The Call of Duty 2 demo, as I said before, is out. It basically seems to be a prettier looking and more intense COD 1. The controls are the same, as is the pacing and strategy, though the improved engine means that the environments are much more complex and there are a lot more enemies on screen. An old preview in PC Gamer boasted that the missions will be a lot more dynamic in how they play out; events that look scripted may not actually be so. Still, if it any of that was going on I couldn't tell. I also saw no really solid examples of the game letting you take different paths through the level; it was pretty much linear all the way through.
It should be pretty good when it hits retail, but unless the game is of decent length or has some new multiplayer quirks I don't know if it will be worth the initial $50 investment. It still seems to be the best Single Player WWII experience out there, and it seems to explore some fronts that aren't often covered in games. But then again, it is another WWII game, and it looks like Day of Defeat Source is going to have the MP crown for a while.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
DOD
So Day of Defeat Source is now out and ready to play. For some reason I never got into the original version, so I don't have much grounds to compare the two. I do know that this oen looks grand and plays well. A little more realistic than Call of Duty MP in terms of movement and accuracy, but it is still easy enough to hold your own. Balance wise it seems that each of the classes have their proper strengths and weaknesses. The only complaint I have so far is that both the Assault and Support classes have SMG's, but the Support can switch between full and semi auto, making him significantly more versatile.
But yes, I still need to play a couple more maps before passing judgement. The sole fact that the game only makes you wait a few seconds to respawn rather than waiting out a round like in Counterstrike means that I will probably be giving it a lot more playtime.
Hmm... I just played the Brothers in Arms demo, and DOD source came out today. Now I just learned that the Call of Duty 2 demo is out. So much WWII, but will it all be good?
But yes, I still need to play a couple more maps before passing judgement. The sole fact that the game only makes you wait a few seconds to respawn rather than waiting out a round like in Counterstrike means that I will probably be giving it a lot more playtime.
Hmm... I just played the Brothers in Arms demo, and DOD source came out today. Now I just learned that the Call of Duty 2 demo is out. So much WWII, but will it all be good?
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Demos
Might as well start a new post to discuss those game demos:
Serious Sam 2: There is no mistaking that this is a Serious Sam game. Same simple, challenging gameplay loaded with humor and violence. All the classic weapons are back, as well as some new ones. However, Sam 2 seems to benefit from the lessons developer Croteam have learned in making the original game. The demo showed a lot of variety in terms of the areas it forces you to fight through. It starts off in a wide open plaza, then pushes you into a cramped series of hallways. and then gives you a vehicle for engaging in some aerial combat. Each area played a little differently. The plaza allows you better vantage points and gives you the chance to distance yourself from enemies, while the hallways are only passable if you quickly take out the most threatening foes first. This is often easier said than done due to much better enemy placement; more powerful forces are often placed farther away and are guarded by lesser minions.
Overall, the variety and instensity of Sam 2's gameplay is impressive. Gone is the repetitive process of constantly backpeddling and firing that pervaded the original game. It may cost an extra ten dollars at retail, but I think the increase will be more than worth it.
Oh, and the Serious Engine 2 looks amazing. Tons of detailed enemies onscreen at once, all the while a huge cityscape, complete with traffic surrounds the level. All with hardly any major slowdown.
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood. Didn't the original BIA come out this year as well? Yes it did. And this "sequel" plays exactly like it, and even features most of the same characters. If you like this kind of realistic, strategic gameplay, you'll have more to like here. Personally I couldn't finish this demo. Having a squad that can't shoot for shit and being sniped to death as I turn a corner is not fun, its frustrating.
Also, this game is proof positive of what is wrong with the industry. Here we have another WWII shooter, that also happens to be a sequel, being released in the same year as the original game. And of course, it details the journey of the 101st airborne, which if we were to believe the gaming world were the only people to fight during the war. This game seems to define cookie cutter. No thank you.
Indigo Prophecy: This is a new adventure game that puts an entirely new spin on the genre. I won't go into details about it, mostly because it is too hard to describe. Just go to a game site and download it. You'll thank me later.
P.S. - If you are a designer who makes RPGs, you should definitely be playing Indigo Prophecy. You would do well to learn that games can be loaded with cutscenes and story and still be incredibly interesting. Maybe you can figure out what you are doing wrong.
