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BigBadBob’s 2011 Game of the Year Awards

Posted by Rob on December 14, 2011 – 3:53 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as action, adventure, batman, batman: arkham city, big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, dead island, dungeon hunter: alliance, ea, elder scrolls v, fall of man, fighting, game of the year, gears of war 3, hockey, house of the dead overkill extended cut, infamous 2, insomniac, lord of the rings, mortal kombat, multiplayer, nhl '12, oblivion, online, pre-order, rail shooter, Resistance 2, resistance 3, rocksteady, RPG, skyrim, smackdown vs raw, Spike TV, Sports, sucker punch, thq, trailer, vga's, war in the north, wwe allstars

Move over Spike’s VGA…you were and still are a whopping disappointment to the gaming community. Why you think I’d rather watch some jerk jump onto a Velcro wall or some deuche in a mouse helmet spin tunes rather than allowing the winning developers to give a one-minute speech that didn’t end in a tea-bagging incident is beyond me. But enough of that…this is my personal Game of the Year awards. These are the games I played and enjoyed the most this year, and some may be expected or a surprise. Just sit back, relax and enjoy.

Action/ Adventure Game of the Year: Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham Asylum was successful in making a game in which you actually felt like Batman. It concentrated more on stealth, gadgets and puzzles than any other Batman game before. With Arkham City, Rocksteady Studios built on top of what it had already achieved and made it a bit better by adding a sandbox-style environment that the player could explore at will to uncover side missions and search for crimes in progress. The supporting cast of heroes and villains (and the voice actors that bring each to life) is phenomenal and despite all the baddies Batman faces the game never seems over-crowded. The combat is simple to learn yet complex to master and the urge to track down every last Riddler trophy is tempting (especially when the lives of hostages are on the line.) Batman: Arkham City makes for a fun romp through Gotham as the caped crusader and is easily the best Action/Adventure game of 2011.

Crimson Alliance: A New Breed of Hack and Slash/ Dungeon Crawler

Posted by Rob on December 5, 2011 – 9:59 am

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 360, big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, crimson alliance, dlc, dungeon crawler, game review, hack and slash, leaderboard, online, rogue, RPG, Sacred 2, warrior, wizard, xbla, xbox, xp

That’s the Soul Siren, your arch-nemesis

I’m sure many of you fellow gamers are familiar with the hack and slash/ dungeon crawler RPG genre. Here’s the generic laundry list that typically defines this genre:

Fantasy setting
Two or more players
Simple, button mashing combat
Several different classes of character, each with unique skills

Develop skills by assigning points to skill trees

Grind to get XP

Smash boxes and open chests to find gold and equipment

Purchase new equipment and sell off old equipment

Here’s what Crimson Alliance does:

Fantasy setting
Two or more players
Simple, button mashing combat
Several different classes of character, each with unique skills

~~Develop skills by assigning points to skill trees~~

~~Grind to get XP~~

Smash boxes and open chests to find gold and equipment

Purchase new equipment and ~~sell off old equipment~~

Seems like your everyday, run of the mill dungeon crawler

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Character Build Guide: Rogue

Posted by Rob on November 29, 2011 – 5:16 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 360, alchemy, archery, argonian, assassin, big bad bob, bigbadbob, brotherhood of darkness, character build, dragons, elder scrolls v, giants, hunter, khajit, lockpicking, perk, pickpocket, PlayStation 3, potions, PS3, quests, rogue, RPG, scout, skills, skyrim, sneak, stealth, thief, thieves guild, wood elf, xbox, xp

My character, the Wood-Elf thief/assassin/hunter (let’s just call him a “rogue”) Roland

Skyrim is a massive RPG that allows you to make pretty much any character you want. While this is an awesome feature, it can also be quite a lot for the average gamer. Since there are no classes to choose from, the player is forced to build their character from scratch without any guidelines, and with so many skills and play choices to choose from the novice player can quickly become overwhelmed. That’s where this guide comes in: I knew what I wanted from my Skyrim character and through over sixty hours of character development (plus hundreds of hours of playtime logged into Oblivion) I believe I have the information you need to make an unstoppable rogue character. The rogue is also the build you will want if you have dreams of being a sneaky thief or deadly assassin as well.

