One of the best games of 2011 that I didn’t get to play til 2012

I picked up Gears of War 2 for my birthday last April. By then most people weren’t playing it as much, so I just ran through the campaign on my own. I never touched the Horde mode or any other online mode. But I felt like it was something that would be a lot of fun online. So for Christmas Gears of War 3 was on the top of my list, and Santa ended up delivering. However, I didn’t really start playing til this week after figuring out how to hook up the PX21 to the 360. Now that I started playing Gears 3 online, I’m pretty much hooked.

I met up with four other guys from Co-Optimus last night and they walked me through my first Beast Mode. I really, REALLY had a blast. If you’re not familiar with the game or mode, it’s basically a survival mode with a twist…YOU’RE THE BAD GUYS! You and up to four friends can team up playing as the Locust. You earn cash for beating up the good guy soldiers and heroes (like Marcus and Cole) and use that cash to purchase respawns of different Locust units, ranging from the usual grunts with guns to gigantic centipedes and beserkers. I’ve grown quite addicted to the Tickers, which are pretty much running suicide bombers. You use these little beauties to run up to enemy troops and with the tap of a button you explode, taking anyone nearby with you. Unfortunately there is a slight delay as you ignite, and it’s easy for enemy troops to evade the explosion. With some more practice I think I’ll get better at guesstimating their reactions and plan my explosions so they are more devastating.

Nothing’s more satisfying than blowing yourself away for the good of the collective

Then today I checked out Horde mode in a random public match. It’s the opposite of Beast mode, where you play as the good ol’ Gears and survive waves of Locust. Unlike Beast mode you use your cash to purchase fortifications and ammo, though if you’re playing with a bunch of tools who don’t like to revive you when you’re down (like I was today), you may be spending big money for a respawn. I had fun running around at the start of each wave placing barbed wire and decoys to help slow down the incoming swarms of enemies. The biggest problem I had, like I already mentioned, was playing with three other guys who 1. didn’t use headsets, and 2. didn’t worry about reviving their partners, despite the fact that I saved their asses plenty of times. I look forward to playing more Horde with the some of the guys from Co-Optimus over the weekend.

Both Beast and Horde mode have been successful in dragging me away from the PS3 for awhile, and just when I was getting into Dungeon Defenders and Payday. I guess getting to blow the crap out of “Cole Train” is simply more satisfying than robbing a bank, and that’s something I never thought I’d say.

]]> http://www.bigbadbob113.com/2012/01/20/hooked-on-gears-of-war-3/feed/ 4 http://www.bigbadbob113.com/2012/01/19/ps3-review-rayman-origins/ http://www.bigbadbob113.com/2012/01/19/ps3-review-rayman-origins/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:09:18 +0000 Rob http://www.bigbadbob113.com/?p=6105 PS3 Review: Rayman: Origins

Post from: BigBadBobs Wild World of Stuff

Better than the original

I enjoyed playing Trine, but with it’s lack of online co-op I was forced to play it single player. When Trine 2 came out, I was hesitant to make the purchase even though I liked the first game and the sequel sporting a shiny coat on online co-op. However, when two buddies of mine from Co-Optimus purchased it and told me they needed a third, I gave in to the peer pressure and made the purchase. I’m glad I did, because Trine 2 is definitely one of the best downloadable titles of 2011.

Let’s get a few things straight. Firstly, it is a sequel to the original game, so the knight, thief and wizard return to once again save the kingdom. As I already mentioned, Trine 2 supports online co-op, so up to three players can meet up online to take on the puzzles that the game throws at you. In case you’re not familiar with the Trine series, let me give you a brief rundown: there are three characters who each have several distinct skills that are needed to get through the puzzles littered about each level. Along the way you are on the hunt for XP potions which will enable your characters to level up and unlock addition skills that are needed to get through levels. The knight has a sword, hammer and shield and is good for blocking projectiles, breaking down walls and beating down the baddies. The thief has a bow which can be used to take on enemies safely from a distance and she also has a grappling hook which can be used to access areas that other characters cannot. The wizard is not what you would expect, as his spells are limited to creating wooden objects (boxes and planks) and levitating objects, including obstructions, other players, and enemies. The three characters have to work together to make it to the end of a given level, and often times a single puzzle may require several different abilities from each character. A great example I encountered when playing is that the thief (me) had to grapple onto a platform of water to make it spill to one side. Then the wizard player had to levitate a box he created to angle the water flow off to one side. Finally the knight had to use his shield to further direct the water onto a tiny little plant that then grew, allowing us to climb it to the next section.

