tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86861061791621227772024-03-14T02:00:57.646-07:00The Mottman PropheciesThe blog of a gamer following the latest industry trends, giving you his thoughts on the latest games and gaming news today.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-74782679438368481612015-03-25T20:39:00.003-07:002015-03-25T20:41:16.825-07:00Dial M, for Miami!<div dir="ltr">
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<i>Bienvenidos a Miami</i></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just you average Miami evening...</td></tr>
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Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is a fantastic continuation and conclusion to this indie game series. Be forewarned however, if you found the later chapters of the first game to be a bit too frustrating then this game may not be for you. This is because, rather than the game having its own difficulty curve, it feels like the game picks where the later stages of the first game left off and continues to increase the challenge from there. This invariably leads to intense frustration but also satisfaction and relief once you're finally able to pull yourself through one of the levels; especially so when you're able to manage a crisp run without many deaths. If that sort of game design isn't appealing to you then you may want to skip this one. Also, for the masochists out there, if you didn't find the base game challenging enough, which it is, the game unlocks a hard mode for every level upon completion. </div>
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Where the game succeeds most is in its ability to take the incredible style of the first game and expand upon it; it reminds you of the feelings you had playing through the original Hotline Miami and then takes it to the next level. The visuals and music really are the showcase here and if you enjoyed what the original brought to the table, then you should get a lot out of this one as well. It carries the same visual style but adds more effects and flair than HM1 had. Also, the music is BANGING!<br />
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If you enjoyed the gameplay of the original, then you'll be glad to know that it's largely unchanged here. However, the developers have added quite a bit of variety to the established mechanics. Over the course of Hotline Miami 2 you play as a number of different characters, some of which give you choices between different masks or other accessories that add abilities similar to the first game. There are some very interesting and unique ones that alter how you play through a given level. These can be anything from giving your character a dodge roll, which can be useful, to forcing you to control 2 characters at once; one with a chainsaw, the other with a gun. This adds another layer of challenge but also gives you some advantages once you get the hang of it. </div>
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There is also an impressive amount of weapons at your disposal that you'll find throughout the levels, usually carried by enemies until you kill them. The enemies themselves offer more variety as well. The standard enemies can come equipped with any of these weapons, changing how you must approach them. There are also heavy enemies that cannot be killed with most melee weapons and won't immediately go down from a single bullet either. You'll also encounter a few other types of enemies along the way, included some that almost feel like boss battles, or mini-bosses at the very least.</div>
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Bad Boys</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The denizens of Miami aren't exactly what you'd call pleasant.</td></tr>
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Early on Hotline Miami 2's narrative is disjointed and unclear, but intentionally so. As the game progresses you do start to put together the pieces and see where the game is going. By the end you can walk away feeling that you understood what was happening, if you pay attention.<br />
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HM2 continues the first game's trick of having story moments that feel like hallucinations and it's unclear whether what you're seeing is reality, or in your character's head. These sequences often foreshadow things to come in the story. That being said, the events of the story are never fully laid out for you and that gives you something to think back on, trying to piece together the game after you've finished your play-through. This may be off-putting for those of us that prefer a clear story arc and don't appreciate a more heady approach to storytelling, but I appreciated it.<br />
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Miami Vice</h3>
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Hotline Miami is purported to be the end of the series and I think that's the right move. I really enjoyed my time with the game and I think the style, music, and everything around it is fantastic, but I believe that these things also have a shelf life. If they tried to go back to the well with a third game I feel that it could not be carried by its style alone, and I can't imagine them ramping up the difficulty any further without making the game unbearable to most players. It does prove that the first game wasn't a fluke and I'm excited to see what developer Dennaton Games does next.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going out or a night on the town</td></tr>
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I've started live streaming! You can catch me on Twitch.tv <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/klumzee_1" target="_blank">here- http://www.twitch.tv/klumzee_1</a><br />
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You can also catch the archives of both of my Hotline Miami 2 streams <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1038022429">Here:</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-x5a_tUvc" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-x5a_tUvc</a><br />
And <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1038022439">Here:</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N784D2XAd-o">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N784D2XAd-o</a><br />
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Finally, you can find all of my stream archives on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/klumzeejeff/videos" target="_blank">You Tube page</a>:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/klumzeejeff/videos">https://www.youtube.com/user/klumzeejeff/videos</a></div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-27222596596840155722015-02-09T21:10:00.000-08:002015-02-10T21:10:13.307-08:00Falling Down<div dir="ltr">
This time on The Mottman Prophecies I'll be covering two smaller episodic adventure games that I feel deserve a bit more attention, The Fall and Dreamfall Chapters. Both of these games have one episode available now with more scheduled this year, so now is the perfect time to jump in and get your feet wet in these amazing worlds.</div>
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The Fall</h2>
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First up we have The Fall; a dark, atmospheric tale from Over the Moon studios. You play as A.R.I.D., an AI on board a Mark-7 combat suit that has crash landed into a robotic facility on a remote planet. Your pilot was injured by the crash thereby activating you, the suit's emergency AI, and assigning you one objective: save your pilot. However, without a conscious operator you do not have access to your suit's full list of capabilities and they can only be unlocked in an emergency if the pilot is in mortal danger. So, many of the game's puzzles revolve around you finding ways to subvert those limitations to gain access to the full suite of powers you'll need to escape. Oftentimes this requires you to intentionally put your pilot in danger, and seeing the way that A.R.I.D. grapples with the morality of that is very interesting. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incoming!</td></tr>
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The puzzles presented by the game are often clever, though I did find a few of them to be a little too obtuse for me and I wound up looking up the solutions to a couple of them, which is a shame. This is definitely a game that'll make you stop and think for a while in order to figure out it's tricks.</div>
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The true appeal of The Fall are the characters and setting it establishes and the story it tells. There are three main characters in the game and they are tremendously well written and acted which isn't something that you can say about indie games of this size very often. First there's your character A.R.I.D. whose internal struggle to justify subverting her programming for the good of her operator is intensely compelling. Second, there is an sinister robot known as the Overseer who is watching your every move and is convinced that you are a malfunctioning AI who must be depurposed. And, finally, there is the mainframe computer for the facility, which is my favorite character. Whenever you converse with the mainframe he switches back and forth between his pre-programmed responses and a very natural, human-sounding manner of speech which he taught to himself since he was bored. You can almost sense his embarrassment at the canned responses being force through his speakers when he just wants to talk like a person since, as he says, "the closer we are to them, the better they treat us."</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Overseer sees all</td></tr>
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The Fall manages to introduce fantastic characters and tells a compelling, emotionally resonant story over the course of only a few short hours. It even manages to catch you off-guard with some humor now and then just to mix things up. And the ending is something that won't soon be forgotten. The best part? This was only the first chapter and Over the Moon has confirmed at least one more entry to come later this year.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fall is available on Steam now for $9.99</td></tr>
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Dreamfall Chapters</h2>
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Now if you're looking for an adventure game a bit less broody than The Fall, than Dreamfall Chapters may be more up your alley. Chapters is the long awaited sequel to The Longest Jouney series of games from the early 2000s, but don't let that turn you away! I didn't play those games either and you don't need to in order to jump in here. The game includes a short recap video that'll get you up to speed in no time, and this game is definitely worth playing.</div>
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In Dreamfall Chapters you play as two very different characters in two very different worlds over the course of the game. Their stories are undoubtedly on a collision course, even if it's unclear exactly how.</div>
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First you have Kian Alvane, a stout warrior who exists in a medieval world of magic and blades. When you pick up his story he is awaiting execution for treason. However, he is soon broken out of his cell by a man representing a rebel group opposed to the current ruling class and he is whisked off to help the rebel cause.</div>
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Kian's time in this first new chapter of the Dreamfall story is short, but it leaves him in an interesting place and it gives you something to look forward to as more entries are released for the game.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stoic Kian is stoic, even in the face of death</td></tr>
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And then there's Zoe Castillo, a young woman living in the year 2220 who's just awoken from a year-long coma she fell into at the end of the previous game.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stoic Zoe is stoic... sometimes</td></tr>
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Zoe is a fantastic girl-next-door type of character. She comes across as a real person; she's awkward, unsure of herself, and ultimately just trying to figure out her place in life. It's rare to see a character like this pulled off so believably, but Dreamfall really brings her to life in some interesting ways. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyberpunk therapy!</td></tr>
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Your time with her is spent living through an average day in her futuristic life; you see your therapist, visit your boyfriend, put in a quick shift at work, and engage in your current hobby, campaign work. This may not sound like the most exciting series of objectives to ever grace a video game, but it serves a purpose. Along the way you are introduced to a wide array of striking characters and you start to see the relationships and conflicts they share. You also get a sense of a larger world out there and the political wranglings that control the lives of the citizenry.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1lSW56zpHkveKEejE_ytC1ixMjemqhKhuFknIrl8juyI8VjSfUZKwbG2urRITPjhAkWZSUQJeQ2BnJBmW6rQPB0YovWZMEiX4HuyXjMgup49qzxZhhF7Q9MTZFv49a4UIzm55hBo74ld/s1600/2015-01-24_00050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1lSW56zpHkveKEejE_ytC1ixMjemqhKhuFknIrl8juyI8VjSfUZKwbG2urRITPjhAkWZSUQJeQ2BnJBmW6rQPB0YovWZMEiX4HuyXjMgup49qzxZhhF7Q9MTZFv49a4UIzm55hBo74ld/s1600/2015-01-24_00050.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is your boss, Mira. She's a real asshole</td></tr>
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The strength of Dreafall's writing is really its greatest selling point; there are just so many small encounters that will stay with you for some time to come. Whether it's the tense conversations with your boss Mira, the jovial excitability of your campaign manager Reza, or your attempt to find purpose for Shitbot (yes, Shitbot) to save him from the scrap heap, there are plenty of memorable interactions to be found in Dreamfall Chapters.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtlJJf9rwImWcbzo15e0vvdvNfNsZBGM4zYnBL4lxk0qsO7cR_kncXv0JjQxCqx164MDSd_or99frnloXl8mxodWuASdz8e6LrNWRHkqsTF-AJMrle1w0yhzj1Ct0kLe_Do4uRBWCblMr/s1600/2015-01-25_00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtlJJf9rwImWcbzo15e0vvdvNfNsZBGM4zYnBL4lxk0qsO7cR_kncXv0JjQxCqx164MDSd_or99frnloXl8mxodWuASdz8e6LrNWRHkqsTF-AJMrle1w0yhzj1Ct0kLe_Do4uRBWCblMr/s1600/2015-01-25_00005.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing like a little political vandalism</td></tr>
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<h2>
Falling for you!</h2>
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In conclusion, if you appreciate games with great stories and characters, you can't go wrong with Dreamfall Chapters or The Fall. Picking them up now gets you in on the ground floor for more fantastic gaming experiences to come from both of these brilliant series, and it's just great to know that projects like these can get made in this day and age. So, if you're an adventure game fan, or just a fan of well made indie games, show your support and pick up one or both of them today.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvXcGU6mVCm4nTkYzsuu7HPFeMbEZ35Q99dSI-PSd_gWzWc6DBd9MiVqUX1gY_3wuaSm7KdxE_jCIRo3xWQZMY79MRSBEeXOXf5qp5VgDh9ut6O3G9-3r6fPREYkxfLH-cuoNRH193ZH5/s1600/2015-01-24_00030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvXcGU6mVCm4nTkYzsuu7HPFeMbEZ35Q99dSI-PSd_gWzWc6DBd9MiVqUX1gY_3wuaSm7KdxE_jCIRo3xWQZMY79MRSBEeXOXf5qp5VgDh9ut6O3G9-3r6fPREYkxfLH-cuoNRH193ZH5/s1600/2015-01-24_00030.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dreamfall Chapters is on Steam right now for $29.99, which gets you all of the upcoming chapters as well as the one available today!</td></tr>
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-7704928763594520002014-07-22T19:40:00.003-07:002014-07-22T19:42:27.761-07:00The Butchers of Arizona<div dir="ltr">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiwwxutwluSTu_BrCzDyibPhHqsklM0co1vrZtPjsoyiOGdpDOKHeEylKND2JWMAJhqCZoQ2SwnVtMClv3PZXOq0wJSxg6mQ_SXk5lxpZhYBatJYuhcvcKrtf_GgCbNnNvSEMznOZGat2/s1600/2014-07-20_00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiwwxutwluSTu_BrCzDyibPhHqsklM0co1vrZtPjsoyiOGdpDOKHeEylKND2JWMAJhqCZoQ2SwnVtMClv3PZXOq0wJSxg6mQ_SXk5lxpZhYBatJYuhcvcKrtf_GgCbNnNvSEMznOZGat2/s1600/2014-07-20_00005.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/wasteland-2/3030-37721/">Wastleland 2</a> is set to officially release next month for the PC, but has been in Early Access for some time now, which is where I first encountered it. The project began on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2">Kickstarter</a> and has been moving steadily towards completion ever since. I've played it on and off after each update just to see how the game has evolved and I must say that it appears to be coming along nicely!<br />
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<h2>
History</h2>
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<a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_super/0/9351/240615-wasteland_animated_title.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_super/0/9351/240615-wasteland_animated_title.gif" /></a></div>
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The original <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/wasteland/3030-12134/">Wasteland</a> was released in 1988 and it is the precursor to the <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/fallout/3025-183/">Fallout</a> franchise. In fact, it was made by the same developer, Interplay. Following the success of Wasteland as well as a few of their other games(like <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/bards-tale/3030-22770/">The Bard's Tale</a> series), Interplay found that they had enough money to begin publishing independently. However, since Wasteland was published by EA, they didn't own the rights to the franchise. Rather than spend a bunch of money to buy the rights to their own game, the team at <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/interplay-entertainment-corp/3010-580/">Interplay</a> opted to take the lessons learned from making it and apply them to a brand new game. Thus, the Fallout franchise was born. </div>
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Unfortunately, the years were not kind to Interplay following their success in the late 80s and early 90s. The company eventually shut down, with the rights to Fallout famously being bought by <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/bethesda-softworks/3010-786/">Bethesda Softworks</a>. The rights to Wasteland were eventually acquired by <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/inxile-entertainment-inc/3010-3966/">inXile Entertainment</a>, a company founded by <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/brian-fargo/3040-2354/">Brian Fargo</a> who was one of the leads on not only Wasteland 1, but all of the early Fallout games as well. Fargo had left Interplay to found inXile some years before their closure.<br />
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In early 2012 they took the project to Kickstarter, asking for $900,000 in funding. By the time pledging closed the game had received $2,933,252, easily making it one of the most successful video game Kickstarters ever. Fargo and his team have been diligently releasing updates and generally keeping fans in the loop ever since as the project has moved forward.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76pn3O6uopQx2rZc_fI6RgRsNIJnNYQ0LzYgKTg_wERvfMYqOr6py8WQ86V8BDYXzGj5juH605NxjKTAAXZi5iI9Dg7MRLs3Qlv8ZBKvzi7K05FrpnjXQOfjxegX7d7bEnezsLtlJS0RA/s1600/Kickstarter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76pn3O6uopQx2rZc_fI6RgRsNIJnNYQ0LzYgKTg_wERvfMYqOr6py8WQ86V8BDYXzGj5juH605NxjKTAAXZi5iI9Dg7MRLs3Qlv8ZBKvzi7K05FrpnjXQOfjxegX7d7bEnezsLtlJS0RA/s1600/Kickstarter.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd say there were a few more people interested in the game than they thought.<br />
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<h2>
Story</h2>
<div>
So, the setup for the Wasteland universe is this: In the late 90s a larger meteor shower set off hostilities that had been brewing between a number of different countries for years. When the meteorites fell, a few nations assumed they were being nuked by their enemies, and they launched their warheads in retaliation. This misunderstanding would spell the end for the world as we knew it. The nuclear holocaust wiped out most of the world's population and destroyed much of its plant and animal life while mutating many of its survivors into horrible abominations that plague the Wastes to this day.</div>
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A group of US Army engineers who were stationed in Ariziona when the bombs began to fall took over a newly-built federal prison in the area in hopes of surviving the fast-approaching apocalypse. They kicked the prisoners out and eventually invited a few survivalist communities to join them once the dust had settled. This group would go on to form the Desert Rangers, self-proclaimed protectors of the Arizona Wasteland. Meanwhile, many of the exiled prisoners that managed to survive in the Wastes went on to form Raider gangs that would become the bane of every honest person trying to eke out a living in the harsh new world.<br />
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Ultimately, at the end of Wasteland 1, the Rangers led an assault on the local Cochise military base to destroy a rouge AI. This AI had designated humanity as its enemy for some unknown reason, and it had begun producing robots to hunt and kill any humans found surviving in the Wasteland. In the end the Desert Rangers defeated the Cochise AI, but suffered heavy losses in the process.</div>