Race: Of the eight races available in Skyrim I would recommend a few as being built for the rogue class. The following three races have initial skills or abilities that are beneficial to a rogue:

Wood-Elf/Bosmer: The Wood-Elf receives a +10 to archery as well as +5 to alchemy, light armor, lockpicking, pickpocket and sneak. Wood-Elves also have a 50% resistance to poison and disease (meaning there’s a 50% chance you won’t catch a disease or be affected by poison). The Wood-Elf is my personal choice because this rogue build is heavy on archery and sneaking, and not having to worry about diseases is always a nice perk.
Argonian: Another great rogue choice with a +10 to lockpicking and +5 to alteration, light armor, pickpocket, restoration and sneak. Argonians also have a 50% resistance to disease and also have waterbreathing, meaning you will be able to hide in a body of water to avoid enemies that are chasing you.
Khajit: These felines receive a +10 to sneak as well as +5 to alchemy, archery, lockpicking, pickpocket and one-handed. The really neat thing about the Khajit is that they have night vision which allows them to see easily at night (which just so happens to be the best time to sneak.)

The Khajit make a great rogue thanks to their night vision

Any of these three races will make excellent rogues. They all receive an initial bonus to sneak, lockpicking and pickpocket, which are the bread-and-butter of the rogue build. Since the game is so open as to creating own character, you could technically make a sneaky Orc if you wanted to, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The Wood-Elf, Argonian and Khajit are the three races you want to look into if you want to make a really solid rogue.

Read More »

PS3 Review: Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Posted by Rob on November 5, 2011 – 5:07 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 360, agandaur, andriel, big bad bob, bigbadbob, ccg, champions of norrath, co-op, dragon age: origins, Dual Wield, dwarf, eagles, elf, elrond, eradan, farin, game review, gandalf, j.r.r. tolkien, lord of the rings, middle-earth, online, orcs, peter jackson, PlayStation 3, PS3, rivendell, RPG, sauron, snowblind, the hobbit, trolls, war in the north, xbox

That scary dude is Agandaur, and I think he raided the Witch King’s closet

I’m a pretty big Lord of the Rings fan. My mother tried reading The Hobbit to me when I was like eight years old. I’ve read The Lord of the Rings series at least four times, possibly five. I own and cherish the lame 1970′s Hobbit movie. And I spent probably $500 or more on The Midde-Earth CCG game when I was a teenager. So when I heard there would be a Lord of the Rings game that took place at the same time as the War of the Ring, I was pretty darn excited. Oh, and did I mention it’s been developed by Snowblind (the studio behind one of the best hack-and-slash/ dungeon crawlers ever; Champions of Norrath: Return to Arms)? I was so excited I actually decided to pass up Uncharted 3 for the time being so that I could check out Lord of the Rings: War in the North. While it’s not the perfect game, it makes for an above-average RPG that any fan of Tolkien’s work will enjoy.

According to War in the North, Minas Tirith and Rohan are not the only areas threatened by the forces of Sauron. To the northwest of these cities, a necromancer named Agandaur is raising an army of orcs and trolls in support of Sauron. It is up to a different fellowship of heroes to defend this area of Middle-Earth while the Fellowship we all know (Gandalf, Frodo and company) head east in an attempt to destroy the One Ring. This new, smaller fellowship is made up of three heroes; Eradan, Farin and Andriel. These heroes are tasked with hindering Agandaur’s actions and defending western areas such as the Shire and Rivendell. The game draws heavily from Peter Jackson’s trilogy in a visual sense, and you will recognize the looks of creatures like orcs and trolls, as well as major characters like Aragorn and Gandalf. As a fan service to other Tolkien nuts, you will also recognize names and areas that are never or barely mentioned in the movies such as Radagast the Brown, Gundabad, Elladan, and Ettenmoors. If you can’t tell the difference between Elrohir and Gwahir you may not be as awestruck as people familiar with Tolkien’s work, but that won’t stop you from enjoying a really solid RPG.