The game is much prettier but this is the best image I could find with three players

Trine 2 doesn’t just improve on the regular formula by allowing you to play long distance (and supplying top-not voice chat quality) as there are several key improvements over the original game. One of the first things I noticed was the visuals and audio. Trine was one of the best-looking PS3 games out there, but Trine 2 even blows that away. The character models are nice and crisp and the environments are extremely sharp and colorful. It’s really quite an artistic treat and you will find yourself taking a break from the puzzles to take in the scenery. Another great improvement is that there is no longer a magic bar. In Trine the characters, especially the wizard, were limited in what they could do by having a magic bar that was expended as they used their skills. This bar is gone in Trine 2 so the wizard can make as many boxes as he is able to without having to worry about running out of magic. Also, there is A LOT more combat in Trine 2 which gives the game some exciting moments that were missing from the original game. Luckily all three characters can hold their own to some degree, even the wizard; he can levitate enemies and either move them in front of enemy archers or other environmental hazards to finish them off. Oh, and there are a number of boss battles in the game also, which is never a bad thing. One of the only things I can say that I missed from the first game are the artifacts that you could find to boost character stats and abilities. These collectibles have been replaced by concept art and weird poetry, which are great and all, but not as cool as finding something that helps you play the game better.

The colors, Duke, THE COLORS!!!

I already mentioned how the co-op is improved with the online capabilities, but I also have to give kudos to Trine 2 for making co-op trophies. These aren’t trophies like “complete x levels in co-op” or “you and a partner do this.” Instead, most of the trophies require only one character to do something, yet will reward all players with the trophy. For example, there is a trophy for doing a 360 degree grapple spin with the thief. I did it at one point, and as I got the trophy my two friends also received the trophy, even though they weren’t playing as the thief. Not only does this make the game a great co-op game, but I would have to say it’s one of the easiest games to Platinum on the PS3.

“You get that trophy, I’ll get this trophy, and we’ll all live trophily ever after”

Trine 2 is an example of a game that improved on a formula that seemed to be top-notch during it’s previous outing. The attention to visual detail, the inclusion of online co-op, the end of a magic bar and more combat are all the ingredients that Trine 2 needed to surpass the original. I’ll admit that it is a bit steep now at a price of $15, but if you have two friends to play it with I would say it’s totally worth it. It may not be the longest campaign (we probably finished it up within under eight hours) but it is a heck of a lot of fun if you’re playing with two partners that you know and get along with. If you want an artsy fartsy puzzler (with a ton of gold trophies and an easy Platinum) then Trine 2 is the game for you.

]]> http://www.bigbadbob113.com/2012/01/11/psn-review-trine-2/feed/ 0 http://www.bigbadbob113.com/2012/01/01/my-top-ten-posts-of-2011/ http://www.bigbadbob113.com/2012/01/01/my-top-ten-posts-of-2011/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:52:09 +0000 Rob http://www.bigbadbob113.com/?p=6048 My Top Ten Posts of 2011

Post from: BigBadBobs Wild World of Stuff

Destined to be yet another mediocre Marvel super hero game

When I first heard the announcement concerning the release of X-Men: Destiny, I was excited yet pessimistic. The fact that the game allowed you to create a unique character with their own powers was a great idea, but I immediately thought about how horrible this idea worked in Activision’s X-Men: Legends game, in regards to the character Magma. I enjoyed both X-Men: Legends games in general, but how would this game, that was focused so much on a non-cannon character, end up being. I can tell you that after spending twelve hours across two complete playthroughs, X-Men: Destiny is a mindless, fun little romp yet leaves you yearning for quite a bit more. Spoiler alert: Activision has failed to live up to its work with X-Men: Legends.

At the start of the game you select one of three unique characters. Which character you choose doesn’t necessarily matter… they all have access to the same pool of powers and there are no unique missions or anything associated with each different character (though there will be dialogue changes to coincide with your selected character’s backstory.) Once your character is selected they immediately find themselves in the midst of an attack, during which they will finally discover that they are mutants. As you continue through the game your character will develop their skills, equip the genes of famous mutants, and ultimately decide if their loyalities lie with Cyclops and the X-Men or Magneto and the Brotherhood.

Your three character choices: the football jock, the ninja chick and the ex-soldier

I’m sure you’re asking yourself about these powers. In a game where you create your own mutant, this is probably one of the most important features. While it is basic, it works well given the short length of the game (as I indicated above, one playthrough will take approximately six hours.) You are able to choose from one basic iconic power and from there you will gradually choose three out of six abilities for each tree. The three iconic powers are shaped around your general combat skills; there’s a melee build, a ranged build, and a weapons build (think Pyslocke with her blades.) I went with the ranged build, so by hitting the attack buttons I would fire out bursts of energy at enemies. When I started to unlock mutant powers I had choices ranging from a force field (heals me hurts enemies) to a massive energy beam to a sphere that decimates everyone in the room. Once you select which mutant powers to unlock you can then assign your XP to level these powers up, increasing damage and area of effect.