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Wasteland 2 takes place 15 years after the first game, but you don't <i>need </i>to know anything about what happened there. The new game does a fantastic job of dolling out the backstory as you go along; there's ample opportunity to ask the Ranger vets about the old days and how they came to be. The Rangers have spent the last decade-and-a-half shoring up their numbers after repurposing the Cochise military facility into their new base of operations. And now it's time for the Desert Rangers to reestablish themselves as the law in Arizona.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1n_kDTfjiEhF6JrRtMpUKcr3Gv8krl7wqQfvg5-0wP82SbGV0ytYAumOb6lYIfxLSLdD0nEuVsuG3j8g1msnJY5QvmxZiHmaiOPgIwTaBN8YnRqRYVCCjhXu4pKpBz8m48ModX69wdRz/s1600/2014-07-04_00003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1n_kDTfjiEhF6JrRtMpUKcr3Gv8krl7wqQfvg5-0wP82SbGV0ytYAumOb6lYIfxLSLdD0nEuVsuG3j8g1msnJY5QvmxZiHmaiOPgIwTaBN8YnRqRYVCCjhXu4pKpBz8m48ModX69wdRz/s1600/2014-07-04_00003.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always respect General Vargas, he's your main line of communication as you traverse the Wasteland.</td></tr>
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You play as a squad of brand new recruits, and your first task is investigating the death of a veteran Ranger named Ace. You're told that he was sent to install some signal boosters so that Ranger HQ could more clearly pick up a series of unknown radio broadcasts they've begun receiving. The massive radiation clouds in the area have begun to recede, allowing for radio signals to travel farther and even people are beginning to venture further out than they'd been able to since the bombs dropped..<br />
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Your mission is to finish the job Ace started and find out who killed him. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that you're going to have a lot more to deal with than just a few sporadic groups of Raiders and mutants.<br />
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The game does an outstanding job of creating a grounded world with believable characters and interesting scenarios. It also strikes a decent balance between drama, mystery, and even comedy to keep things fresh as you explore the world around you.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tKLTlaHZnJ2ybimRqjpnNpnRH9du_d-NXNi8yXS_pcFTDxFydgJ2Dfu7UF3oXDLCfyUJBaQ2uRohVb9LATOzkX1Kfc3vmX7gX23dBXXlCE4NTiNJ6GDJSpvowWMUwsYTqQNvrBCpRyB9/s1600/2014-07-19_00002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tKLTlaHZnJ2ybimRqjpnNpnRH9du_d-NXNi8yXS_pcFTDxFydgJ2Dfu7UF3oXDLCfyUJBaQ2uRohVb9LATOzkX1Kfc3vmX7gX23dBXXlCE4NTiNJ6GDJSpvowWMUwsYTqQNvrBCpRyB9/s1600/2014-07-19_00002.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Gameplay Impressions</h2>
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The first thing you will do in Wasteland 2 is create your 4-member party of Desert Rangers. These will be the most important choices you make when starting a new game; the skills and attributes you choose will greatly affect how and even <i>if </i>you can solve certain scenarios. </div>
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You can choose from a list of pre-made characters with all of their stats and skills already assigned:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSbCwgOg67gls-TCJbf0bxhPjVreH3UzweBMw8obkBihvaoQ_vuLvlQDdMMOS2Z2ifsGL6-IRS-AbpsqQlHX5KJTAw61vhC4ELczqAU2ApmeqJeRZ_zqpzNa7jZ7CesSXCny3uj-i2Zf1/s1600/2014-07-20_00011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSbCwgOg67gls-TCJbf0bxhPjVreH3UzweBMw8obkBihvaoQ_vuLvlQDdMMOS2Z2ifsGL6-IRS-AbpsqQlHX5KJTAw61vhC4ELczqAU2ApmeqJeRZ_zqpzNa7jZ7CesSXCny3uj-i2Zf1/s1600/2014-07-20_00011.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Bert don't take no sass from nobody.</td></tr>
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You can edit these character's if you'd just like to make a few adjustments, or you can create your own, fully customized characters from scratch, assigning all of their skills and attributes as you see fit:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkBa9tl0MUz8uHSojyw5axlvQAK_RA4fJMpTBdDGTJ_39ivflB7a-6rMcjV2VHPSCHdcxqcINwR1mJg7FSRuZmzmw-3WkPbDi11SmGyVSVVXWxw0GduEeBudZLqJ-I6ARp2U8urcjoJzq/s1600/2014-07-20_00009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkBa9tl0MUz8uHSojyw5axlvQAK_RA4fJMpTBdDGTJ_39ivflB7a-6rMcjV2VHPSCHdcxqcINwR1mJg7FSRuZmzmw-3WkPbDi11SmGyVSVVXWxw0GduEeBudZLqJ-I6ARp2U8urcjoJzq/s1600/2014-07-20_00009.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needless to say, you'll have a lot of choices to make.</td></tr>
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The sheer number of options you have to choose from can be quite intimidating. This is as it should be, however, since the choices you make here will determine you effectiveness in the game to come.<br />
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You will also have access to a vast array of options to customize the look of each of your Rangers. You can even type up your own backstory for them and then save the character off to be used in subsequent playthroughs.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgWskQJXP2XqhQWEkd-Km8WjsdUGl1tjZOm3JQCVZ2vl8iW9pmEUUNYb-YhDV1FZf0nAwZvrdKzjrC2Tacw3km4r1dFJc065kMazCIZeW3Yv1P6XCxi6uOgituhqAqXzuNMGx8fCCAKbU/s1600/2014-07-20_00015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgWskQJXP2XqhQWEkd-Km8WjsdUGl1tjZOm3JQCVZ2vl8iW9pmEUUNYb-YhDV1FZf0nAwZvrdKzjrC2Tacw3km4r1dFJc065kMazCIZeW3Yv1P6XCxi6uOgituhqAqXzuNMGx8fCCAKbU/s1600/2014-07-20_00015.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the character creator, you'll be able to make the Wasteland weirdo of you dreams!(or nightmares)</td></tr>
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Having a balanced and versatile party is key to success in Wasteland 2, and the game will not hold your hand! Didn't bother to give anyone the "Field Medic" skill? Then you won't be able to use any of those first aid kits your find. The only person with the "Surgeon" skill went down in the last fight? Well, now there's nothing you can do but swear vengeance as you watch them bleed out. And death is permanent in this game. So now, that character is gone forever and you've got to pull a replacement from the new recruits back at Ranger Citadel. You can recruit other companions for an extra hand in combat, but these characters will never be full-fledged members of your team and can even go rouge in the middle of a fight and throw off your careful planning.<br />
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Wasteland 2 drops you right into the thick of it and the game expects a lot from you. However, if you have an appreciation for the PC RPGs of old like Baldur's Gate or the new wave of savage games like Dark Souls, then W2 will definitely scratch that same itch.<br />
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The game's combat has you spending Action Points to do everything from moving, to shooting, to using items. Managing your AP effectively can mean the difference between life and death, so every action requires a great deal of thought so that you don't screw yourself over in the middle of a fight.<br />
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Nearly every battle feels like a real threat; nothing can be taken lightly. If you do you will find your squad hurting in a bad way, very quickly. This lends W2's combat a highly tactical feel, and the satisfaction you get from making it through a particularly tough encounter is very rewarding. It's that sense of accomplishment that really pulls you through the game. The team at inXile have created a very addictive formula that can keep you playing for hours on end.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ_V0RPs4C85uqos2YlHWHrl1jDa4d-DZHrqTyLLy8cfTnHVDalirDT_L1rGdgslOTZu23RxNSorV213n9upgz8XyczaA88gz-pEHllMmsHYN47g6agbPk4RNrLyROUqTbeSBcnfN-fgR/s1600/2014-07-19_00006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ_V0RPs4C85uqos2YlHWHrl1jDa4d-DZHrqTyLLy8cfTnHVDalirDT_L1rGdgslOTZu23RxNSorV213n9upgz8XyczaA88gz-pEHllMmsHYN47g6agbPk4RNrLyROUqTbeSBcnfN-fgR/s1600/2014-07-19_00006.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Conclusion</h2>
With the finished product just on the horizon my anticipation is at a fever pitch. I can hardly wait to see what the full game has in store for me and I hope that this article has gotten you excited too. Wasteland 2's success could be instrumental in continuing the recent resurgence of computer RPGs that respect the player's abilities and truly challenge them to beat it. Keep an eye on Steam for the final release, the Early Access version is currently available for $60 and includes some cool extras(like a copy of the original Wasteland), but the developers have said that the final version will likely be priced lower than that.<br />
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Happy hunting Rangers, and I'll see you in the Arizona Wasteland!<br />
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-53454926632671283632014-07-13T15:10:00.001-07:002014-07-13T15:10:43.829-07:00I'll Huff and I'll Puff!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/the-wolf-among-us/3030-34213/">The Wolf Among Us</a> just released the final episode of it's first season this past Tuesday, so it's about time I give you my thoughts on it as a whole.</div>
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I chose to play The Wolf Among Us strictly because of its lineage; it's another episodic adventure game made by Telltale in the same vein as their excellent <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/the-walking-dead/3030-34205/">Walking Dead</a> series. I knew nothing about the graphic novels the game is based on. In fact I knew nothing about the plot or characters at all before playing it. So it speaks to the strength of that world just how quickly I was sucked in.</div>
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The Wolf Among Us takes the world of fairy tales and merges it with our own to establish an intriguing setting. And these aren't the Disney's versions, mind you; the characters in TWAU are based on the original stories; the dark, twisted, and often disturbing versions that some people may not be familiar with. </div>
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<h2>
Back Story</h2>
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The setup for the game's universe is that all of these fairy tale characters existed together in their own world, known as the Homeland. However, they were driven out of their lands and into ours by an evil force a few hundred years ago. After the Great Exodus the Tales decided to go into hiding together in New York City.</div>
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TWAU strikes a fantastic balance of characters, from the universally recognizable to some you may have heard of and even some that will be completely new to you. Seeing these characters revealed and getting to witness how their personal histories and reputations interplay with one another is simply captivating.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfY24bYoyOZLOReSArVtqQFUe6kziYd6REGTGLGfjHAeiQwGTIDXIoNheC9tpvvmPYRAxizub78QPFzoBr9ppR8Zv-R4-8vb3U0Dn5JFPXhhI7NYN0aG7SxR_oMERwIX0SmjMjsIefcmq/s1600/2014-07-13_00022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfY24bYoyOZLOReSArVtqQFUe6kziYd6REGTGLGfjHAeiQwGTIDXIoNheC9tpvvmPYRAxizub78QPFzoBr9ppR8Zv-R4-8vb3U0Dn5JFPXhhI7NYN0aG7SxR_oMERwIX0SmjMjsIefcmq/s1600/2014-07-13_00022.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As pure as the driven Snow...</td></tr>
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In order to not expose their existence to the Mundies (their term for human beings) the less humanoid Tales are required to use Glamours, magic spells sold at a premium that can make even the strangest of Tales appear human.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsm8o5LLlQyhwPjT69Cy2Fs-m-JzAx5ASKWHCjuazicg3Bfn2TPob_NzgCJjZZunRb28oKa4G9fJCMs51Fy55tfYb29oOhl70YIdTe3p4Sn-k9Z5AGyHUYmD9C96NgaF6G6QGWKLJmT0O/s1600/2014-07-13_00042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsm8o5LLlQyhwPjT69Cy2Fs-m-JzAx5ASKWHCjuazicg3Bfn2TPob_NzgCJjZZunRb28oKa4G9fJCMs51Fy55tfYb29oOhl70YIdTe3p4Sn-k9Z5AGyHUYmD9C96NgaF6G6QGWKLJmT0O/s1600/2014-07-13_00042.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just another seedy bar patron, right?</td></tr>
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If a Tale can't afford a glamour or is caught outside without one they are at risk of being shipped off to The Farm, an isolated community for Tales from which they aren't allowed to leave. Needless to say, many Tales view being sent to The Farm as a prison sentence, a sentence the more "privileged" Tales would never have to deal with. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhPZUQCZ5jcGzNmQY0bZr5gtzYSzn6jsVXVUh6C_a1WcrerBbe4oTSBC3BI9tT55sR51mH9eOMRfnYvKnx3YJ9XwN2qa27YXdEZ48FMrG5N0X5uR1OMwN7rS9Nl3JhgK4pJNuib1JXzd0/s1600/2014-07-13_00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhPZUQCZ5jcGzNmQY0bZr5gtzYSzn6jsVXVUh6C_a1WcrerBbe4oTSBC3BI9tT55sR51mH9eOMRfnYvKnx3YJ9XwN2qa27YXdEZ48FMrG5N0X5uR1OMwN7rS9Nl3JhgK4pJNuib1JXzd0/s1600/2014-07-13_00005.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Meet Colin, one of the Three Little Pigs. He's not so little anymore<br /></td></tr>
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As you can imagine this policy, as well as a few others, causes some serious drama that drives everything in the game's universe. But that's all back story.</div>
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<h2>
The Game</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnARaYY4JMegtHWHXwtSfbbZVqbE6qpWOuND7zW9ZpAYasBncDiwp8tFmraVKIwQ7odlFL4wHJvPzyAZ14pyLx5alLHDKQsfhJpDYOxKHIIHqC7Uk6mJxEkBmCDYe55fj9X3hDDVBBMmq/s1600/2014-07-13_00017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnARaYY4JMegtHWHXwtSfbbZVqbE6qpWOuND7zW9ZpAYasBncDiwp8tFmraVKIwQ7odlFL4wHJvPzyAZ14pyLx5alLHDKQsfhJpDYOxKHIIHqC7Uk6mJxEkBmCDYe55fj9X3hDDVBBMmq/s1600/2014-07-13_00017.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice tats, bro.</td></tr>
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In The Wolf Among Us you play as Bigby Wolf, AKA the Big Bad Wolf. Back in the Tale's Homeland he was one of the most feared creatures of them all. And yes, all of the old fairy tales about the Big Bad Wolf involved him specifically. He was an almost unkillable monster that preyed on vulnerable Tales at every opportunity. However, in the events leading up to the Great Exodus, Bigby managed to redeem himself by saving many of his fellow Tales. And when the Tales arrived in our world everyone was given a clean slate, a chance to start fresh in this strange new world. </div>
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Since Bigby was so powerful he was given the duty of Sheriff; he is responsible for the safety of all Tales, many of whom still despise and fear him. This makes for an incredibly complicated character; Bigby struggles to keep everyone in line while also trying to show compassion. He wants to prove that he isn't the same monster they cowered from years ago. And the choices you make over the course of the season influence how well Bigby pulls this off as well as how people react to him.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbPa60IMNB100nyYDxWbHiTtSdACo-yNNIlx3OoUzBXD7HExE-rGuBdIJ09ARClHpVqTqi9sBLsbrBZdq8JWKcB-OsWGplbe6YVJSq3Yiq90NNEmoSpG4zJZgxFBDCmi7pfRQjNqimctM/s1600/2014-07-13_00008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbPa60IMNB100nyYDxWbHiTtSdACo-yNNIlx3OoUzBXD7HExE-rGuBdIJ09ARClHpVqTqi9sBLsbrBZdq8JWKcB-OsWGplbe6YVJSq3Yiq90NNEmoSpG4zJZgxFBDCmi7pfRQjNqimctM/s1600/2014-07-13_00008.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get ready for a Bloody good time.</td></tr>
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The main plot revolves around a series of brutal murders where Tales are the victims. Bigby is tasked with finding out who is responsible and bringing them to justice. However, with the complicated class politics and sordid histories among the Tales, this is no easy task.</div>
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The game love to put you in the middle of heated exchanges between characters, forcing you to deal with the situation. You can side with one while alienating the other, or you can attempt to play diplomat and find an amicable solution. But sometimes that just isn't possible and you can wind up pissing off both parties instead. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNJhFIjrwxTn2ZARwWa-L87dR88p6kGC0RWRJCvY4daj3Z5FVuXxBbaIQ2FqKa5C6sqoJzeDMhjqhIyEb-4vQJ9HuHw8at5HVpQfU38tbPbbFaLZE0LoazT4Fq3gApxhuOA_wSeCeFucd/s1600/2014-07-13_00026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNJhFIjrwxTn2ZARwWa-L87dR88p6kGC0RWRJCvY4daj3Z5FVuXxBbaIQ2FqKa5C6sqoJzeDMhjqhIyEb-4vQJ9HuHw8at5HVpQfU38tbPbbFaLZE0LoazT4Fq3gApxhuOA_wSeCeFucd/s1600/2014-07-13_00026.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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The game's strong plot and outstanding performances drive you along toward it's conclusion, but it's the art style that really steals the show. The game's look is obviously similar to the team's Walking Dead series, but it's setting affords the developers a chance to use a wider range of color palettes compared to TWD's mostly brown or otherwise dark and grungy aesthetic. The Wolf Among Us's universe also gives Telltale a chance to play around with more fantastic character designs beyond the human and zombie cast of their other series.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7QIB-oUJ6L0Q5xbdwYeOZIlfYaa2ZRyt2Pje5a9cD6RwRTUP5k9rb5JtTdx0BCBIva2bUx788tlpxBThz9cIFga9syg9B9jKhD_0XeUMpheK-FXeiV6O9fod0iSGLlMfadTw9xs73_V8/s1600/2014-07-13_00053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7QIB-oUJ6L0Q5xbdwYeOZIlfYaa2ZRyt2Pje5a9cD6RwRTUP5k9rb5JtTdx0BCBIva2bUx788tlpxBThz9cIFga9syg9B9jKhD_0XeUMpheK-FXeiV6O9fod0iSGLlMfadTw9xs73_V8/s1600/2014-07-13_00053.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well aren't you just adorable!</td></tr>
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<h2>
Conclusion</h2>
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The Wolf Among Us is a fantastic series and now that the entire first season is available there's never been a better time to jump in. You can pick up the entire season for $25 on Steam, XBox Games Store, or PSN. You can even get it for your iPad if that's what you'd prefer. Also, if I haven't convinced you yet, you can download and play episode 1 of the series for free on most of the platforms I've listed above.</div>
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If you're a fan of great stories, fantastic worlds, and beautiful visuals, then The Wolf Among Us is the perfect place to find all of that and more.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAUtBlnPdPVdJjSIbJrFwz30whTrFESOz1rhmaGPffW3oVVybWd9ch-G5hTHKh4b3NBCEljDTosJ9HQLIW8DKzuEEmI9T8N15AGAoUkFHVySF8n5ecegm3_v3xiBfTgSgcujIXu6uubHp/s1600/2014-07-13_00021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAUtBlnPdPVdJjSIbJrFwz30whTrFESOz1rhmaGPffW3oVVybWd9ch-G5hTHKh4b3NBCEljDTosJ9HQLIW8DKzuEEmI9T8N15AGAoUkFHVySF8n5ecegm3_v3xiBfTgSgcujIXu6uubHp/s1600/2014-07-13_00021.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The investigation awaits.</td></tr>
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-47206220550076585352014-06-18T21:35:00.001-07:002014-06-18T22:59:54.345-07:00E3 2014 ImpressionsWell, E3 2014 is in the books. What was the overall impression from the show?: Meh. It's not that it was a <i>bad </i>E3, there just wasn't anything Earth-shattering to come out of it.<br />
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Usually you expect a ton of news and at least one mind-blowing revelation to come out of the expo, and that just didn't happen this year for a couple of reasons. First of all, it seemed like a lot of companies decided to try and get out ahead of the show proper and they made their biggest announcements a week or two before the show started. The reason for this is obvious, typically there is <i>so </i>much news coming down the pipe that it's easy for a lot of things to get lost in the shuffle, and then no one hears about them. Secondly, the biggest complaint/running joke that arose from this year's convention was about how it seemed like the vast majority of games being shown aren't due until at least 2015, if not beyond that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gamepur.com/files/images/2014/e3/microsoft-vs-sony-vs-nintendo-e3-release-date-comparison.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gamepur.com/files/images/2014/e3/microsoft-vs-sony-vs-nintendo-e3-release-date-comparison.png" height="276" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This chart disproves that sentiment, but that doesn't change how the show <i>felt</i>.</td></tr>
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Either way, the show's over. And that means it's time that I give you my impressions of it. Since the press conferences themselves weren't that interesting, I'm just going to share my thoughts on a few topics and then I'll talk about some of the games that caught my eye, and I will accompany them with their respective trailers. So, without further ado:<br />
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<h3>
Biggest Disappointment</h3>