You were wrong if you thought Legolas and Gimli were the only elf-dwarf tag team around Read More »

One Week til Skyrim

Posted by Rob on November 4, 2011 – 2:19 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as bethesda, big bad bob, bigbadbob, dragons, elder scrolls iv, elder scrolls v, oblivion, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG, shivering isles, skyrim, trophies

A week from now, on the epic day of 11/11/11, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim launches from retailers to fire up a world of anxious gamers. This is not only my most anticipated title of the year, but I’m pretty darn sure I haven’t been this excited for a game ever (previous contender was Bethesda’s other masterpiece, Fallout: New Vegas). I first got introduced to the Elder Scrolls series when I made Oblivion my first PS3 game purchase after getting the system. I had heard how amazing the game was and how much replay value there was so I just had to check it out. I was blown away by the depth of the game, from the vast environment to the character creation to the seemingly limitless number of quests to undertake and dungeons to explore. The Shivering Isles expansion did so much more for the game and is probably one of the best pieces of DLC ever assembled. Plus it took me well over two years to beat the game since I would always get sidetracked into some other side quest and totally ignore the main quest.

With all that being said, I am really looking forward to losing myself in Skyrim. The graphics blow away those of Oblivion, the new dual-wielding combat system sounds awesome (you can now have one item in each hand, be it a weapon, shield, or magic spell), and the inclusion of dragons, and LOTS of dragons at that, (plus TROPHIES) mean this is going to be one epic game. I’ve had it pre-ordered for quite a few months now and I’ve just been waiting relentlessly for release day. Next Friday can’t come soon enough!

PS3 Review: Dungeon Siege III

Posted by Rob on June 30, 2011 – 8:15 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 1776, 360, archon, big bad bob, bigbadbob, champions of norrath, co-op, dungeon crawler, dungeon hunter: alliance, dungeon siege 3, dungeon siege III, game review, hack and slash, katrina, lucas, online, platinum, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG, Sacred 2, trophies, trophy, untold legends, x-men legends, xbox

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.

When Co-Op Goes Bad: Hunted: Demon’s Forge

Posted by Rob on June 7, 2011 – 3:01 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 360, big bad bob, bigbadbob, chat, co-op, cooptimus, gamefly, gears of war, headset, hunted: demons forge, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG, skype, voice chat, xbox

On paper, Hunted: Demon’s Forge seems to be the perfect co-op game. There are two characters to choose from, a male human who is best suited for melee combat and a female elf who plays best from a distance with ranged weapons. These two characters have the ability to cast spells on each other to buff them up and can also toss potions to each other for health and reviving. There are also plenty of puzzles that you and your partner will need to work together on in order to advance through the game’s levels. This fantasy RPG actually plays more like Gears of War, from the third person view to the need to duck and cover to take out ranged opponents to the ability to crawl to your partner when you are down for a quicker revival. All of these facts lead to appears to be, in essence, the perfect two-player game.

First Impressions of TRINITY: Souls of Zill O’ll

Posted by Rob on May 23, 2011 – 6:24 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as action, areus, big bad bob, bigbadbob, combat, dynasty warriors, equipment, final fantasy tactics, hack and slash, koei, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG, sp, trinity, trinity: souls of zill o'll, xp

I was in the mood for a nice in-depth RPG, and remembered checking out a demo for TRINITY: Souls of Zill O’ll (possibly one of the worst named games on the PS3.) Not only is it a fast-paced action RPG, but it was developed by the fine folks over at KOEI. That being said, the general feel of combat is very reminiscent of Dynasty Warriors. It’s just like playing Dynasty Warriors but with a lot of RPG goodness like magic, goblins, quests, and other features. The game may be a tad obscure, but so far it appears to be a decent RPG.