The other “powers” part of X-Men: Destiny deals with X-genes which come in three varieties; offense, defense, and utility (movement.) These little collectibles are awarded for defeating certain enemies or completing side missions and challenges, and they augment your current powers with the powers of the associated mutant. For example, by equipping Pyro’s offense X-gene gives fire damage to my attacks, Colossus’ defense X-gene helps reduce damage and Magneto’s utility X-gene gives you the ability to float. All these X-genes can also be leveled up using your XP to unlock additional features. You can also come across suits for your character, and rather than just make you look like your favorite mutie they also give you additional abilities based on the mutant. Now here’s the kicker; if you manage to come across an entire set of a particular mutant (their suit plus all three X-genes) you are given the ability to unleash X-mode, during which you will be able to take and dish out a crud load of damage.

A mighty combo of Wolverine’s suit with some ranged energy blasts

So while creating your own mutant and fighting alongside other muties may sound fun, there is quite a bit lacking from the game that stops it from being awesome. For starters, the “choices” you have to make based on which side you will take (X-Men or Brotherhood) are for all for nothing. By the end of the game you are given the final option to choose a side, and there is no perk to taking one side over the other. You won’t get any special powers or special levels…just a different ending. The fact that you can run about and side with the X-Men the entire game and then at the end switch sides to join the Brotherhood just makes the whole process rather pointless. Also, the gameplay can probably be boring for any but the most enthusiastic button-mashers; the mundane combat didn’t bother me but I can definitely see some people quickly grow tired of mashing buttons and using the same three abilities the entire game. The other thing hindering this game is its length. I completed the game in under six hours, and that’s pretty sad. The lack of content, combined with mediocre gameplay make me feel sympathy for anyone who went out and purchased it.

Just chillin’ with Iceman

X-Men: Destiny has a few hits that are overshadowed by misses. The basic storyline has a lot of potential, and the ability to create your own mutant and overpower them by combining the abilities of different mutants is a blast. However, the ridiculously short campaign, the lack of consequences for your limited choices and the repetitive combat mechanics are all major turnoffs. X-Men: Destiny is an example of a franchised game that had great potential by not being tied to a movie plot yet still comes off as nothing but shovelware for comic geeks. I would recommend giving the game a rental (it would make an excellent Redbox rental for a day) if you’re a fan of the X-Men or mindless button-mashing (guilty on both accounts) but otherwise I would avoid it.

Perhaps this game can be redeemed one day with the release of X-Men Legends 3…

When I first picked up the PS3 and was in need of a headset, I went with the Official PS3 Bluetooth (since for some bizarre reason Sony refuses to box even the lowest quality headset with consoles like Microsoft does) At the time it was bundled with some SOCOM game, and I immediately traded in the game once I had the Bluetooth in my possession. I’ve been using it for almost three years, and it got the job done. However, over the past year I have begun to find it uncomfortable in my ear. With Christmas over, I decided to use up some cash and treat myself (and my ears) to a new headset. Enter the Turtle Beach PX21 Headset!

Here are the things I like about it:

• It’s versatile: It works with my PS3, 360 and PC (and a Mac if I was silly enough to blow my money on such an overpriced piece of junk)
• It’s comfortable: The official PS3 Bluetooth was extremely uncomfortable when I had to jam the bud into my ear hole. The PX21 is a nice comfy set of headphones that fit nicely over my entire head and are made of a much softer material. And while the headset is wired, the wire is long enough (16 feet) where it’s not an issue at all.
• It pumps in the in-game audio: A good chunk of my gaming time occurs at night while Shell sleeps soundly beside me on the couch. With that being said, I’m a generally good husband by having the TV volume only at one or two notches, which is barely audible. This is no longer an issue as I can plug the PX21 into the TV and have the volume shoot straight into my headphones. Not only can I now listen to the game as loud as I want, I can hear things I never did before, be it footsteps or zombie groans.
• It offers superior voice chat quality: I was blown away by how clear my friends from Co-Optimus sounded through the headset when we played Trine 2. Not only did I hear them better than ever, but they heard me much clearer than they used to. I was shocked by the difference in chat quality, and the voice chat experience that the PX21 delivers makes for a much funner co-op session.
• It’s easy to use: All the different buttons and options are controller right from a black box that is attached to the wire of the headset. From there you can easily rotate dials to increase/decrease game volume, chat volume, and the bass, as well as simply flick a button to mute the headset. Having the controls on this box where you can see it versus on the actual headset is a feature that prefer.
• It’s relatively affordable: As far as nifty headsets go, this one is somewhere near the bottom of the price range, but high in the quality department. I paid $64 for it on Amazon, and have seen them go for $80 in retail stores. Seeing how there are some on the market that cost well over $100, this is a great model to choose for the cheapskate gamer. Of course there are cheaper headsets out there, but they will be superbly inferior compared to the PX21, not only in sound quality but also in comfort.