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I suppose I should just get this one out of the way up front, there was no Fallout 4 announcement. Not only was this disappointing for me as a fan who is <i>dying </i>to play a new Fallout game, but I honestly feel like <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/bethesda-softworks/3010-786/">Bethesda</a> really dropped the ball on this one. Because there really wasn't anything that stole the show this year, Fallout 4 could have been it. Hell, it <i>would </i>have been it. There is so much anticipation for this game that all they would've had to do was show a teaser trailer at one of the press conferences and then do a short gameplay demo during the show. They wouldn't even have had to make it public; just allow some media guys to play it or watch someone play it so they could write up a preview or two and, <i>BAM</i>, game of show. Oh well, I guess <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/wasteland-2/3030-37721/">Wasteland 2</a> will just have to tide me over for now, but that a subject for another blog.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
Coolest Trailer/Most Interesting Games</h2>
<div>
In no particular order, here are some of the things I feel like you should see that came out of the show. Some of these game I doubt I'd ever be interested in playing, they just had some very creative trailers, and the rest are games that I can't wait to get my hands on!</div>
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<h3>
Inside</h3>
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<br /></div>
The next game from <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/playdead/3010-7132/">Playdead</a>, the creators of the critically acclaimed <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/limbo/3030-30380/">Limbo</a>, <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/e3-2014-inside-is-the-latest-adventure-from-the-de/2300-9120/">Inside</a> looks just as dark and brooding as the game that put them on the map. Watching the trailer you definitely get the sense that these games came from the same minds, but there's enough about Inside's visual style alone to set it apart.<br />
<br />
Limbo had a monochromatic color scheme and the game was all silhouettes. Inside makes use of color, but it's all very desaturated, lending it a very ominous tone, similar to what worked so well for Limbo. It also seems to emphasize depth in a way that Limbo didn't. The way that a number of shots in the above trailer use negative space to create a sense of scale in the environment is truly striking.<br />
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<a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/8/81005/2643094-5526768986-INSID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/8/81005/2643094-5526768986-INSID.jpg" height="340" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Dead Island 2</h3>
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<div>
I don't have any particular interest in playing the Dead Island games; the first one seemed like it had some cool ideas, but was very messily put together. However, this was, without a doubt, one of the funnest trailers to come out of the show. I legitimately found myself smiling and chuckling over how ridiculous this trailer is. If the final game can hit this tone and tighten up the gameplay and hammer out the glitches, than Dead Island 2 may be worth a look once it's released.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/64610/Dead_Island_2_64610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/64610/Dead_Island_2_64610.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can only imagine that the name on the gilded dog tag is "Douche"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
Tom Clancy's The Division</h3>
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/yPq_NVi-TC4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/yPq_NVi-TC4&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/yPq_NVi-TC4&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/tom-clancy-s-the-division/3030-42918/">The Division</a> is a third-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic New York City following a mysterious viral outbreak that wiped out most of the city's population. Not the most original concept to be sure, and the game itself may wind up being another run-of-the-mill cover shooter, but the trailer that <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/ubisoft-entertainment/3010-82/">Ubisoft</a> put together for this year's show was certainly one of the most artfully done. It's difficult to describe, but it's message is conveyed clearly; give it a watch and just enjoy the show.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even if the game ends up being forgettable, at least it has one of the coolest in-game maps I've seen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
Alien: Isolation</h3>
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I love the Alien movies! They are some of my favorite films of all time. That being said, I've never been a big fan of any games based on them. Most of them have been first-person shooters, and even the decent ones just didn't seem interesting to me. And, following the tragically bad <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/aliens-colonial-marines/3030-20921/">Aliens: Colonial Marines</a>, this game needs to be good in order to save face for the property as a whole. </div>
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<div>
At the very least the team at <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/the-creative-assembly/3010-211/">Creative Assembly</a> is trying something different. Rather than make another rote, mindless shooter starring space marines, <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/alien-isolation/3030-44296/">Alien: Isolation</a> is trying to play up the horror and slasher flick tone that the Original Alien film nailed so well. You won't be mowing down hordes of Xenomorphs with plasma rifles; there's only one in the whole game, and you stand no chance of fighting it. Instead you must hide and use a combination of wits and patients to throw the predatory beast off of your trail.</div>
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<div>
If the guys and gals at CA can pull this off without the game devolving into frustrating trial-and-error gameplay, we may have one of the best Alien games headed our way this October.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/30/2587792-7_1389089751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/30/2587792-7_1389089751.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd say it's time to shit. I mean hide! Time to hide.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
The new Mass Effect game</h3>
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<div>
Ok, I need to talk about this one simply because I'm such a huge fan of the series. At E3 Bioware and EA put out the above video that they <i>called </i>a teaser trailer, but it was really more of developer diary. It's mostly a video of some of the guys at Bioware talking about their ideas for the next Mass Effect. They do show a few images, but they made sure to label them as "conceptual prototypes", meaning that a lot of what they showed may change significantly in the final version, or it may not be in there at all.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I wasn't really surprised by this, I know the next ME is a ways off. What did surprise me, however, is the fact there was no announcement of some sort of "Mass Effect Trilogy: Ultimate Edition" that'll be coming to the new consoles and PC with all of the DLC included and updated graphics. It seems like a foregone conclusion that they would make that, and I am just surprised that they didn't announce it; especially when you consider how bare-bones EA's press conference lineup was.</div>
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<h3>
Dragon Age: Inquisition</h3>
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Speaking of Bioware, <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/dragon-age-inquisition/3030-35398/">Dragon Age: Inquisition</a> looks fantastic! This is my most anticipated game of the year and, after finally getting to see a real gameplay demonstration, I have to say that the game seems to be coming together nicely. You can check out some of the gameplay below:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xIRl5hnfJCs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Hopefully DA:I will live up to expectations and be the Dragon Age game that fans of the series want it to be. Speaking for myself, October 7th can't come soon enough.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/10354/2624943-image_39844_fit_940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/10354/2624943-image_39844_fit_940.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well that's not a good sign...</td></tr>
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<h3>
Mortal Kombat X</h3>
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<div>
The action in this trailer is nothing short of bad ass! Personally I could do without the dumb rap song that in no way, shape, or form fits the game but hey, marketing. Either way, I am <i>pumped </i>to see what <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/netherrealm-studios/3010-2545/">NetherRelam Studios</a> has in store for the next iteration of this legendary fighting game franchise. And, thankfully, we got to see some real gameplay of it at the show, check it out below:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/425ZDmnbMoM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.vg247.com/current//2014/06/mortal_kombat_x_gore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://assets.vg247.com/current//2014/06/mortal_kombat_x_gore.jpg" height="398" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I think this would hurt so bad, your brain wouldn't even let you feel it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
Rise of the Tomb Raider</h3>
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After playing last year's excellent reboot of the classic <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/tomb-raider/3030-27312/">Tomb Raider</a> franchise, I've been very curious to see what <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/crystal-dynamics-inc/3010-959/">Crystal Dynamics</a> has planned for the indomitable Lara Croft next. Well, this year's E3 marked the announcement of the upcoming sequel, <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/rise-of-the-tomb-raider/3030-46549/">Rise of the Tomb Raider</a>. A lot of people have been pooh-poohing the name, but whatever; if the game can meet the high bar set by the original, than they could call it Rise of the Fart Raider for all I care.</div>
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There wasn't any gameplay shown, but I was still excited to hear the official word that the game is in development.</div>
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<a href="http://tech4gamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/rise_of_the_tomb_raider_by_doppel_zgz-d7m6jlj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tech4gamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/rise_of_the_tomb_raider_by_doppel_zgz-d7m6jlj.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Far Cry 4</h3>
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Ok, as long as I'm making a list that includes amazing trailer, this one had to make the cut. The Far Cry games have really hit their stride over the last couple of games, with <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/far-cry-3/3030-32933/">Far Cry 3</a> receiving much critical and fan acclaim for it's open world and engaging gameplay. FC3 also introduced a captivating villain in <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/vaas/3005-19175/">Vaas</a>. Unfortunately, most people agree that his potential was squandered early in the game.</div>
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Hopefully that won't be the case this time around with <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/far-cry-4/3030-46310/">FC4's</a> new villain, <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/far_cry_4/b/xboxone/archive/2014/06/13/the-face-of-evil-a-look-at-far-cry-4-controversial-villain.aspx">Pagan Min</a>. The above trailer makes for one hell of an introduction to this psychopath and leaves you curious about not only the player's relationship with him, but also how far he will go and what his motives are. If the game can hold to it's current release date, we'll be discovering the answers to these question <i>this </i>November.</div>
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<h2>
Honorable Mention</h2>
<div>
Just to wrap this up before I find myself talking about <i>every </i>trailer that debuted at the show, I should go ahead and list a few final trailers that caught my attention, click on the names to see their videos:</div>
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<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/e3-2014-discover-historys-darkest-secret-in-the-or/2300-9017/?page=4&ajax=true">The Order: 1886</a> (Stylish 3rd-person shooter with an interesting setting.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/e3-2014-mentally-prepare-yourself-for-the-monochro/2300-9061/">White Night</a> (Creepy-looking horror game with striking visual style.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/e3-2014-mario-maker-is-real-and-its-spectacular/2300-9027/">Mario Maker</a> (Looks super cool. if Nintendo can flesh it out and give creators the tools they'd want, it'll be spectacular.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/e3-2014-peter-dinklage-is-in-destiny/2300-9011/">Destiny</a> (The latest from Bungie, the team responsible for the Halo franchise. Looks really great so far, hopefully it can live up to its creator's legacy.)<br />
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<h3>
Final Thoughts</h3>
</div>
<div>
So, maybe E3 2014 wasn't a mind-blowing event. We still got to see some fantastic looking games coming from talented people, ranging from small indie dev teams to massive AAA-title making factories.</div>
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If anything, this year's show proves that the video game industry is alive and well and will be pumping out cool stuff for years to come, and I couldn't be happier to be along for the ride.</div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-42143430149295252912014-05-07T17:36:00.002-07:002014-05-07T21:29:44.722-07:00E3 2014 Preview<h3>
The Electronic 3rd is nearly upon us!</h3>
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<a href="https://www.e3expo.com/img/2014-design/carousel/e3-future.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://www.e3expo.com/img/2014-design/carousel/e3-future.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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E3, the biggest video game convention of the year, is only a few short weeks away. That means that it's high time I start talking about my expectations for what we may see this year. </div>
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<a href="http://jeffmott.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-time-of-war.html">2013</a> felt like a bit of an off year for E3; the show was mostly focused on Sony and Microsoft hammering out the final details for their consoles before launch. Which was famously followed by a lot of backtracking on Microsoft's part due to the backlash they received over a number of their proposed policies regarding the <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/xbox-one/3045-145/">Xbox One</a><span id="goog_572953333"></span><span id="goog_572953334"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>. </div>
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Meanwhile the games themselves seemed to take a backseat. It just felt like the really cool stuff that's going to justify the existence of this new generation of hardware simply wasn't ready to show yet. Granted, that is pretty typical of a launch year E3, but it's also the reason why this year feels so exciting. Now that the new consoles are out of their "launch window" we should start to see the real next-gen games coming to the forefront. The one that aren't simply uprezzed versions of 360 and PS3 games. There will obviously still be some overlap, but it definitely appears that the newer machines are the lead platforms for these games, and they're being ported down for the old consoles, instead of the other way around. </div>
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And, with that, I will run down a brief list of the games I'm most interested in seeing. Some of these have already been confirmed to be at E3 and some haven't, so please bear that in mind.</div>
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<h2>
Fallout 4</h2>
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<a href="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--VOr2omCi--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1993go0gwwqn8png.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--VOr2omCi--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1993go0gwwqn8png.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Will it happen? God I hope so. And I am pretty confident that we will see the next <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/fallout/3025-183/">Fallout</a> at this year's show. The timing feels right and there's simply too much evidence that it's coming for the game to be a no-show again... right?</div>
<div dir="ltr">
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Let's run through all of the evidence that points to a new Fallout being announced this year:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Timing:</b> its been 3 years since <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/3030-33394/">Skyrim</a> was released, and about a year and a half since Bethesda finished the final piece of DLC for the game, Dragonborn. There was a post on Bethesda's official <a href="http://www.bethblog.com/2013/04/15/moving-to-our-next-adventure/">blog</a> in April 2013 talking about how they were finished making new content for Skyrim and that this will free up the team to work on their "next major project". <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/the-elder-scrolls-online/3030-38206/">The Elder Scrolls Online</a> just released earlier this year, so it would be silly of them to step on their own toes by even talking about the next proper Elder Scrolls release so soon. Fallout is the other big franchise that Bethesda is known to develop in-house and, assuming that it's being built on a modified version of the Skyrim engine, 3-4 years seems like the right amount of time it would take to make this game.</li>
<li><b>Sightings</b>: Back in mid 2012 there were several <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/20/will-fallout-4-be-set-in-boston-2">stories</a> claiming that Bethesda employees had been spotted scouting locations in and around the Boston area, leading to speculation that this would be the setting for the next Fallout game. It also helps that Boston makes a lot of sense as a place to set a Fallout game. <a href="http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/The_Commonwealth">The Commonwealth</a>, which was mentioned several times in Fallout 3, is the in-lore name for the state of Massachusetts in the post-apocalypse. The fact that FO3 was developed by Bethesda makes these off-handed mentions feel like hints to the future of the franchise.</li>
<li><b>Leaks:</b> Then, just a few months back in December, Kotaku ran a <a href="http://kotaku.com/leaked-documents-reveal-that-fallout-4-is-real-set-in-1481322956">story</a> detailing a script that had been leaked from a casting call. Although this script never mentions the word Fallout, it does refer to a number of places in the Fallout universe and even includes the infamous tag line: "War. War never changes."</li>
</ol>
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Combine this evidence with a rabid fanbase that has been absolutely chomping at the bit for a new entry in the series, and it seems that Fallout 4 is a shoe-in for this year's E3.<br />
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<h2>
Dragon Age: Inquisition</h2>
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Okay, let me start this one off by saying something controversial: I liked Dragon Age 2. Now, before you raise your pitchforks and light your torches, give me a moment to contextualize that. I <i>liked </i><a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/dragon-age-ii/3030-30995/">DA2</a>, I didn't love it. The game definitely had it's flaws, mainly stemming from the fact that it seemed rushed out the door entirely too quickly. However, there were a lot of things that I enjoyed about that game. Things that I'd like to see return for the next game in the franchise, <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/dragon-age-inquisition/3030-35398/">Dragon Age: Inquisition</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/10354/2624932-image_39831_fit_940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/10354/2624932-image_39831_fit_940.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></div>
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First of all, I loved the combat in DA2; some would argue that it was dumbed down from <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/dragon-age-origins/3030-20738/">Dragon Age: Origins</a>, but I honestly felt like it was simply more streamlined and focused; that it made the combat feel better overall. And I will be a sad boy if the Force Magic specialization doesn't return; fewer things are more fun than using gravity itself to smash your foes around the battlefield.<br />