You start the game playing as Areus, a half-elf who is all about exacting revenge on an evil emperor who killed his father years ago. When the game start Areus is training as a gladiator, but soon sets off on his own to make a name for himself as an adventurer and to gain enough experience (real-world experience in terms of the story, not XP necessarily) so that he is ready to challenge the emperor. As a half-elf, Areus has minor proficiencies in both melee combat (with a sword) and magic, but as you make your way through the campaign you will come across other characters that can be recruited to your party. Some are heavy melee fighters, some are true mages, while others may have a mixture of both just like Areus does. Your party can consist of up to three characters at a time, and they all share XP as it is gained in the game.

PSN Review: Dungeon Hunter: Alliance

Posted by Rob on May 3, 2011 – 4:05 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, champions of norrath, co-op, co-optimus, dungeon crawler, dungeon hunter: alliance, game review, hack and slash, lag, local, mage, online, PlayStation 3, ps+, PS3, PSN, rogue, RPG, Sacred 2, skills, spells, voice chat, warrior

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.)

Dungeon Hunter: Alliance: A Worthy Predecessor to Sacred 2

Posted by Rob on April 19, 2011 – 5:02 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, co-optimus, dungeon crawler, dungeon hunter: alliance, exclusive, hack and slash, mage, marvel ultimate alliance, online, PlayStation 3, PS3, PSN, rogue, RPG, Sacred 2, skills, untold legends, warrior

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 »

Playing Catch Up

Posted by Rob on April 1, 2011 – 7:02 pm

Filed under My Personal Life, TV Shows, Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, dead nation, farscape, firefly, force unleashed ii, free realms, gamefly, job, mmo, netflix, north carolina, online, PlayStation 3, PS3, review, RPG, Star Wars, work, wwe allstars

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 »

Penny Arcade Adventures Finally Affordable

Posted by Rob on February 15, 2011 – 11:39 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, George Washington, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, penny arcade, penny arcade adventures, PlayStation 3, playstation store, PS3, PSN, RPG, turn based

I love Penny Arcade. I love turn-based RPGs. Thus, one would think that Penny Arcade’s “On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness” (which is as elaborately titled as some of their tri-weekly comics) was a must-buy for me. But one thing turned me off…the price of admission. The Penny Arcade Adventures were going for $15 each, which is extremely steep…especially for a downloadable title that was short and had little replay value.

Well, good things do indeed come to those who wait as with today’s PlayStation Store update, both of the Penny Arcade Adventures (Episodes 1 and 2) are bundled together for a measly $3! That’s nothing compared to the fact that just last week it would have cost you $30 to buy both episodes.

If you’re a fan of RPGs and the folks over at Penny Arcade, do them a favor and send three George Washingtons their way.

PS3 Review: Two Worlds II

Posted by Rob on February 7, 2011 – 8:21 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, class, co-op, competitive, dragon age: origins, elder scrolls v, game review, gamefly, oblivion, online, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG, skyrim, two worlds II

Before it was released, Two Worlds II was getting a bad rap due to the failures of the first game in the franchise. Having never played the first game, I had none of these thoughts in my mind. What I saw was a massive RPG that had many similarities to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and that was enough to catch my interest. I have spent about twelve hours on the single player campaign, and I think I can now give an accurate review of it. I had a semi-complete review ready to go last week, but I ended up writing way too much and it was too in-depth. Instead, I’m just gonna have a list of the good and the bad aspects of the game, and this should help paint an accurate account of the game, while hopefully being more condensed…because there is a lot to say about it!

Finally Beat Sacred 2 in Co-Op

Posted by Rob on February 1, 2011 – 2:55 pm

Filed under Sacred 2, Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, borderlands, co-op, hdtv, headset, high elf, inquisitor, lag, online, platinum, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG, Sacred 2, sdtv, shadow warrior, trophies, trophy

It took us almost two years, and 80+hours, but Steve and I finally got around to beating Sacred 2 together today. While it was probably my sixth time, it was his first time, and my first time in co-op. We spent a lot of time roaming, exploring, side questing, and grinding, and today it all paid off.