I’ve been waiting patiently all day for that beautiful brown truck to pull up in front of my apartment and drop off the precious cargo. While it says it’s the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ bundle, I call it the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, WWE 12 and Lord of the Rings Trilogy Extended Edition BluRay” bundle (thanks to the Amazon promotion for purchasing the PS3.)

The first two things I’m going to do is install Skyrim and Dead Island and make sure those two bad boys are ready to go, because I’ve got a hankering for going dragon and zombie hunting.

 Not the best screenshot but if you click on the pic you will be it clearer

I was zipping about Amazon today and for whatever reason decided to look at Aliens: Colonial Marines. I was shocked to see a release date set there for March 31, 2012 (which happens to be my mother’s birthday.)It’s still officially set for “Spring 2012″ but could Amazon have leaked the release date details?

All I know is that this is a guaranteed purchase for me. Four-player campaign co-op from the Borderlands studio set in the Aliens universe? Sign me up to kill ‘dem xenomorphs! Who else is excited for this potential 2012 Game of the Year release?

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two weeks since I sent my PS3 back to Amazon after it got fried. In that time I’ve been keeping busy by playing on the 360. I rented Saints Row the Third and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine through Redbox, rented Dead Space 2 and Bulletstorm through Gamefly, purchased Crimson Alliance and played through Lord of the Rings: War in the North (which I won.) But I still missed the PS3, particularly Skyrim and Dead Island. Even though I got my $250 back from Amazon I still wanted to know I was getting a deal.

I finally found the deal I had been waiting for today on Amazon. They had the 160GB Harry Potter bundle for $250 with a $50 trade-in credit. So the way I see it, for $250 I get a 160GB system, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II on BluRay and a game of my choice for $260. That’s just the deal I was waiting for, and I’m pretty happy. The best part of it all is that I get to choose any game I want, though I’ll definitely wait until after Christmas. Maybe I’ll pick up WWE ’12 or Gears of War 3 if I don’t receive them for Christmas, or maybe I’ll save it for a future pre-order like Aliens: Colonial Marines.

Either way, I’m pleased as punch to finally get a PS3 back in the house. Worst part is that it must be on back order or something since Amazon is quoting me with a delivery date of Tuesday, even with my Amazon Prime two-day shipping. I can’t wait to get back to the ol’ PS3!

No more feeling guilty when you hand the video clerk a copy of “Disney Universe”

With my recent console dilemma I was stuck with PS3 games from Gamefly yet no PS3 to play them on. I only have a handful of games for the 360 so I wanted something new to play for a little bit to tide me over until Gamefly can send me a 360 game. Enter the Redbox. I had never used one before, and Netflix has always fulfilled our movie needs just fine. Now that Redbox offers games too I figured I would finally give the service a whirl.

In case you don’t know, Redbox is a giant vending machine located in certain grocery and pharmacy stores that dispenses movies and games. You select your title, slide your credit card through, and they pop the disc out for you to take home. You have until 9:00pm the next day to return it and only pay one day charge ($1.20 for movies, $2.00 for games). If you keep it longer it’s an additional days charge per day. The really neat thing I discovered is that you can go onto their website and see what each kiosk offers, as each one not only has a few different titles but you can also see which discs are available and which are currently being rented. You can even rent a disc off their website and have it reserved so you can pick it up later!

So at 8:00 this morning I jumped online and looked at what each of the four kiosks within a five-minute drive from my apartment had available. The closest one to me was at a Food Lion grocery store, but they didn’t have anything that jumped out at me. I did see that the second Harris Teeter down the road (there are two about three minutes apart) had Saints Row the Third available on the 360, so I drove down there and had my first Redbox experience. It’s very simple, just push on-screen buttons to choose your discs, complete your order, slide your credit card, and out come the discs in nice plastic cases. So for $2.00 I have this game from about 8:15am today until 9:00pm tomorrow for only $2.00.

Now to see what all this “penetrator” talk is all about

Mind you, I don’t think this is a substitute for Gamefly. It is cheaper in the end to rent from Gamefly and they have a heck of a lot more choices. But if you want a new title to try out for a night or two while waiting for Gamefly to ship something, I highly recommend hitting up the local Redbox kiosk.