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Secondly, I really enjoyed having the snarky, smart-ass dialog choices as your third option within the dialog trees. Usually in games like this, including Bioware's own Mass Effect franchise, you have a choice between "good guy" and "bad guy" dialog with at third "neutral" option thrown in as well. The problem with that, is why would anyone choose the boring-ass neutral response? There's never any real reason to. But in Dragon Age 2 the third option was actually valid and fun to use. These options would have your character respond with a joke, or some sort of sarcastic comment, and it lent an entirely different tilt to his/her personality. This felt like a really unique thing that no one had pulled off properly before and it would be a shame if Dragon Age: Inquisition leaves it on the cutting room floor.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/images/da2dialogue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/images/da2dialogue.jpg" height="225" title="From DA2" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's to hoping.</td></tr>
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All that being said, what they've shown of DA:I looks amazing. And the way that the developers speak about the game and how they're approaching it makes me think that this team is in the proper mindset to deliver something truly spectacular. The team has said that they've taken a lot of <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/12/20/bioware-checking-out-skyrim-for-dragon-age-iii.aspx">inspiration</a> from Skyrim, and that this game will be quite massive in scope. Considering the amount of time that they're taking to make it, almost two years already and the game isn't due until 2015, I'd say that Bioware and EA seem to be giving this game it's due attention, and I can hardly wait to see it in action at E3.</div>
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<h2>
New Mass Effect</h2>
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If you know me or follow my blog, than you know that I love <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/mass-effect/3025-560/">Mass Effect</a>. It is my favorite video game franchise of all time; it speaks to me. Mass Effect embodies all of my favorite things about gaming and sci-fi: spaceships, futuristic guns, choices with consequences, an intense story, and sexy alien ladies.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"How you doin'?'</i></td></tr>
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<div>
So I have to at least mention the <i>possibility </i>of a trailer for the next entry in the series. I doubt that it'll be much more than a teaser trailer, but maybe they will have at least put an <a href="http://kotaku.com/5982443/dont-call-biowares-next-sci-fi-game-mass-effect-4">official title</a> on the game. That is assuming that there's anything ready to show at all.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Not official screenshot, fan art by <a href="http://baolongzhang.blogspot.com/">Baolong Zhang</a>.)</td></tr>
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<h2>
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt</h2>
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<a href="http://www.selectgame.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-Witcher-3-Wallpaper-1920x1200-600x375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.selectgame.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-Witcher-3-Wallpaper-1920x1200-600x375.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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I never played the original, but <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/the-witcher-2-assassins-of-kings/3030-28178/">The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings</a> was the first big game I bought after getting my first real gaming PC, the one I still use today. It's one of the reasons that I've done most of my gaming on the PC since then. Witcher 2 absolutely blew me away; the world was so twisted and dark compared to most games and movies that use the medieval fantasy setting.</div>
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<a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/4/48290/2504892-witcher3_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/4/48290/2504892-witcher3_5.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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That's why I'm excited to see what's next for this series. They've release <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr-DKyAVU34">a</a> <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/some-bad-business-is-going-down-in-the-witcher-3-w/2300-8287/">few</a> <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/e3-2013-witcher-3-is-the-last-part-of-the-legend/2300-7481/">trailers</a>, and it looks stunning. If the team can hit the same level of quality and polish as the previous game, then <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/3030-41484/">The Witcher 3</a> will be a game for the ages. They're saying that this will be the final game in The Witcher series, and it certain looks like <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/cd-projekt-red-sp-z-oo/3010-2890/">CD Projekt Red</a> is aiming to do it justice.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something tells me that thing ain't friendly.</td></tr>
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<h2>
Destiny</h2>
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<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/destiny/3030-36067/">Destiny</a> is the next game from Bungie and, while I never played much of their Halo games, something about their latest venture has caught my attention. It could be the art style reminding me of Mass Effect, or maybe I'm just hungry for this type of game. Whatever it may be, Destiny looks pretty spectacular and I'm excited to see more of it at the show.<br />
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<a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/9493/2591831-025506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/9493/2591831-025506.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Everything Else!</h2>
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When it comes to E3, more often than not, the most exciting things to come out of the show are things that you didn't see coming at all. I'm excited to see what new games get announced and what new features are going to be coming to the <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/playstation-4/3045-146/">PS4</a> and Xbox One. Will Microsoft announce a price drop in order to increase their install base and try to catch up to Sony? Will Nintendo or another company steal the show from the two heavyweights with something truly mind-blowing? Only time will tell and, thankfully, we don't have long to wait.</div>
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-69636585801359234682013-09-04T22:09:00.002-07:002013-09-06T18:45:52.835-07:00When the Saints Go Marching In<h2>
Happy Birthday, Mr. President.</h2>
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<a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/14/141159/2455512-248775-sr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/14/141159/2455512-248775-sr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I recently finished Saint's Row 4, and holy crap was it an amazing experience. In my last blog I expressed concern that SR4's sales might suffer with it being released so close to Grand Theft Auto 5 since they're similar games and some people my feel the need to choose one over the other. Well I'm happy to report that, after playing it, those fears seem unfounded. Saint's Row 4 is so far removed from what the GTA series is that it's hardly worth the comparison. SR4 is more in line with games like <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/crackdown/3025-1343/">Crackdown</a> or <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/infamous/3025-1704/">Infamous</a>; its a super hero game at heart.</div>
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The new Saint's Row still has many of the gameplay mechanics you associate with GTA and earlier entries in the series: the ability to jack cars and planes, etc. However, within the first hour or so, you'll find that you will almost never have to set foot in a vehicle except for when the game's story requires it.</div>
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The reason is, early on in the game, your character earns the ability to run faster than any car in existence and jump incredibly high into the air. And, soon after, you'll be able to run up the side of any building, leap off at the top and glide across the city like some foul-mouthed flying squirrel. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyH-2-24nxvNK-hFeDZzKJL2xA8NW27WtsZMGo3adLXr1kjDt9isn0e6zLJoSBPihigxrbCUMcaLUAU-liA5w4YRpgy_yCVJKm_dTwiaGdzz1SmOPwrrzXRVo8UtQ5OzbtV6zxZUtRaqCx/s1600/2013-09-05_00012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyH-2-24nxvNK-hFeDZzKJL2xA8NW27WtsZMGo3adLXr1kjDt9isn0e6zLJoSBPihigxrbCUMcaLUAU-liA5w4YRpgy_yCVJKm_dTwiaGdzz1SmOPwrrzXRVo8UtQ5OzbtV6zxZUtRaqCx/s400/2013-09-05_00012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weeee!</td></tr>
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The breezy, fluent traversal controls are easily one of the funnest parts of the game. It's simply a blast to get around the city, and the game provides more than enough collectibles to give you an excuse to just criss-cross the city of Steelport like a drunken Superman. Scattered all over the place there are more than 1200 "clusters" that function as a secondary currency that you'll use to upgrade your various super powers. There are several other types of collectibles as well, including audio logs and statues begging to be destroyed.</div>
<h2>
Enter the Simulatrix</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uUOHh8MWHNwwioIJRcxvPNhq5R623jFKNi0yC6Gh6s6C0t0Hbt8NHo1sDJj78gBjgfqCYkq-FRk5FwbCmhqyVZccdgu6PmAwFs9EGayLk5Wud4wjmn8ffoyLAswu6teFZspEGxGjTISX/s1600/2013-08-20_00003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uUOHh8MWHNwwioIJRcxvPNhq5R623jFKNi0yC6Gh6s6C0t0Hbt8NHo1sDJj78gBjgfqCYkq-FRk5FwbCmhqyVZccdgu6PmAwFs9EGayLk5Wud4wjmn8ffoyLAswu6teFZspEGxGjTISX/s400/2013-08-20_00003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Virtual Steelport! Brought to you by the Zin Empire.</td></tr>
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If you haven't been following SR4 up to its release you're probably wondering why you have super powers to begin with. The Saint's Row franchise, while becoming increasingly ridiculous over the years, has always been somewhat grounded in reality. So where do these powers come in to play? To explain that we'll have to dig into the story a bit. So, if you're planning to enter SR4 spoiler-free, you should probably stop reading here. Just know that the game is amazing and you should absolutely play it if what you've seen or read has interested you at all. However, be sure to play it on PC if that's an option for you; I hear the console versions suffer from some serious performance issues.</div>
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When the game opens, the leader of the Saints(your character) is in the middle of foiling a plot to nuke the United States. Despite your best efforts the warhead launches and you're tasked with climbing the missile and tearing out its navigation systems as it builds altitude. You ultimately succeed and dive off of the missile just in the nick of time. This event propels you and the Saint's from international celebrities to patriotic heroes. And, being the ambitious bastard you are, you parlay the public adoration into a run for the Presidency. And you win.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_fLLsO2sCq3Woz7Fc43BP2zCRIZ_XbwcWtWpa2HZnZHK9Aw7ZkDauEQHA3pqWyfigmU8yxLrvRhzu1m55B31KOpn5T7scU2yIKqt_LL6KENof3ucUxtyDLAyJrT5hN4MPnZoGWWzn14g/s1600/2013-09-05_00065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_fLLsO2sCq3Woz7Fc43BP2zCRIZ_XbwcWtWpa2HZnZHK9Aw7ZkDauEQHA3pqWyfigmU8yxLrvRhzu1m55B31KOpn5T7scU2yIKqt_LL6KENof3ucUxtyDLAyJrT5hN4MPnZoGWWzn14g/s400/2013-09-05_00065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choices...choices...</td></tr>
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Things aren't all rosy for your administration, however. You're facing resistance from other political groups and all the major decisions being left to you have begun to take their toll. And, just when it looks like the leader of the free world is considering hanging it up for good, fucking aliens bust into the White House and abduct you and your cabinet members(your friends and fellow Saints.)<br />
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You wind up in a crazy virtual world based on Steelport from Saint's Row: The Third, But this place is designed to keep you in line and break you. To make a long story short, a couple of your homies help you break out of this digital nightmare and steal an alien ship to call your own.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf-NL1gOioIzikCuE6q9mTIov5L56GH-Gyev0V_hyAJ_fgLXLIVHFUP50sIK1G3WDoEXers8It8_8FpXg2pnrXiKoCeUdTSR-Lu40Iow33eK1nhtMcvOZDODx659PNSEiagISZ3uXYnn7/s1600/2013-08-25_00007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf-NL1gOioIzikCuE6q9mTIov5L56GH-Gyev0V_hyAJ_fgLXLIVHFUP50sIK1G3WDoEXers8It8_8FpXg2pnrXiKoCeUdTSR-Lu40Iow33eK1nhtMcvOZDODx659PNSEiagISZ3uXYnn7/s400/2013-08-25_00007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Complete with futuristic shitter!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, a number of your friends are still trapped inside this network of cyber prisons, known as The Simulation. And the only way to get them out is to plug yourself back in, track down where they're being held, and force them to snap out of the illusion. You'll also need to weaken the Simulation overall in an attempt to bring the whole thing down. But these are just the steps you must take to get your shot at Emperor Zinyak, architect of The Simulation.<br />
<br />
It's basically a mix of The Matrix films and <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/mass-effect/3025-560/">Mass Effect</a> games, with tons of references to other games and movies thrown in for good measure. You'll see nods to everything from Terminator and Men in Black to Streets of Rage and Combat, and everything in between.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaMGC5tjo3HtCpv34Hxmvm_RrHhQ-WEqq7gdgTBBVJVKq4AKKQgJNZD2r3TGvq06KW9L65CcBY2NBHHSf93x9ssQ1zSULce93WdCjXZvonuCyU6W7hW5PC1gxlk8H1raK6Uve6UjfDxsC/s1600/2013-08-20_00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaMGC5tjo3HtCpv34Hxmvm_RrHhQ-WEqq7gdgTBBVJVKq4AKKQgJNZD2r3TGvq06KW9L65CcBY2NBHHSf93x9ssQ1zSULce93WdCjXZvonuCyU6W7hW5PC1gxlk8H1raK6Uve6UjfDxsC/s400/2013-08-20_00005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmm, I know this reminds me of something...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
SR4's story is very well written, but it's ultimately just an excuse to give <b>you </b>ridiculous powers and the <b>designers</b> a chance to throw you into increasingly ludicrous scenarios that couldn't exist in a more realistic world.This lends the game's story missions a wide variety of settings and mechanics for you to play around with. And, since you're entering simulations that are based on your trapped homie's worst nightmares, it provides insight into these character's backstories, giving you a better sense of who they are. It makes you care about them, which makes you <i>want </i>to help them out.<br />
<br />
After rescuing one of the Saints, you can speak to them aboard your ship or call them into The Simulation to aid you in combat. More importantly however, you gain access to a loyalty mission involving them. These missions are all unique to that specific character and are the source of some of the best and funniest moments in the entire game, especially if you've played the earlier Saint's Rows. Your reward for completing the mission? That homie becomes super powered within The Simulation and dons an incredible hero outfit, all of which are perfectly fitting for that person.<br />
<br />
One of my only complaints with the game is that I wish there were more interactions with your homies. Aboard the ship you have two options with each of the Saint's, "talk" or "romance". The "talk" option just has them throw out a few lines related to what's going on, and the "romance" options leads to an immediate, and often awkward, romance scene which are consistently funny because of how abrupt they are. When you think about it though, that's hardly even a complaint; I like what they did with the characters so much that I just want there to be more of it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzo59-t38IBs0CcocXR7nOrxwxawkINu9STDpKt4s8y429arDDwcrfXNULMJbVY1y7dG6e9A0bwFvQUxvCUnvSDDYAXRAozNWRytAlfDe-GaXLy5w2pLqsxVI6XJyX3abKu8_PxpVckqTm/s1600/2013-09-05_00007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzo59-t38IBs0CcocXR7nOrxwxawkINu9STDpKt4s8y429arDDwcrfXNULMJbVY1y7dG6e9A0bwFvQUxvCUnvSDDYAXRAozNWRytAlfDe-GaXLy5w2pLqsxVI6XJyX3abKu8_PxpVckqTm/s400/2013-09-05_00007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cue the mood lighting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<h2>
Let the Playa Play</h2>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Saint's Row 4 is clearly built on the same engine as SR:TT and it reuses a lot of assets from that game. However, almost the entire world has been re-skinned to fit the new motif which makes the setting feel new, yet familiar. This feeling applies to the gameplay as well; the shooting feels the same as the previous entry in the series, but your new found abilities make the combat, and especially the traversal, feel completely fresh.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
There is no adequate way to describe the feeling of dropping from the sky next to a group of enemies, tossing a Freeze Blast in their midst and then shattering their frozen bodies with you automatic shotgun. To put it lightly, it feels gooood...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6n4RcK7yL57xqHjOZPXOc-QadQDvy-AH5ZUWzbrGDUWz73_hZ6_EtaPeYsvH8ijABntByMGCUUjWAS4xKGJwrbUqaBkdTD34EwG5jxYD6N_QVLn7voJYwrpY_9UxZN-NwMCYkemKggJ0-/s1600/2013-09-05_00076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6n4RcK7yL57xqHjOZPXOc-QadQDvy-AH5ZUWzbrGDUWz73_hZ6_EtaPeYsvH8ijABntByMGCUUjWAS4xKGJwrbUqaBkdTD34EwG5jxYD6N_QVLn7voJYwrpY_9UxZN-NwMCYkemKggJ0-/s400/2013-09-05_00076.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I can't stress enough how fun running, jumping, and gliding around fake Steelport is. It's so satisfying that Blazin' quickly became one of my favorite activities in the game. It's a new take on an activity that's been in SR since the second game. It used to be called Trail Blazin' and it's basically their version of checkpoint races. In previous iterations you'd perform these side quests on an ATV but, in SR4, you're on foot using your Super Sprint. I always enjoyed Trail Blazin', but it was never my favorite thing to do in the game. In SR4, it's a damn close second to the mainline story and loyalty missions.<br />
<h2>
Music to My Ears</h2>
<div>
I will be the first to admit that I am not the most musically inclined person. Very few games have music that serves as anything more than background noise to me; I almost never notice if it's any good or not. That's why I have to make special mention about the soundtrack in SR4, it's absolutely wonderful. I firmly believe that this game may have the best use of licensed music of any game, ever. There are just so many moments that are made ten times funnier by the games choice of song.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I don't want to spoil these moments, so the only example I'll give is one of the earliest. In the opening sequence I mentioned earlier where you're climbing the nuclear missile as it flies through the air, the Saints that were with you assume that you're not going to make it and start giving your their heart-felt goodbyes over the radio. And while this touching moment is happening, Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" begins playing in the background. It's so utterly perfect that I could barely keep playing because I was laughing so hard.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtEVBqEWXFOWfXNCIjLFQaJ6R1f8y81ja_BV5fo5ZNSTHcVboyaz8FV4Dyf6Xg9-rf6LBi93B-16ioaTvbEgfDViO5OE3C0nyUrH-lxzNvwDi0jVfGtfcSB9R7FmpHw2buP7D8F3r3iwb/s1600/2013-09-05_00043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtEVBqEWXFOWfXNCIjLFQaJ6R1f8y81ja_BV5fo5ZNSTHcVboyaz8FV4Dyf6Xg9-rf6LBi93B-16ioaTvbEgfDViO5OE3C0nyUrH-lxzNvwDi0jVfGtfcSB9R7FmpHw2buP7D8F3r3iwb/s400/2013-09-05_00043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think I might actually tear up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
When the Saint's Go Marching Out</h2>
<div>