When we first started, he was a Shadow Warrior and I was a Inquisitor. As we got into the game, I realized that I did not like the Inquisitor too much. So on the side I began leveling up a High Elf, and once she was the same level as our previous characters, I began using her in co-op. So I spent about 20 hours of the game as an Inquisitor, and over 60 hours as the High Elf.

It took us such a long time due to a few reasons. The game wasn’t as fun to play on a SDTV, since it was hard to see. The online game was also very glitchy, and since he was the host, I was always freezing up, or our headsets would suddenly stop working, or the game would lag and I would die out of nowhere. A great example of this is that Steve’s game froze today during the ending cutscene, after we beat the final boss. Plus it was always hard to find a time when both of us could play.

So today ends our co-op quest for Sacred 2. Sadly, this is probably one of the last times I’ll touch the game, especially since I already got the Platinum for it. It was a really good multiplayer RPG, but had some technical flaws (and financial problems) that stopped it from being perfect. The next game on the agenda is Borderlands, which I’m looking forward to getting back into, and going through in co-op.

360 Demo Review: Dead Space 2

Posted by Rob on January 22, 2011 – 12:41 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 360, big bad bob, bigbadbob, dead space, dead space 2, demo, ea, gamefly, horror, plasma cutter, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG, survival, two worlds II, xbox

I was very happy with Dead Space, so I’m definitely psyched for the sequel. It’s definitely a great survival horror game, and did give me a few creeps as far as the gameplay, sounds, creatures, and environment are concerned. I downloaded the demo to Dead Space 2 on the 360 and gave it a whirl this morning, and it’s just as eerie as its predecessor.

The demo begins with some cutscenes, bringing the player up to speed on the story. Eventually you are dropped into the game and on your way. You start the demo with four weapons, all returning from the previous game, including the all-purpose plasma cutter and the awesome line gun (I think that’s what it’s called…the one that fires the wire like all the way down the room, cutting through multiple enemies.) The extra abilities also return, as you must use Statis to slow down time and then grab and interact with objects to get through puzzles. The store also makes a return, allowing you to purchase upgrades and ammo and sell off the stuff you don’t want.

Return to Sacred 2

Posted by Rob on January 20, 2011 – 11:34 pm

Filed under Sacred 2, Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, console, diablo III, dungeon crawler, dungeon siege III, hack and slash, high elf, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG, Sacred 2, shadow warrior

After a several month hiatus, crazysteve and I finally got our gaming time down together and returned to Sacred 2. Earlier today we were trying to figure out how far we had left to go in the main quest…I thought we were in the jungle area and he thought we were in the underground lava area. We were both wrong, as I loaded up my character (level 54 High Elf; Steve has a level 57 Shadow Warrior) to find that we were 89.9% through the main quest, and were actually on the elf island, which is the area right before the final area.

I was a bit rusty, as I had all my combat arts mapped up as combos, and it took me some time and experimentation to figure out what did what, but eventually I was casting fireballs and snowstorms around like it was nobody’s business. Man I love this game, and it’s a shame that it received such poor support after its release. The consoles really need another good hack and slash/dungeon crawler like this, and I’m hoping that either Dungeon Siege III lives up to this, or that Diablo III finds its way to consoles. Otherwise, I’ll probably just keep crawling back to Sacred 2.

360 Review: Fable III (spoilers)

Posted by Rob on January 7, 2011 – 1:23 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 360, albion, big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, dlc, expression, fable 2, fable 3, fable II, fable III, fallout, game review, gamefly, lionshead, npc, online, RPG, xbox, xp

I had high praises for Fable II, and I couldn’t wait to get my dirty mits on the sequel, Fable III. I had to wait longer than I would have liked, since I had to choose between Fable III and Fallout: New Vegas (Fallout won), but I have finally received it from Gamefly. Fable III is definitely a step up and makes several improvements over Fable II, but at the same time there were some aspects of Fable II that were removed, and it really hurt the game. Still, if you enjoyed Fable II then there is no doubt that you will enjoy this next romp through the land of Albion. Also, since the game is a sequel, there will be several spoilers, so read at your own risk. Read More »

