I think it is inevitable to compare the two at some points as a means of giving examples of what to expect.

The roster of characters is pretty darn expansive for a fighting game. There are thirty wrestlers to initially choose from, with at least thirteen more revealed as future DLC. They are divided by old school legends and today’s current roster, and this really does make it the best roster for a WWE game ever. Tons of old favorites are represented like Stone Cold, Rock, Hogan, Macho Man, Andre, Ultimate Warrior and more, and they even have their classic attires. Then you have some of today’s hottest stars including Undertaker, Triple H, Edge, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, John Cena, and others as well. Together, it is a very well-rounded cast of wrestlers and is definitely one of the biggest selling points for the game.

But I’ve talked enough about all this basic info over the past three months, so now I’ll go more into what I got out of the actual game. Read More »

Playing Catch Up

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Posted by Rob on April 1, 2011 – 7:02 pm
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So as you can see, it’s been pretty quiet around here lately. I blame the new job, which has definitely been kicking my butt since I have to get up at 2:45am. I usually don’t get home until after 12, so by that time I’m just so exhausted that I drag myself into the shower and then flop down on the couch. Yet it saddens my heart to see this blog not being updated, so today I started up on a few posts which will be finalized over the coming days.

As far as video games goes, my drought is finally over. For the past two weeks I’ve had nothing really to play, which was pretty sad. But this week has been nuts, and I’ve had a bunch of games thrown at me: Read More »

Finally, The Rob, Has Come Back,To…Albany

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Posted by Rob on March 17, 2011 – 12:47 am
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It’s been a very busy, yet relaxing, couple of days, as I have been visiting with the in-laws in Las Vegas, NV (well, technically Henderson, NV, but it’s pretty damn close to Vegas.) Both of Shell’s sisters live out there so we don’t really get to see them too often…the last time we were out there was almost two years ago. So we decided to take a bit of a break and head out there for a five day weekend. We left from Albany on Wednesday at 11:55 EST and arrived at 2:20ish PST (thanks to Southwest it was a direct flight), so what was a five and a half hour flight technically got us to Vegas in under three hours.

Since this was more of a visiting family trip, we didn’t really hit the Strip. Shell and I did head down on Tuesday for a little while and checked out some of the casinos and what not. So while there wasn’t any gambling, there was a lot of good eating, as we went out for every lunch and almost every dinner. Some of the highlights included Sonic’s (I really wish one would open up near Albany…the closest one to us is in Kingston), Lucilles, The Yard House (which had quite a large collection of beers on tap…I went for the Spaten Oktoberfest), Raising Cane’s, and many more. Read More »

PSN Re-Releasing Sega Classics…With Trophies!

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Posted by Rob on March 2, 2011 – 11:56 pm
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Yesterday (for some people), Sonic the Hedgehog, one of the most notable accomplishments from the Genesis era, was released on PSN. “Wait a minute, isn’t Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega’s Ultimate Genesis Collection game disc” you ask? It sure is, but with the PSN re-release of the game you will get two things you don’t get in the retail disc…full on trophy support as well as online leaderboards. And Sonic isn’t the only game getting this re-release treatment.

Every two weeks, a new old-school Sega game will be released, including the awesomely classic Streets of Rage 2 and Golden Axe II. These games will also have extra trophies and online leaderboards. Personally, I’m hoping that these two games will also receive the ability to play with others online…something that can’t be done on the Ultimate Genesis Collection disc. Read More »

Ninth Platinum Trophy: Borderlands

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Posted by Rob on March 2, 2011 – 2:42 pm
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My ninth Platinum came quicker than I initially predicted. I had thought I had a ways to go, but it turns out I was actually closer to getting the Platinum than I realized. It turns out the only main trophy I needed was to reach level 50, so I spent the past few play sessions grinding my hunter, and today he reached level 50, nabbing me the trophy, which is called Borderlands Defender.

Even though I have the Platinum, I will definitely continue to play the game. Steve and I are still in the midst of an online co-op campaign, and I still have plenty of other trophies to get from the DLC…I only have the trophies from the Zombie Island of Dr. Ned so far.

The way things are looking, I don’t think I’ll be working on a Platinum for another game until I get WWE Allstars in at the end of the month. The other games I own that I have not already Platted yet are too much work for me, including Rock Band 2, Resistance 2, Uncharted 2, and Fallout: New Vegas. They all have some trophies that require too much effort or are just out of my league (especially with Rock Band.)

Complete WWE Allstars Roster

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Posted by Rob on February 24, 2011 – 10:49 am
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Today IGN finished unveiling the entire WWE Allstars roster, including the first batch of DLC. Here are your wrestlers:

Legends:

  • Andre the Giant
  • Bret Hart
  • Eddie Guerrero
  • Hulk Hogan
  • Jake “The Snake” Roberts
  • Jimmy Snuka
  • “Macho Man Randy” Savage
  • Mr. Perfect
  • Ricky Steamboat
  • Roddy Piper
  • Shawn Michaels
  • Sgt. Slaughter
  • “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
  • The Rock
  • Ultimate Warrior Read More »

Eighth Platinum Trophy: WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011

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Posted by Rob on February 22, 2011 – 5:49 pm
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It’s been bugging me that  the only trophy I was missing for Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 was the Last Man Standing trophy, which you unlock after winning an online Royal Rumble match. This is extremely difficult. For starters, you actually have to find a match. After managing to get a match going, the next challenge is to keep it going. The final challenge is to actually win. I’ve tried many times, and most of the time I got booted out due to the other player disconnecting. I also lost twice against other players, once against the AI, and just this morning the game disconnected when I was the last player standing. Needless to say, it’s a tough trophy to get…unless you find someone in the same situation!

I went over to ps3trophies.com and posted up a plea for help. The site is dedicated to, you guessed it, PlayStation trophies! There are not only a ton of in-depth trophy guides to help you get them on your own, but the extremely active community is also very helpful in aiding other players in getting missing online trophies (something they call “trophy boosting.”) So I went to the SvR 2011 sub-forum and posted for help in the online Royal Rumble thread. I eventually received a friend invite from one of the guys on there, and he was also missing the RR online trophy. So we created a private match between the two of us and played two rounds of the Royal Rumble…he wanted me to win the first match, and then I let him win the second match. This worked out very good, since by working together we were able to eliminate every opponent almost the second they entered the ring. I was happy to finally get the Platinum, and had fun playing and talking to someone else. Read More »

Return to Borderlands

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Posted by Rob on February 19, 2011 – 1:25 am
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With Sacred 2 deftly completed in co-op, we have moved on to Borderlands. I completed the main game in single player with the Hunter, and I am now playing through as Lilith. I had previously created a Roland and Brick character to get the trophies associated with their abilities, so when we started up a new game, it only made sense to play as the final character I haven’t touched yet.

Right off the bat I have to say that Borderlands is a heck of a lot more fun in co-op. There are not only more enemies, but they are tougher, and it makes for a very challenging experience as opposed to playing solo. I look forward to spending a good chunk of my co-op time in Borderlands, and getting to check out all the DLC (I own the GOTY edition but only played through the Zombie Island one.)

I’m also glad to go back a second time and collect some trophies I missed out on. Already got two co-op trophies tonight!