Everything about Saint's Row 4 makes it feel like the perfect send-off for this series. Nearly every fan-favorite character from the previous games returns in some capacity and, as someone who's played every SR game to completion, the feelings of nostalgia were undeniable as the game tossed out references to some things from the past that I remember vividly, and other things that I'd forgotten about. You don't need to have played all of the previous games to enjoy this one but, if you have, your experience will be even more fulfilling.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's not to say that there's nowhere else that this franchise could go. Personally I couldn't have imagined where else they could take it that would be crazier than space aliens and virtual realities, but the game's ending actually plants a pretty amazing seed that would be mind-blowing to see them follow through on. That being said, the people at Volition stated that this would be the last game in this version of the Saint's Row universe, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them move on to something else for their next game. Even if it's only to give them some breathing room before jumping back into this series.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In conclusion, I absolutely adored Saint's Row 4; it's easily one of my favorite game this year and I would recommend it to anyone. </div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKw62KH_FEFh2k7LSyOEHPXBqPXVCXh4G1JEbkvV-GHp4vLnH7wzUPtM5HsY9IMkREpTZv3UEnX5_Vv56i8t3CarfbyoCV6pnAcshYbf0e_8gCFUO31xaadlTOP17TKvJkQkg5U6-DMjDn/s1600/2013-09-05_00051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKw62KH_FEFh2k7LSyOEHPXBqPXVCXh4G1JEbkvV-GHp4vLnH7wzUPtM5HsY9IMkREpTZv3UEnX5_Vv56i8t3CarfbyoCV6pnAcshYbf0e_8gCFUO31xaadlTOP17TKvJkQkg5U6-DMjDn/s400/2013-09-05_00051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game on!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-39196386377786585002013-08-06T20:02:00.000-07:002013-08-06T20:02:37.203-07:00Grove Street vs. The RowThis fall we will be treated to new entries in two series that I have a lot of love for, Saint's Row 4 and Grand Theft Auto 5. I am incredibly excited about both releases but when I began thinking about them I realized something; this is the first time these franchises have gone head-to-head like this and it's causing me some concern.<br />
<h2>
From San Andreas to Stilwater</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/8/85316/2300284-grand_theft_auto___san_andreas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/8/85316/2300284-grand_theft_auto___san_andreas.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Gangsta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You see, GTA: <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/3030-7120/">San Andreas</a> came out in 2004 and the original <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/saints-row/3030-5618/">Saint's Row</a> which was... let's say "heavily inspired" by San Andreas was released in 2006. Okay, so Saint's Row was a borderline knock-off, but it was incredibly well done, unlike other GTA clones like the <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/true-crime/3025-257/">True Crime</a> series or the remake of <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/narc/3030-23061/">Narc</a>. For that reason alone it was easy to overlook Saint's Row's similarities to Rockstar's popular franchise. There had also been enough of a time gap since GTA:SA that people were hungry for another game like that and Saint's Row was on the newest hardware generation, the Xbox and Playstation 3, giving it some extra oomph in the graphics department.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/15/155745/2260727-1386330_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/15/155745/2260727-1386330_l.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Semi-Original Gangsta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Saint's Row's gameplay was tight and it even managed to do some things better than San Andreas did; specifically the shooting mechanics were much better, in my opinion. It also tried to have a fairly serious story, but the writing just wasn't of the same quality that the GTA franchise had enjoyed. If you compare the games to Hollywood, the GTA series feels like your high-end, big budget gangster films like Scarface, Casino, or Boys in Tha Hood; Saint's Row feels "MTV" Gangster.<br />
<br />
The storyline of the original SR gave you the impression the writers listened to entirely too much gangster rap and created a world that was all about "Hos and money." It wanted to be taken seriously, but often times came across laughable because it was just so ridiculous. This humor, intentional or not, lent the game and it's characters a fair amount of charm that many gamers, including myself, really enjoyed. That's not to say that all of the humor was unintentional; one of the side activities in the game involved you hurling yourself in front of oncoming traffic to rack up false insurance claims. The game certainly had some wackiness to it, but it was subdued, especially compared to what future iterations of the series would bring.<br />
<br />
The first Saint's Row was a surprise hit for developer Volition and publisher THQ and it was clear that there would be more to come.<br />
<br />
<h2>
A break from tradition and a testing of the (Stil)water</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/7431/248449-outdoor_niko_1280x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/7431/248449-outdoor_niko_1280x800.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If the glove don't fit...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Meanwhile, Rockstar had been hard at work creating the next entry in their biggest franchise, GTA IV. It was released at the end of April, 2008. The game was a massive hit, but some portion of the gaming community was disappointed by the more serious tone the game took on compared to San Andreas. Most of the game's humor was confined to satirical business names and billboards so that the story of Niko Bellic could maintain an air of grim reality.<br />
<br />
Niko came to Liberty City to get out of crime and away from shady gangsters, but he was almost immediately thrown into the middle of a criminal culture that was foreign, yet all-too familiar for him at the same time.<br />
<br />
I absolutely loved GTAIV and I though that Mr. Bellic's tale was brilliant, engaging, and sad to witness. However, some gamers were disappointed with it's more realistic approach; there were no jetpacks to fly, no gang territories to take over. It was just the story of one man struggling to eke out an honest life for himself while his sordid past sabotaged that from happening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/3419/953664-gtaiv20090413162617.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/3419/953664-gtaiv20090413162617.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad Niko is sad...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Saint's Row 2 gave the behemoth that was GTAIV a four month berth, releasing in October of the same year. The designers at Volition had listened to feedback from the first SR; specifically that people enjoyed the crazier aspects of the original game and wanted more of it. They used SR2 to test the waters with more over-the-top game mechanics and a story to match.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/8/87790/1967525-box_sr2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/8/87790/1967525-box_sr2.png" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gangsta with a zany twist!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The result was a significantly more exhilarating and hilarious experience. Spraying down people and local monuments with a septic tank full of shit that had somehow been equipped with a hose, just to devalue the local property so that you can buy it up for cheap, is truly an experience I'll never forget.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/saintsrow/images/4/4c/Sr2pcSeptic_Avenger_(vehicle)-1-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://images.wikia.com/saintsrow/images/4/4c/Sr2pcSeptic_Avenger_(vehicle)-1-.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eww... Just, ew.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unfortunately, the engine the game had been built on, the same engine Volition had created for the original game, just wasn't able to handle the kind of chaos they asked it to produce. This left the game with some serious performance issues that hampered the experience significantly. For example, one of the new activities, known as Trail Blazin', sets you on fire, places you on a quad, and asks you to drive trough a series of checkpoints within a set time limit. And oh yeah, anything you get near during this activity explodes... cars, trash cans, PEOPLE, they just fucking explode when you get close. It was a fantastic idea, but the frame-rate would routinely dip into the single digits once the explosions started getting too hectic, making the missions far more difficult and frustrating to play than they should have been.<br />
<br />
Saint's Row 2 was flawed, but it was a necessary experiment that would help the franchise evolve into what it is today. It allowed Volition to test their audience's reaction and see whether or not this was the direction the series should be headed in. The answer was a resounding "Yes!" Volition now had a blueprint to take Saint's Row to the next level...<br />
<br />
<h2>
Wrasslin', Dildo Bats, and Gangsterism</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://brutalgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/saints-row-3-Dbat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://brutalgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/saints-row-3-Dbat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painful AND humiliating?!?!?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
While Rockstar focused on new entries in their other franchises, like Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3, Volition went straight to work crafting a new engine for the next installment of the Saint's Row franchise, Saint's Row The Third. And this time, there would be no holding back. From the outset, SR:TT was designed to be as over-the-top and crazy as they could possibly make it. The motto during the game's development was "fun trumps all". Meaning that if something was fun and exciting, then it didn't have to make logical sense right off the bat, they would find a way to incorporate it.<br />
<br />
<div>
This design philosophy resulted in a ridiculously fun experience that nothing else could rival. It was a breath of fresh air in a year that was dominated by self-serious games, several if which were marking the end of a trilogy, such as Mass Effect 3 and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. That's not to say those games were bad; Mass Effect is my favorite franchise of this generation. It's just that dealing with all of these heavy, often tragic stories throughout the year made SR:TT feel like just what the doctor ordered.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Third placed you back in the shoes of the leader if the Saint's and dropped you jnto Steelport, a brand new city for the series. The Saint's, now international celebrity criminals, had been challenged by a larger organization known as the Syndicate. And it was your job to show them why you don't fuck with 3rd street. Despite seeming like a pretty straight-forward setup, the story managed to take some interesting and unexpected twists, but I won't spoil them here.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniE0BcVZ-rmLuBtZx7qhrC1Lvqre4VA2DrG1tFWpSgGDMzpZ5__nSp9_1DDk4GZ-ZIGOeZlDUp9OzaiSqJw06KQeuOFwpE8OgiPe7eFf6zr0AJUbtQhg4sVHD9F_cVlNGW-5Vmwpp-8KC/s1600/Saints+Row+Pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniE0BcVZ-rmLuBtZx7qhrC1Lvqre4VA2DrG1tFWpSgGDMzpZ5__nSp9_1DDk4GZ-ZIGOeZlDUp9OzaiSqJw06KQeuOFwpE8OgiPe7eFf6zr0AJUbtQhg4sVHD9F_cVlNGW-5Vmwpp-8KC/s640/Saints+Row+Pic.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How do you say "Oh, Shit!" in Belgian?</td></tr>
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What made Saint's Row: The Third exceptional was the way that it flew in the face of traditional open world game design. Typically, in these types of games, you have to slog through with sub-par weapons and vehicles, while being arbitrarily cut off from a large portion of the game-world for many hours before the fun truly begins. And most of the early missions are mind-numbingly boring.<br />
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Volition threw you into the middle of some truly crazy missions from the outset. There were a few simple missions used to introduce the side activities on offer, but the game got to the fun quickly after that. Soon enough you were gaining access to insane weapons, like a laptop used to launch and guide missiles, floppy dildo shaped baseball bats, and exhilarating vehicles like Vtol jet bikes and tanks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theaveragegamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/SaintsRowTheThird_VTOL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://www.theaveragegamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/SaintsRowTheThird_VTOL.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll be flying both of these sooner than you'd think.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
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Even more impressively, Volition was able to make every story mission unique and exponentially more crazy than the one you just finished. A few of these missions became instant classics and infinitely memorable. Ask anyone who's played the game about a mission called "Deckers Die!" and you will see a smile wash over their face.<br />
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This mission drops you into a near-copyright infringing world based in Tron where you must do battle with the leader of a gang of super-geek hackers. As you progress, the leader if this group tries to use his hacking skills to slow you down. Ever wondered what it would be like to play as a walking toilet? How about a sex doll? Thanks to Saint's Row: The Third, you will wonder no more.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://silverfluff.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/saints-row-toilet.jpg?w=774" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://silverfluff.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/saints-row-toilet.jpg?w=774" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What did you think I was exaggerating? THIS THA ROW BITCH!</td></tr>
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Saint's Row: The Third received almost universal praise from critics and fans alike, garnered many awards, and was undeniably one of the funnest and funniest games of the year. Volition built upon the world of Steelport with several DLC packs before moving on to create the next game in the series, which they say will mark the end of the current SR storyline, but not the end of the franchise; provided that the game sells as well as the last few have.<br />
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<h2>
The Face-Off</h2>
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<div>
And finally we have come to the showdown. After years of putting months, if not years between each other's releases, we'll be seeing the latest entries in these two great franchises within one month of each other:<br />
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<div>
Saint's Row 4- August 23rd</div>
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Grand Theft Auto 5- September 17th<br />
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And Goddamn do they look fantastic!</div>
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From the streets to the white house</div>
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In Saint's Row 4 you have gone from street gangsta, to celebrity gangsta, to President of the United States... gangsta. And that's just the set-up. How could it get any more ridiculous, you ask? Your main nemesis throughout the game is an alien race that is trying to enslave humanity. Yeah, it's that kind of crazy. The final entry in the SR saga promises to reunite you with all your favorite characters from the previous games in the series, and it will give you even more freedom and super hero-like powers to wreak havoc on the world as you choose.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Los Santos welcomes you home.</div>
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Grand Theft Auto V places you in the shoes of three very different protagonists and gives you the freedom to switch between them at will. Each character has his own story and life to lead, but they're lives will converge as they plan to pull off big money heists, which is central to the game's story.</div>
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First up you have Michael, who is often described as the "GTA protagonist that won." He was a successful bank robber in his younger days but then turned state's witness against some of the people he'd previously worked for. This landed him in witness protection, living a comfortable, but soul-crushingly boring lifestyle. He yearns for the days of old and chooses to get back to what he was always good at.</div>
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Apparently money can't buy you happiness</div>
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To pull off these heists, Michael recruits his old pal Trevor; a meth-dealing psychopath who seemingly never wanted to get away from the life of crime. He is now living a trailer in the middle of the desert, fighting with biker gangs for territory. Unstable as he may be, Trevor is a skilled pilot and has always been loyal, so Michael seems willing to put up with his chaos.</div>
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With friends like these, who needs enemies?</div>
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And finally there's Franklin, a street thug with ambition. Franklin works as a repo man, but also boosts cars on his own to make extra money. With his habit of hanging around with people wearing green, he seems to have ties with the Grove Street Families from GTA: San Andreas. However, petty crime simply isn't cutting it for Franklin anymore; he wants something more substantial. When Michael runs into him on the street one day, he quickly takes a liking to the young street kid and decided to take him under his wing to teach him a thing or two.</div>
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Grove Street 4 Life!</div>
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All three protagonists promise to have individual strengths and weaknesses, but you'll be able to increase each character's stats in several different areas over the course of the game. Also, while not in the middle of a mission, you'll be able to switch to any of the characters on the fly. So if you want to go from cruising the hoods of Los Santos as Franklin to off-roading through the desert as Trevor and finally end by playing a relaxing game of golf as Michael, you will be able to do so seamlessly.</div>
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<h2>
Choices, choices</h2>
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With both of these powerhouses coming out so close to one another, which do you choose? Personally, I will be playing both because I couldn't possibly neglect one for the other, and with a little less than a month between them I might be able to at least finish the main story of Saint's Row 4 before GTA V hits the streets.<br />
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But this may not be the case for a lot of people out there; Both games promise to offer massive worlds to explore, numerous story and side missions, as well as the endlessly replayable ability to go on a rampage for no particular reason whatsoever. It would be feasible to play either of these games exclusively for months to come, so what do you do?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/3699/2463980-grand+theft+auto+v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/3699/2463980-grand+theft+auto+v.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This...</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
And that's where my worries start to seep in: I am excited for SR4, but I am HUNGRY for GTA V. There hasn't been a new Grand Theft Auto game in over 5 years and I cannot adequately describe how excited I am to see what the team at Rockstar North has been working on. I don't think that I'm alone in this either; there is a palpable feeling of anticipation for GTA V in the gaming community, and I just hope that Saint's Row 4 doesn't get steamrolled by it. I get the sense that, if you had to choose only one, a lot of gamers would go with the new GTA, simply because there hasn't been one in a while and they're always excellent.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/8/87790/2525258-box_sr4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/8/87790/2525258-box_sr4.png" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...or this?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
That being said, I think that Saint's Row 4 may be coming in just under the wire to give people time to enjoy it before it's bigger, beefier cousin steps in to steal their attention away. I certainly hope so; SR is a fantastic franchise from an amazing development team and I would love to seem them continue making them well into the next generation of hardware.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Either way, the next few months will deliver an extraordinary pair of games that are sure to be a fitting swan song for the current consoles before they're eclipsed by their successors. And with games like these, and the fact that neither the Xbox One nor the PS4 are backwards compatible, it's likely that those boxes will maintain a place in your entertainment center for some time to come.</div>
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Game on!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/4/49445/2455553-1363360277-key-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/4/49445/2455553-1363360277-key-art.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All hail the commander in chief</td></tr>
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</div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-88225058337369574662013-07-08T21:53:00.000-07:002013-07-08T21:57:37.080-07:00The Loss of a Great Man<h2>
The Bearded One</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/9/99864/2508831-2038851646-91826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/9/99864/2508831-2038851646-91826.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rest in Peace, good sir.</td></tr>