Getting Into Some New Games

Posted by Rob on December 6, 2010 – 12:42 am

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as bejeweled, big bad bob, bigbadbob, borderlands, dlc, DS, Fallout 3, fallout: new vegas, FPS, henry hatsworth, hunter, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, PS3, puzzle, rogue, RPG, wwe smackdown vs. raw 2011

WWE SvR 2011 continues to take up a good chunk of what gaming time I have…or at least it was, until I finally unleashed Borderlands this weekend. I had forgotten how much fun it was, and I decided to start from scratch and re-roll a new character. I’m currently playing a Hunter, focusing on the Rogue skill set. The thing I realized today is that Borderlands is has many similarities with Fallout 3 and New Vegas, in that it successfully merges the FPS and RPG genres into one neat, awesome package. I’m pretty addicted to Borderlands right now, and I’m regretting taking a year to finally buy it. This one will be lasting quite some time, between four distinct characters and all the juicy DLC which I have but have not touched yet.

On the DS front, I am getting into Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure. The game is a surprise hit, and is also a combo of genres, to a degree. The meat of the game plays as a platformer, as you control Professor Hatsworth in a quest for a golden suit. One of the great features of the game is that Hatsworth is a British chap, and has the look of an aristocratic, eccentric British adventurer, complete with elephant gun, sword, cane, and monocle. Oh, and the bowler hat! The twist is that while the platforming action is going on the top screen, the bottom screen contains an advancing puzzle of blocks, kind of like Bejeweled. Eventually, if the blocks get to far up, they will begin to invade the platforming screen and can cause trouble. Thus, as you run around the main level, you will continually have to stop that and switch to the puzzle screen to clear it out. Doing this is also what gives Hatsworth health, extra lives, and “energy” which is used to more powerful projectiles, as well as for donning a gigantic robotic suit. It’s proven to be quite the addictive game so far.

3D Dot Game Heroes = Legend of Zelda?

Posted by Rob on November 12, 2010 – 8:31 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 3d dot game heroes, big bad bob, bigbadbob, force unleashed ii, gamefly, legend of zelda, nes, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, PS3, RPG

3D Dot Game Heroes is one of those games that has been in the backlog of my Gamefly queue for quite some time. I was unable to snag the only “new release” I wanted (Force Unleashed II), so Gamefly sent me 3D Dot Game Heroes. After putting about an hour into it, I am overwhelmed with feelings of nostalgic bliss as this game definitely takes me back.

3D Dot Game Heroes is a top-down action RPG, which plays similarly to the first Legend of Zelda, from the NES days. Sure, the graphics are spruced up and the characters, enemies, and environment all have a 3D-ish feel, but the gameplay is so reminiscent that it actually made me stop and wonder “is this game licensed by Nintendo?” As I said, I only played an hour so far, but here’s the similarities between this game and Legend of Zelda: Read More »

PSN Review: DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue

Posted by Rob on October 19, 2010 – 1:53 pm

Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, deathspank, french, game review, guns, hothead, level, north pole, orcs, pirate, PlayStation 3, PS3, PSN, quest, RPG, santa claus, sparkles, thongs of virtue, xp

I was a huge fan of the first DeathSpank game, so when I heard a second one was following shortly behind, I was sold. The DeathSpank series was initially going to be episodic, but in the end they decided to pop the series into two different installments. What this means is that DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue is practically the same game as the first DeathSpank, with a few minor changes here and there.

The first DeathSpank game ends with DeathSpank recovering one of the Thongs of Virtue from an evil dude who was kidnapping orphans. The sequel continues this storyline as DeathSpank heads after the remaining Thongs of Virtue. There is an all-new world map to explore with new areas and environments. Most notably is the fact that the person who controls the Thong of Generosity is none other than Santa Claus, who is actually controlling the orc army from his mighty North Pole base.

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