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Today I learned that <b>Ryan Davis</b>, co-founder of my favorite video game website GiantBomb.com, passed away on July 3rd, just days after his wedding. The news struck me so hard that I was left speechless. I had never even met Ryan, and yet it feels like I've lost a close friend. Giant Bomb has been my main source for everything video game related since I first discovered the site shortly after it launched back in 2008. I was already a fan of Ryan, Jeff Gerstmann, Brad Shoemaker, Alex Navarro, etc. from seeing them on gamespot.com before they all departed the site after Jeff was unfairly fired. So when I heard that they'd banded back together to form a new site, it was like a dream come true.<br />
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I am on giantbomb.com literally every day; watching videos, listening to podcasts, reading stories. Pretty much any free time I have that isn't spent with my loved ones or playing games is spent on the site. So, even though I'd never met him, I felt like I'd gotten to know Ryan Davis on some level. He always struck me as an incredibly <b>jovial</b>, friendly man; the type of guy I'd love to sit and have a beer with. The type of person I'd be proud to call my <b>friend</b>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/9/99864/2510132-3205523404-tumbl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/9/99864/2510132-3205523404-tumbl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vinny Caravella with Ryan on his wedding day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I often imagined meeting the Giant Bomb crew and shaking each of their hands and thanking them for all of the laughs they've provided me over the years. And it's just so hard to come to terms with the fact that the opportunity to thank Ryan personally has passed and will never come again. Just as often I'd dream of working as a writer for Giant Bomb and being a part of the shenanigans that we only get to hear about on the weekly Bombcast. It's still my dream to do just that, but I know it won't be quite the same without Ryan's signature cackle to put a stamp on the proceedings.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/13641/2467419-6278341969-ryan_.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/13641/2467419-6278341969-ryan_.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigars and money!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don't know what else to say, I'm still grappling with this whole situation, but I'll leave your with this: <b>Call a friend, hug a loved one; life is short and there's no telling when it will all be over. So, focus on the good times, forget the bad, and most of all, live it up while you can.</b><br />
<br />
Finally, here are some links to some of my <b>favorite</b> Giant Bomb videos featuring Ryan:<br />
<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-again/2300-2346/">http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-again/2300-2346/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-the-gunstringer-the-wavy-tube-man-chron/2300-4872/">http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-the-gunstringer-the-wavy-tube-man-chron/2300-4872/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-ex-double-fine-happy-action-theater/2300-5567/">http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-ex-double-fine-happy-action-theater/2300-5567/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/thursday-night-throwdown-041411/2300-4018/">http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/thursday-night-throwdown-041411/2300-4018/</a><br />
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-78932800334546422332013-06-30T22:25:00.002-07:002013-06-30T22:26:30.623-07:00A Time of War<h2>
E3 Press Conferences</h2>
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E3 took place earlier this month and I was planning to post something during or shortly afterward but, unfortunately, the stomach flu and some other things prevented me from doing so. However, I'm kind of glad because so much has changed since the show that it's worth talking about it all at once.</div>
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Leading into E3 all eyes were on Microsoft and Sony to see what further details would be released about their upcoming consoles, the Xbox One and Playstation 4. Microsoft had been catching a lot of flak for some of their policies regarding the Xbox One. Specifically the restrictions they would be placing on used games and the requirement of having to take your console online once <b>every 24 hours</b> to prevent yourself from being locked out of playing games.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/176/2486199-xboxslide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/176/2486199-xboxslide.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's "sic" yo!</td></tr>
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<br />
People were looking for Microsoft to justify these restrictions by explaining how these policies would be a <b>positive</b> thing for customers and by showing some amazing, exclusive games for the system. During their conference, Microsoft seemed to have a rather stand-offish attitude about the whole controversy and simply restated their policies and assured everyone that THIS is the future. They also announced the price: <b>$499</b>; a bit steep, but not outrageous for a brand new console and certainly not the "$599 US dollars" announcement that made a joke of Sony when they announced pricing for the PS3 years ago. They did show a few interesting games, but we'll get to those in a bit. Overall MSoft's E3 press briefing felt just as scripted and awkward as most of these conferences do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/2840/2496289-playstation-4_2013_06-10-13_028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/2840/2496289-playstation-4_2013_06-10-13_028.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For your consideration</td></tr>
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Later that night was Sony's event. Everyone was interested to see what they had to say about the PS4 coming on the heels of all the backlash that Microsoft had gotten. Most people expected them to follow suit with Microsoft and announce similar used games and internet restrictions.<br />
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Oh how wrong we were<br />
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Sony started out simply enough by stating their continued commitment to the PS3 and Playstation Vita, which is expected from this type of conference. However, after they got past all of that is when the bombs began to drop. The first huge moment was when they announced that their policies regarding used games would remain the same as they are now; i.e., you can trade or give any game to a friend or sell it back to a retailer <b>without </b>any extra cost or hoops to jump through. This was in direct contrast to Microsoft's policies and was a slap in the face of what they were trying to do. And, just to twist the knife a little more, following the show Sony released this <b>OFFICIAL </b>video regarding used games:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
We cordially invite you to suck it, Xbox</div>
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Keep in mind, this isn't some fan made video mocking the Xbox One; those guys are big shots in Sony's American and Japanese game divisions who were on stage making announcements about the Playstation 4 themselves.<br />
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As if this wasn't big enough, Sony went on to announce that the PS4 would <b>NOT </b>require an internet connection for games that have single-player components. <b>Not once a day, not once a month, not EVER</b>.<br />
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The floor was already littered with the jaws of onlookers, but Sony wasn't quite finished yet. Jack Trenton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA), took the stage to announce the price of the console: <b>$399</b>. A full <b>$100 less</b> than the Xbox One; the final bomb had been dropped, and it was a doozy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1369728.1370988266!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/games-e3-sony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1369728.1370988266!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/games-e3-sony.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please excuse me while I blow your mind.</td></tr>
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How could Sony afford to undercut Microsoft by that much? It's since come to light that they did it by <b>removing</b> the Playstation Camera(Their equivalent to the Kinect) from the standard PS4 package. This is a brilliant move in some ways but ultimately dooms the PS Camera to being just a niche product that most people probably won't own, but that's a topic for another time.<br />
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<h2>
The Aftermath</h2>
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Microsoft was understandably shaken by the moves made by Sony and they struggled for the rest of the show to explain how their way would ultimately be better for the consumer in the long run. This led to some pretty embarrassing moments like this one where Don Mattrick, the man leading the Xbox One charge, basically told the world that if you don't have a constant internet connection then you're not the type of person that we're selling this new generation to.</div>
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No internet? What are you, a savage?</div>
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Ouch. Microsoft spent the rest of E3 getting absolutely <b>slammed </b>in the media and on the internet for their attitude and policies. And it was reflected in the pre-order numbers where the PS4 was outpacing the Xbox One by at least 3:2, if not better in some regions.<br />
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You could almost hear the death bell tolling for the Xbox One even with months left before launch, but then something remarkable happened.<br />
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The "Xbox 180"</h2>
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Just days after E3 ended Microsoft announced that they heard their customers speaking and that they were officially changing their previously stated policies for the Xbox One. The console will only require an internet connection once during the initial set-up, and there will be no restrictions on used games.</div>
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Despite all of the bad press, this was still an unexpectedly dramatic move for Microsoft. The idea of a company completely changing course months before their proposed product is even in stores is simply unheard of. It was an undeniably smart move, though. This change in course shows that they are listening, at least to a certain extent, to their customers and are willing to adapt to what the public wants.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh, hey, you guys remember all that shit I said? Yeah just forget about like half of that.</td></tr>
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But will this move be enough to save the Xbox One in sales this holiday season? Only time will tell, but in a way it feels like it may be too little, too late. A lot of people had already put in their pre-orders for PS4s before MSoft corrected themselves, and a lot more people still feel burned by the attitude and arrogance that the big M has shown over the past few years.</div>
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Personally, I've owned both of the previous Xbox systems, and I'd love to carry my profile and achievements over to the new one, but I can't help but feel weary about the whole situation. What happens if Microsoft backpedals and reintroduces these unpopular polices a few months after launch? What happens if most gamer migrate to the PS4 and the Xbox One is a commercial failure and is discontinued after a few years? I owned a Sega Saturn and a Dreamcast; so I know what it's like to be on the losing team. I'd hate for it to happen again.</div>
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Games, games, GAMES!!!</h2>
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Ultimately, at the end on the day it'll all come down to games. Whoever has the better, more interesting exclusives will rule the day this console generation. Then again, who knows, most games are coming to both platforms so maybe they can coexist and continue providing healthy competition for one another. Here's to hoping!</div>
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As far as the games of E3, that'll be the topic of my next blog. Until then, Game On!</div>
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Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-21784838742945037052013-05-26T17:22:00.000-07:002013-05-26T18:51:33.390-07:00The Xbox OneAfter a far-to-long hiatus, The Mottman Prophecies is back and this time it's going to be about my reaction and thoughts on the Xbox One.<br />
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<b>Xbox One-The Reveal</b></h3>
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Just under one week ago Microsoft held a press conference to <u>finally</u> announce their next console, the Xbox One. There have been a variety of reactions since the event, but it seems like there is a lot of negativity surrounding the console and Microsoft's plans for the future of gaming. I've been mulling over the details from the conference, as well as those that have come to light since the show, and I'd like to take some time to express my thoughts on the biggest talking points that everyone's been focused on.<br />
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<b>The Name</b></h3>
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One of the biggest points of debate surrounding MSoft's new console before it's announcement was what it would be called. Don Mattrick, President of Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft, savored the moments leading up to the reveal before finally announce the name, Xbox One. And honestly, I'm not a fan. "Xbox One" simply doesn't grab me the way the name "Xbox 360" did. I understand the thought process; they want this console to be your One stop for all your home entertainment needs, but the name just isn't very striking.<br />
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"Xbox 360" was a brilliant name for it's time. Microsoft was a generation behind Sony in the console wars and calling it the "Xbox 2" would've immediately made it sound inferior to the Playstation 3. So the name "Xbox 360" allowed them to level the playing field with Sony by using the number 3, and the number 360 brings to mind cool images of extreme sports and energy drinks. It also implies that the console would be a well rounded machine since 360° makes a full circle.<br />
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Some thought they'd continue down the road of the Xbox 360 and call it the Xbox 720. I would've been fine with that decision, but I understand them not wanting to continue with that line of numbering since it would eventually lead to ridiculously high numbers that would quickly become meaningless. But the name Xbox One almost sounds like a step backwards for the company as a whole.<br />
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There were a few other names floating around the rumor mill, the two most popular of which were "Xbox Infinity" and "Xbox Fusion". Infinity would've been a cool name for the console and they surly could have done some interesting things with the infinity symbol(∞) in their marketing efforts. Now, Xbox Fusion was my favorite rumored name and I was really hoping they were going to use it. Fusion is just a very cool word; it sounds high-tech and brings to mind images of mad scientists performing crazy experiments in a lab, with explosions! But alas, it was not to be.<br />
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My final concern with the name "Xbox One" is it's potential for brand confusion in the future. It may not affect us now, but a few years down the line, whenever you're talking about the history of Xbox, you may need to constantly clarify whether you're speaking about the Xbox One, or the original Xbox. It's been commonplace to refer to the original Xbox as the Xbox 1 because of Sony's naming convention for their Playstation consoles. Now Microsoft has tossed a wrench into the gears with the name of their upcoming machine.<br />
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However, all of the concern over the name is probably going to amount to nothing in the end since the name of a console doesn't necessarily have any bearing on it's success. I remember thinking the name "Playstation" sounded pretty stupid when I first heard it. It sounded like a baby's plaything; some sort of bouncy contraption an infant can sit in and grab at plastic monkeys and giraffes to entertain itself while the parents take a much needed break. But the Playstation was a massive success, it established Sony as a true powerhouse in the video game industry and the brand name lives on today.<br />
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That wasn't the case with the Atari Jaguar which had arguably the coolest sounding name of any video game console. The Jaguar was an embarrassing flop and it spelled the end for Atari as a console manufacturer. The Jaguar failed because the console itself was shit, the Playstation succeeded because it wasn't shit. So, no mater how much stink is raised about the name of the Xbox One, it's success is going to depend on important factors beyond what words are stamped on the casing.<br />
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One of these was a MASSIVE failure...</div>
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<b>The Games(or lack thereof)</b></h3>
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One of the biggest complaints coming out of the Xbox One press conference was how much time Microsoft spent talking about television and the other features of the console and how few games they actually showed.</div>
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When Sony had their Playstation 4 press briefing a few months ago it was all about games; they showed triple-A titles, indie titles and generally focused on what gamers wanted to see from them. Sony seemed to "get it". They made it clear that they understood where they'd gone wrong with the PS3 and were making a concerted effort to right the ship. </div>
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Microsoft talked about television... a lot. Then they showed a fairly nonsensical trailer for a new game being made by Remedy(Max Payne, Alan Wake), had EA talk about their sports franchises, and ended the conference with a look at the new Call of Duty game, Call of Duty: Ghosts. Microsoft promised 15 exclusive game for the Xbox One in it's first year, which is a great bullet point. However, just how many of those games are going to be "technically more than a tech demo" for the Kincet, remains to be seen.</div>
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Now don't get me wrong, I was a big fan of Alan Wake and I'm <u>very</u> interested to see what Remedy does next, but that trailer showed me nothing and didn't excite me at all. But EA showing sports games? Did we really need that? Of course those franchises are coming to the new consoles and of course they're going to look prettier that last generation's games. How about showing me some new IPs or sequels to more interesting IPs that I would actually give a shit about. </div>
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I have similar feelings about them showing the new Call of Duty, but I understand. It's the biggest franchise in gaming right now and it has been particularly successful on the 360. It was a big deal for them to have Activision there and be able to announce exclusive content for the Xbox One version of the game. But did we need to end the whole show with that? Why not end it with a trailer for one of the "15 exclusive games coming in the first year" that they mentioned? Even it was just a teaser trailer, it would've at least left us something more interesting to talk about than "Hey, there's a new Call of Duty."</div>
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With all that said, I'm hoping that they were just saving the games for E3 since they waited until just 3 weeks before the big show to announce their console. Hopefully they simply wanted to get all of the bussinessy talk about television and fantasy football out of the way now so that they can really impress with non-stop games at E3(*fingers crossed*).</div>
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<b>Used Games</b></h3>
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Oh boy, Microsoft really stepped in it here. One of the most heated rumors about Microsoft's new console before the announcement was whether or not it would lock you out of playing used games.</div>
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I almost never buy used games. This is because I know that retailers such a Gamestop will often only reduce the price of the game by $5 or $10 and they keep 100% of the profits. None of the money goes to the people responsible for making the game(the developers and publishers), and when I buy a game I want to make sure that I'm supporting the people who created it. </div>
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So I understand the attempts by publishers to incentive people to buy the game new or to at least create a way that they can get something from the sale of a used game. That's why the implementation of Online Passes made sense to me. If a person bought a used game and wanted to access any of it's online features they'd have to pay and extra $10-$15 that would go to the publisher/development studio. Gamestop gets it's money, the game makers get their money, everyone's happy. However, not long before the big Xbox conference, EA announced that it would be discontinuing Online Passes for new games. I didn't understand why until news came to light that, whenever you put a new game into an Xbox One, it will register that game to your Xbox Live account and that game will no longer be playable on any other Xbox One unless a person pays a fee to unlock the game.</div>
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I Suddenly understood EA's decision to get rid of Online Passes. The new consoles(or at least the Xbox One) will have built-in features to "deal with" used games. I fully understand why Microsoft would try something like this but I have real concerns about it's potential to alienate not only games, but also major retailers such as Gamestop. Let me be clear; I have no love for Gamestop. They're a terribly corrupt corporation that takes advantage of people with shady sales tactics and will stop at nothing to increase they're profits. However, they ARE the largest games retailer in the world, and if Microsoft pisses them off we could easily see them forcing the Xbox One into the backseat while they push the PS4 to every customer who walks through their door. This could heavily influence how this next generation of consoles will play out. Unless Sony has similar plans for handling used games, it would be wise of Microsoft to not get on Gamestop's bad side.</div>
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The mixed-messaging about how used games would be handled following the press conference didn't help matters either. First we heard that there would be a fee associated with used games, then Xbox support denied it, then Major Nelson came out and gave what may have been the most honest answer: as simple "We're not sure yet." If anything, Microsoft should've had all of their ducks in a row before anything was said about this issue.</div>
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<b>The "Always Online" Debacle</b></h3>
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The other big rumor preceding the Xbox One's announcement was whether or not it would require an always-online internet connection. This quickly became a huge point of contention for people when speculating about the new console. Not every gamer has a good or consistent internet connection and some don't have one at all. What about people on military bases who have very limited or no access to the internet? Would these people be completely shit-out-of-luck when it came to the new Xbox? </div>
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One thing was certain: Microsoft needed to be clear and concise about this issue. They weren't. Microsoft needed to take a stand one way or the other. They didn't. Instead, what we got was a coy statement that "The Xbox One doesn't require an always-online internet connection, but it does require an internet connection." </div>
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After some back-and-forth and a lot of debate, Microsoft's Phil Harrison stated that the console doesn't require a connection at all times, but it does need to be connected once every 24 hours at least, which may as well be an always-online requirement for gamers who don't have access to the web whenever they want it.</div>
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One big question that I haven't seen addressed yet is how the registering of new games will work without an internet connection. As I stated before, the first time you put a new game into your Xbox One and sign in, the console will register that game to your Xbox Live account. So, does that mean that the console WILL require a connection the first time you put a disc in the tray? If your console isn't connected and you try to play a new game, will it simply not allow you to play until you establish a connection to Live? This is a serious question that I haven't been able to find an answer for, but hopefully we'll be getting more answers soon.</div>
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<b>Final Thoughts</b></h3>
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Now, I know that my attitude throughout this blog has seemed pretty negative, and it has been. But I don't want to be misinterpreted. I'm a big fan and supporter of the Xbox brand, and I have been since the Xbox 1(oops, there I go, I mean the original Xbox) and I want the Xbox One to be a roaring success for Microsoft and gamers alike. I've owned other consoles, like the PS3, but it mostly sat collecting dust as I played most new releases on my 360. But I simply can't ignore my feelings about some of the decisions that Microsoft has made and how they've handled a lot of the confusion that their lack of consistency in messaging has caused.</div>
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But with all of this behind us, we must now look forward. E3 is just a few weeks away (June 11th-13th) and we are sure to learn a great deal more about not only Microsoft's new console, but Sony's as well. We're guaranteed to see games that are going to blow our socks off, games that are going to get us hyped for the new consoles.</div>
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So, with that my friends, I encourage you to take a "wait and see" approach. Wait and see what new details come out of E3(Prices, anyone?). Wait and see what games, specifically the console exclusives, are revealed. Wait and see where your hearts and minds take you, and start putting some cash to the side so that you'll be ready to go, this holiday season!</div>
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<b>-Jeff Mott</b></div>
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-21423033046967061192012-03-21T16:01:00.001-07:002012-03-21T16:21:38.763-07:00The Massive Effect of Video GamesI've been a huge fan of the Mass Effect franchise since day one. Ever since Bioware, who I fell in love with after playing the amazing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on the Xbox, announced that they were making their own original sci-fi trilogy of RPGs I was on board.<br />
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The first Mass Effect was an interesting blend of traditional western RPG and cover-based 3rd-person shooter mechanics. It had some issues, serious texture pop-in being the most prominent and let's not forget about the Mako sequences, but it was still and amazing experience thanks in no small part to the story and characters that drove the game, and the franchise, forward.<br />
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Bioware took all of the feedback from the fist game into consideration while making Mass Effect 2, and the game that resulted went far beyond anyone's expectations. They made an incalculable number of changes, tweaks, and improvements to the way the game played and they came out with what many people, including me, consider to be one of the best games of all time. There were a few people who didn't like the changes, but these were most likely the kind of sticklers who will ALWAYS claim that the first iteration of a franchise was the best, no matter how clearly wrong they are. Mass Effect 2 was amazing, simply amazing, with how it propelled the story of Shepherd and the Reapers forward while taking their unique blend of Shooter-RPG gameplay to the next level.<br />
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And then it was time for the end of this epic sci-fi saga, Mass Effect 3. Having nailed the feel of the gameplay in ME2, fewer changes were necessary for the series and the focus could be put squarely on expanding the customization option, wrapping up the various storylines, and making every moment as epic as possible. After all, this is the time when the conflict with the Reapers would come to a head and all questions would be answered.<br />
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I have finished Mass Effect 3 once with my male Paragon Shepherd and am currently running through it with my Renegade FemShep, and I feel that Bioware has delivered on most of the promises they made for the franchise. The entire game was full of some of the most epic and touching moments I've ever experienced in a video game and, unlike seemingly most of the internet, I thought that the ending was pretty good. I liked that they left the ending somewhat open so that you, the player, could wrap things up in your head however you wanted. I also thought that (*SPOILER ALERT*) the way the ending (at least the one I've seen) kind of reset the universe by destroying the Mass Relays was genius. It means that now all of the species in the galaxy have to start back at square one and rebuild on their own terms without piggy-backing on the technology of the Reapers. Remember, none of the civilizations in the ME universe would be as technologically advanced as they are if it weren't for the Reapers leaving behind various bits of technology to guide their development as a culture. And, after being devastated by the invasion, it will take centuries for these cultures to pick themselves back up again, but at least life will be allowed to flourish on it's own terms, instead of being unduly influenced by unseen synthetic overlords. (*SPOILER OVER*)<br />
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I went into a sort of internet blackout after the game was released, checking only my emails, but not Facebook, video game websites, or anything else so that I could avoid spoilers. I was satisfied with the ending of my favorite franchise but, when I came back online, I found that the entire internet had EXPLODED into a sea of outrage over the ending of Mass Effect 3.<br />
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I dove into the fray, reading reviews and comments, just trying to get a sense for what people were so upset about. Now, I think that some of the points being made are valid; maybe the endings aren't dramatically different from one another, and I wouldn't mind getting a little more closure from some of the friends I made along the way but, as I said earlier, I think that leaving the ending a little bit open to interpretation was kind of the point; they want you to be able to wrap things up in your head the way you see fit.<br />
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I also think that some of the demands and steps that people have taken are beyond ridiculous. Some people are yelling for Bioware to patch in a new ending immediately, while others are demanding refunds to the point that Amazon.com has offered full refunds to people who were disappointed by the ending. Really? One jackass even filed a complaint with the FTC about the game(<a href="http://gamerant.com/mass-effect-3-bioware-ending-response-ftc-benk-138911/">http://gamerant.com/mass-effect-3-bioware-ending-response-ftc-benk-138911/</a>). Seriously, if you think the government needs to step in on an issue regarding the ending of a video game than you have got to be one of the most pathetic, government-reliant sheep on the the planet. Don't you think they have bigger concerns like, I don't know, the economy.<br />
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If that wasn't egregious enough, then you have people lobbing personal attacks against people who worked on the game. The fact that you didn't like the product is one thing, but don't begin spitting vitriolic hatred at the people who worked so hard to bring it to you.<br />
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Ultimately, I think that people need to calm down; Bioware has said that they are listening to the CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and will address people's concern soon(<a href="http://gamerant.com/bioware-cofounder-mass-effect-3-endings-dlc-johnj-139277/">http://gamerant.com/bioware-cofounder-mass-effect-3-endings-dlc-johnj-139277/</a>) I don't know what their solution will be, but I hope that Bioware sticks to their guns and doesn't try to fundamentally change the ending and here's why: What happens if they do change the ending and then these fanatics aren't satisfied with the "new" ending? They will begin yelling and screaming even louder because now Bioware took a second crack at it and missed in their eyes. Then what choice will Bioware have but to either change it AGAIN or tell them to just deal with it and look like a bunch of jerks. It's a slippery slope that will only lead to more heartache for the fans and developers alike. If they should do anything with the endings, I think it should be to simply include some finals scenes to show where all of your party members or major characters ended up.<br />
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Playing on the indoctrination theory(<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/03/21/did-the-real-mass-effect-3-ending-go-over-everyones-heads/">http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/03/21/did-the-real-mass-effect-3-ending-go-over-everyones-heads/</a>) would be another way to go if they do want to give fans a new ending, but I still worry that people either won't be satisfied with whatever new ending they come up with or they will start a new controversy; claiming that it was Bioware and EA's plan the whole time as a way to suck more money out of fans if they charge for it.<br />
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Bioware is in a tough spot to say the least but I for one still love Mass Effect. I think it is one of the greatest franchises and one of the biggest accomplishments in video game history. And once this has all blown over I hope that people will be able to look back and see this series as the amazing piece of media it is.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-88532713688074596252011-11-30T16:38:00.000-08:002011-11-30T23:29:52.730-08:002011: The Year of 3s2011 has been a great year for gaming; it's also a year with an odd convergence across many different franchises and platforms. A ridiculous number of games released just over the past few months either had the number 3 in their title, or were the third of their kind. It began with Resistance 3 a few months ago, followed by Gears of War 3 shortly thereafter. There was a short gap and then it was a bedlam of tris with Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, Saint's Row: The Third, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and there were probably a few more that are slipping my mind.<br />
While most of these games are wildly different thematically, most of them shared a common tone. A lot of them carried their storylines with a heavy weight as they were trying to wrap up a trilogy in a big way that gamers will remember for years to come. The majority of them played it very serious, with the exception being Saint's Row, which was decidedly not serious and just went for over-the-top fun; which helped it stand out as being refreshing after so many games hitting the player with heavy, emotional beats.<br />
And when you think about it, even some games that didn't have 3 in their title still fit this trend; Assassin's Creed: Revelations is the third game starring Ezio Auditore. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, while obviously being the 5th game in the franchise, is the third ES game released on consoles. Later this year we'll see Star Wars: The Old Republic, which sounds like a new franchise but is actually the third game set in The Old Republic timeframe. If only Mass Effect 3 and Bioshock: Infinite(the 3rd Bioshock game) had made it out this holiday season heads would've exploded!Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-80143844917358953902011-04-25T16:46:00.000-07:002011-04-25T16:48:21.452-07:00L.A. Noire: ProphesiedWhen Rockstar Games talks, the gaming world listens. And with good reason; this is a developer that's created and cultivated some of the most ambitious and successful games and franchises in the last ten years. Grand Theft Auto was a phenomenon during the PS2 era and Grand Theft Auto IV was a mega-hit for the current generation of game consoles. Then there was Red Dead Redemption, a re-invigoration of one of Rockstar's older franchises that took the GTA formula in a whole new direction. It won a multitude of Game of the Year awards, changed the way people think about open-world games, and is regarded by many as a modern classic.<br />
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And now, in less than a month, Rockstar and developer Team Bondi will be releasing their next game, L.A. Noire. This marks the beginning of a brand new franchise for the heavy-hitting developer/publisher and it seems to be following the design tenants of Red Dead; Take the GTA formula and twist it into something completely unexpected.<br />
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For the uninitiated, L.A. Noire takes place in the late 1940's and puts you in the shoes of a man named Cole Phelps, a soldier just back from World War II whose trying to find his place in the world. Deciding to put his military experience to use, he joins the LAPD and your main goal throughout the game is to climb the ranks of the police force to go from street cop to detective and then you must work your way up through the hierarchy of departments like traffic, homicide, vice, etc.. <br />
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The gameplay seems to blend the open-world freedom, driving, and gun fights from GTA IV with detective work similar to that of the Ace Attorney series or Heavy Rain. This means you'll be exploring crime scenes for clues and, once you've found them, you can take a closer look at them to reveal more information about the case. The cover system and shooting control seem to have been tightened up since GTA IV and should work even better here. The driving looks similar to GTA but I suspect that, although there will be car chases, the cars will probably drive slower than they did in Liberty City since these are all cars from the 40's. This is probably for the best since driving too quickly in GTA IV would sometimes cause the game to hitch up and objects often wouldn't appear until you'd already crashed into them.<br />
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Stylistically, this game already gets the thumbs up from me. How often do you see 1940's era America depicted in a video game? And how often do you see it done to the quality on display here? Never.<br />
L.A. Noire looks like crime drama at it's absolute best and with a powerhouse like Rockstar to back it, May should be great month for a trip to the City of Angels.<br />
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Here's an official trailer that sets the stage very well and should pique your intrest if this post hasn't already:<br />
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<div style="width: 640px;"><embed align="middle" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="000000" flashvars="autoPlay=false" height="391" name="efp" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:moses:video:gametrailers.com:710343" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640"></embed><br />
<div style="background-color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; height: 32px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; text-align: center; width: 640px;"><div><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/" style="color: white;" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/l-a-noire/3244" style="color: white;" title="L.A. Noire">L.A. Noire</a> | <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/gameplay-series-l-a-noire/710343" style="color: white;" title="Gameplay Series: Orientation HD">Gameplay Series: Orientation HD</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" style="color: white;" title="Xbox 360">Xbox 360</a> | <a href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" style="color: white;" title="PS3">PlayStation 3</a> | <a href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" style="color: white;" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a> | <a href="http://pc.gametrailers.com/" style="color: white;" title="PC Games">PC Games</a> </div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-71968488765209330462011-01-09T23:08:00.000-08:002011-01-09T23:08:24.473-08:00Mass Effect 3This is the announcement trailer for the upcoming Mass Effect 3. I saw this a few weeks ago when it debuted at the Video Game Awards on Spike TV and i just had to post it because I am totally stoked about this game. I am a huge fan of the series and I can't wait to see what happens to finish out the trilogy. Mass Effect 2 is one of my favorite games and it won a TON of awards from various websites and magazines. Bioware has truly accomplished something great with ME and I wish them all the luck in making the fianl installment the best the series has to offer.<br />
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<div style="width: 640px;"><embed width="640" height="391" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:moses:video:gametrailers.com:708362" quality="high" bgcolor="000000" name="efp" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="autoPlay=false" allowfullscreen="true"></embed><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 640px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/mass-effect-3/12960" title="Mass Effect 3">Mass Effect 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-10-mass-effect/708362" title="VGA 10: Exclusive Debut Trailer">VGA 10: Exclusive Debut Trailer</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" title="Xbox 360">Xbox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" title="PS3">PlayStation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://pc.gametrailers.com/" title="PC Games">PC Games</a> </div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-73973191914426990812010-09-23T12:32:00.000-07:002010-09-23T12:32:05.712-07:00Bioshock InfiniteI just watched the new gameplay trailer for Bioshock Infinite and let me just say: this is uber-badassery!<br />
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<div style="width: 480px;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=704932"/><param name="quality" value="high" /><embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=704932" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 480px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/bioshock-infinite/13698" title="BioShock Infinite">BioShock Infinite</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ten-minute-demo-bioshock-infinite/704932" title="Ten-Minute Demo Gameplay HD">Ten-Minute Demo Gameplay HD</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div><br />
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I was a huge fan of the original Bioshock but I didn't play the second one; it just didn't excite me the way the original did. But this game is made by the designers of the original Bioshock, Ken Levine and his team at Irrational Games, and it look absolutely amazing. Here's an 45 minute interview with the man himself talking about the game:<br />
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<object width="640" height="360" data="http://media.giantbomb.com/media/video/flash/flowplayer-3.2.4_10005.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="movie" value="http://media.giantbomb.com/media/video/flash/flowplayer-3.2.4_10005.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="whiskey-video-id" value="3261" /><param name="flashvars" value='config={"key":"#@b549b3cbe0f4ce68961","clip":{"scaling": "fit"},"canvas":{"background":"#000000","backgroundGradient":"none"},"playlist":["http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/7/77999/1531560-ken_levine_int_640.jpg", {"autoPlay":false,"url":"http://media.giantbomb.com/video/gb_bioshockinfinite_interview_092110_1500.mp4"}],"plugins":{"controls":{"url":"http://media.giantbomb.com/media/video/flash/flowplayer.controls-3.2.2_10003.swf","autoHide":"always","timeColor":"#cc0000","bufferGradient":"none","volumeSliderColor":"#333333","durationColor":"#ffffff","sliderColor":"#333333","tooltipTextColor":"#ffffff","backgroundGradient":"none","timeBgColor":"#000","borderRadius":"0px","tooltipColor":"#000","buttonColor":"#cc0000","sliderGradient":"none","progressColor":"#cc0000","bufferColor":"#666666","volumeSliderGradient":"none","buttonOverColor":"#990000","progressGradient":"medium","backgroundColor":"#111111"}}}' /></object>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-43531138481885181142010-09-21T18:19:00.000-07:002010-09-21T18:57:46.869-07:00Demo Reel!!Check out my new Demo Reel. This is still an unfinished version but it's getting there and it'll be posted on my website soon.<br />
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<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mo-aQgzYhaA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mo-aQgzYhaA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-26040668736770182922010-06-10T12:49:00.000-07:002010-09-21T18:34:59.309-07:00Mortal Kombat short filmSo I came across this short film based on Mortal Kombat the other day and I just had to post it because it was so badass. Just take a look:<br />
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This film was made over the course of two-months by a guy named Kevin Tancharoen who wants to make this into a feature film with himself as director. Here's a link from Kotaku.com with a brief article about him:<br />
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http://kotaku.com/5559726/how-the-mortal-kombat-short-was-made-and-what-happens-next<br />
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I wish this guy all the luck in the world because I think he did an amazing job and I would absolutely go see this movie if he got to make; just to see his take on the various MK characters and story arcs.<br />
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Finally, here's the new trailer for the next Mortal Kombat game:<br />
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http://www.giantbomb.com/the-next-mortal-kombat-trailer-brings-the-pain/17-2621/<br />
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I looks pretty cool; they seem to be going back to 2D and they've clearly brought the fatalities back properly. Ed Boon, the creator of MK, is also back on board as creative director so it definitely has the pedigree to make a great new installment for the series.<br />
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I have to admit though: when I first saw the short film I was really hoping that is was a leaked E3 trailer made to show off the new visual style for an MK re-boot, something the series could definitely use. I saw this as being a re-imagining like Twisted Metal: Black, but for Mortal Kombat. Sadly, that wasn't the case but I still have high hopes for the next MK game and I will definitely be keeping my eye on it because these two videos have brought back my interest in the series.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-31584358547803324662010-02-26T13:00:00.000-08:002010-02-26T13:02:39.112-08:00Mass Effect 2-Cinematic Trailer<p>Hey guys, I've been meaning to post something, so I figured this would do. I thought this trailer was bad-ass and the game is even better. If you haven't checked out Mass Effect 2 I suggest you do so soon, especially if you played through the first one.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="WIDTH: 480px"><object id="gtembed" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="392"><param name="_cx" value="12700"><param name="_cy" value="10371"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=60052"><param name="Src" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=60052"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value=""><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"><param name="Scale" value="ShowAll"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value=""><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true"><br /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=60052" swliveconnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: black; WIDTH: 480px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; HEIGHT: 32px; FONT-SIZE: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 2px"><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="GameTrailers.com" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/">Video Games</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Mass Effect 2" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/mass-effect-2/10875">Mass Effect 2</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Cinematic Trailer" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/cinematic-trailer-mass-effect/60052">Cinematic Trailer</a><br /><div style="PADDING-TOP: 3px"><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="XBox 360" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/">XBox 360</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="PS3" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/">Playstation 3</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Wii" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-33955886381127637272009-12-10T07:39:00.000-08:002009-12-10T07:49:35.116-08:00Mass Effect 2!I was a big fan of the first Mass Effect game from Bioware. It had some issues; texture pop-in, slowdown, and some random glitches, but it was a great game. The developers had always talked about Mass Effect being a trilogy so I knew that I'd be able to look forward to what they'd improve in the sequels. And, having seen some of the trailers and gameplay footage for ME2, I can't wait to play this game! Everything from the interface to the story and dialogue just seems ten times tighter and more refined than in the first game. Here's a video showing off the "Adept" class that you can choose from. The Adepts are basically magic users in the world of Mass Effect:<br /><br /><div style="width: 480px;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=59489"/><param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=59489" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 480px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/mass-effect-2/10875" title="Mass Effect 2">Mass Effect 2</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/adept-combat-mass-effect/59489" title="Adept Combat Class Reveal">Adept Combat Class Reveal</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div><br /><br />I didn't acctually play as an Adept in the first game. I played as a combination of an Adept and a Soldier, called a Sentinel; but just the way that they've made the powers look more impressive and significant is making me wish I had.<br /><br />Here's a trailer for one of the party members you can get, Subject Zero, she's definately darker and has a filthier mouth than any of your party members from the first game. However, her attitude fits because they've always talked about this one being the "Dark Second Chapter" in the trilogy.<br /><br /><div style="width: 480px;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=56982"/><param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=56982" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 480px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/mass-effect-2/10875" title="Mass Effect 2">Mass Effect 2</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/subject-zero-mass-effect/56982" title="Subject Zero Trailer">Subject Zero Trailer</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div><br /><br />Long story short, I can't wait for January!Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-9520898884304998892009-11-17T14:31:00.000-08:002009-11-17T14:40:26.015-08:00More Great Games!Wow, I just can not believe how many great games have come out the past few months. I'm still playing <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em> and I know that'll keep me busy for a long time to come. But then there's <em>GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City, Uncharted 2, </em>and<em> Modern Warfare 2. </em>Now this week there's <em>Left 4 Dead 2 </em>and <em>Assassain's Creed 2 </em>coming out and every last one of these games have gotten phenominal reviews.<br /><br />Here's a link to the <em>Left 4 Dead 2</em> review from Gametrailers.com:<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="WIDTH: 480px"><object id="gtembed" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="392"><param name="_cx" value="12700"><param name="_cy" value="10371"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=59116"><param name="Src" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=59116"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value=""><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"><param name="Scale" value="ShowAll"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value=""><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true"><br /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=59116" swliveconnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: black; WIDTH: 480px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; HEIGHT: 32px; FONT-SIZE: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 2px"><div><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="GameTrailers.com" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/">Video Games</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Left 4 Dead 2" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/left-4-dead-2/11391">Left 4 Dead 2</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Review" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-left-4-dead/59116">Review</a></div><div style="PADDING-TOP: 3px"><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="XBox 360" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/">XBox 360</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="PS3" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/">Playstation 3</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Wii" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div><br /><br />This is definately one of the best holiday seasons for games in years and I can't wait to dig into these titles.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-31544603212750776642009-11-10T13:12:00.000-08:002009-11-10T13:25:47.626-08:00Survival<span style="font-family:verdana;">I survived last week's midterms. Actually, I did really well and am damn proud of the stuff that I came away with. I think I have some potential portfolio pieces and I am very happy about that.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Since I had a few days to breathe, I got down on some <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em> and I don't even know how many hours I've already poured into it. I'm going to be addicted to this one for a while but, after I set it down, I'm going to pick up the <em>Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City</em> disc. It contians both of the <em>GTA IV</em> expansion packs <em>The Lost & the Damned </em>and <em>The Ballad of Gay Tony.</em>I had <em>GTA IV</em> but the disc got ruined the last time my 360 died. I had already finished the game but wasn't able to get <em>The Lost & the Damned</em> expansion when it came out. So I was really happy to hear that they decided to release a seperate disc version of the two expansions so that you don't need the original disc. Check out the GT review for more info:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><br /><div style="WIDTH: 480px"><object id="gtembed" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="392"><param name="_cx" value="12700"><param name="_cy" value="10371"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=58377"><param name="Src" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=58377"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value=""><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"><param name="Scale" value="ShowAll"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value=""><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true"><br /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=58377" swliveconnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: black; WIDTH: 480px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; HEIGHT: 32px; FONT-SIZE: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 2px"><div><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="GameTrailers.com" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/">Video Games</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="GTA IV: Ballad of Gay Tony" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/grand-theft-auto-iv-the-ballad/11755">GTA IV: Ballad of Gay Tony</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Review" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-gta-iv/58377">Review</a></div><div style="PADDING-TOP: 3px"><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="XBox 360" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/">XBox 360</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="PS3" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/">Playstation 3</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Wii" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-52978567462178217762009-11-03T13:03:00.000-08:002009-11-03T13:47:35.617-08:00Dragon Age: Origins ReviewsDragon Age: Origins just got released today and, from what I've seen, it's getting <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">phenomenal</span> reviews. <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-dragon-age/58517"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gametrailers</span>.com gave it a 9.1</a> out of ten, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/dragonage/review.html?tag=topslot;img;1"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">gamespot</span>.com gave it a 9.5,</a> and <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3176746">1up.com gave it an A.</a><br /><br />Here's the GT review:<br /><br /><div style="WIDTH: 480px"><object id="gtembed" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="392"><param name="_cx" value="12700"><param name="_cy" value="10371"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=58516"><param name="Src" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=58516"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value="LT"><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"><param name="Scale" value="NoScale"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value=""><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true"><br /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=58516" swliveconnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: black; WIDTH: 480px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; HEIGHT: 32px; FONT-SIZE: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 2px"><div><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="GameTrailers.com" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/">Video Games</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Dragon Age: Origins" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/dragon-age-origins/9022">Dragon Age: Origins</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Review" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-dragon-age/58516">Review</a></div><div style="PADDING-TOP: 3px"><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="XBox 360" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/">XBox 360</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="PS3" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/">Playstation 3</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Wii" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div><br /><br />The point is I'm totally stoked to play this game! I picked it up this morning but, due to midterms, I probably won't be able to play it until Thursday night or Friday morning. I'm planning to go with a Rogue character focused on archery because I've never made one in a game like this before and it seems like it will make for a unique experience for me.<br />I can't wait for Friday and I feel like it will be a great reward for making it through my midterms.<br /><br />Let me get a Yay-Yay!!!!Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-23817869829224801672009-10-27T14:15:00.000-07:002009-10-27T14:17:21.854-07:00<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B-GFQKYGwPg&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B-GFQKYGwPg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><p> </p><p>Found this awesome tutorial for quickly making a spiral staircase, check it out.</p>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8686106179162122777.post-40200852769308999362009-10-27T13:48:00.000-07:002009-10-27T14:07:29.302-07:00Dragon Age: Origins "Sacred Ashes Trailer<div style="WIDTH: 480px"><object id="gtembed" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="392"><param name="_cx" value="12700"><param name="_cy" value="10371"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=57551"><param name="Src" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=57551"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value="LT"><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"><param name="Scale" value="NoScale"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value=""><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true"><br /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=57551" swliveconnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: black; WIDTH: 480px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; HEIGHT: 32px; FONT-SIZE: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 2px"><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="GameTrailers.com" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/">Video Games</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Dragon Age: Origins" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/dragon-age-origins/9022">Dragon Age: Origins</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Sacred Ashes Trailer" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/sacred-ashes-dragon-age/57551">Sacred Ashes Trailer</a><br /><div style="PADDING-TOP: 3px"><a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="XBox 360" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/">XBox 360</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="PS3" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/">Playstation 3</a> <a style="COLOR: #ffffff" title="Wii" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div><p>This is the launch trailer for Dragon Age: Origins. If you haven't heard of it, it's a dungeon crawler RPG for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 from Bioware, the makers of Baldur's Gate II, Mass Effect, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.</p><p>It's coming out one week from today and if you like fantasy themes and/or dungeon crawler RPGs then this game is something you should check out. You get to create your own hero and choose their "origin", or backstory that you get to play through and then collect a party of heroes to fight off a group of monsters known as the Dark Spawn. If you've been itching for a great RPG like I have been, this may be the game we've been waiting for.</p><p>Also, the PC version of the game will include a full toolset for creating your own scenarios, including the ability to create your own cinematics and record your own dialogue. Check out this link to see it:</p><p></p><br /><br />http://www.giantbomb.com/the-editing-tools-of-dragon-age-origins/17-1549/Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03940951522410119998noreply@blogger.com0