Serious Sam 2: There is no mistaking that this is a Serious Sam game. Same simple, challenging gameplay loaded with humor and violence. All the classic weapons are back, as well as some new ones. However, Sam 2 seems to benefit from the lessons developer Croteam have learned in making the original game. The demo showed a lot of variety in terms of the areas it forces you to fight through. It starts off in a wide open plaza, then pushes you into a cramped series of hallways. and then gives you a vehicle for engaging in some aerial combat. Each area played a little differently. The plaza allows you better vantage points and gives you the chance to distance yourself from enemies, while the hallways are only passable if you quickly take out the most threatening foes first. This is often easier said than done due to much better enemy placement; more powerful forces are often placed farther away and are guarded by lesser minions.
Overall, the variety and instensity of Sam 2's gameplay is impressive. Gone is the repetitive process of constantly backpeddling and firing that pervaded the original game. It may cost an extra ten dollars at retail, but I think the increase will be more than worth it.
Oh, and the Serious Engine 2 looks amazing. Tons of detailed enemies onscreen at once, all the while a huge cityscape, complete with traffic surrounds the level. All with hardly any major slowdown.
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood. Didn't the original BIA come out this year as well? Yes it did. And this "sequel" plays exactly like it, and even features most of the same characters. If you like this kind of realistic, strategic gameplay, you'll have more to like here. Personally I couldn't finish this demo. Having a squad that can't shoot for shit and being sniped to death as I turn a corner is not fun, its frustrating.
Also, this game is proof positive of what is wrong with the industry. Here we have another WWII shooter, that also happens to be a sequel, being released in the same year as the original game. And of course, it details the journey of the 101st airborne, which if we were to believe the gaming world were the only people to fight during the war. This game seems to define cookie cutter. No thank you.
Indigo Prophecy: This is a new adventure game that puts an entirely new spin on the genre. I won't go into details about it, mostly because it is too hard to describe. Just go to a game site and download it. You'll thank me later.
P.S. - If you are a designer who makes RPGs, you should definitely be playing Indigo Prophecy. You would do well to learn that games can be loaded with cutscenes and story and still be incredibly interesting. Maybe you can figure out what you are doing wrong.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
TeeVee
When I returned to campus this fall, I discovered that we had all brought a plethora of Televisions. We had three rather large tube, and my trusty little 13 incher. Not needing all of them, we hooked up the largest in the common room, one in a bedroom, and my little guy went back home. That left one not-as-large-but-flatscreen (not flat panel mind you) TV sitting on the floor for almost a month. After the suggestion of one of my roomates, I decided to lug the sucker to my room. It was at this point that I really began to appreciate the slim model PS2; standing it vertically, it fit snugly between the TV and my phone, something I couldn't do with any other console.
So yeah, a TV, PS2, and my computer right next to them. If I can get the A/C to work I won't have to leave the room for anything but eating.
After I finish a project for class tonight, I'll edit this post with my impressions on a couple of game demos that have recently come out.
So yeah, a TV, PS2, and my computer right next to them. If I can get the A/C to work I won't have to leave the room for anything but eating.
After I finish a project for class tonight, I'll edit this post with my impressions on a couple of game demos that have recently come out.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Encore
Opera, the browser that many people have sworn about but no one wanted to pay for, is now completely free of charge. I'm trying it out right now to see how it compares to Firefox. Here's what I have so far:
Pros:
-Nice clean interface.
-Loads MUCH faster
-pretty much all the same features
Cons:
-Couple of interface and shortcut quirks that I think FF does better.
-Doesn't seem to load all images correctly
Still, I'll need to experiment more before I make any serious decision. The fact that it seems to load that much quicker is a big deal though: FF seems to crash and/or take forever to load up sometimes, and that's a pain when I'm trying to play a game and keep a browser window up at the same time.
Pros:
-Nice clean interface.
-Loads MUCH faster
-pretty much all the same features
Cons:
-Couple of interface and shortcut quirks that I think FF does better.
-Doesn't seem to load all images correctly
Still, I'll need to experiment more before I make any serious decision. The fact that it seems to load that much quicker is a big deal though: FF seems to crash and/or take forever to load up sometimes, and that's a pain when I'm trying to play a game and keep a browser window up at the same time.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Moving on up
According to this article, game development costs could double in the next generation. On one hand, that makes me think that a potential $10 increase in game prices is a bargain. On the other hand, it could also mean that prices will rise even more for premium games. Also, it will probably make profit margins even slimmer. Do we really want an industry where only million sellers can survive?
I am almost finished with Mega Man Zero for the GBA. Expect a review sometime very soon; it won't be too hard for me to say what I mean for this one.
Also, I started work today, grading homeworks for one of the C.S. professors. Despite some of the amusing answers I have seen to some questions, I will refrain from displaying them in a public place like this. Everyone has to start from the beginning at one point or another.
Despite the fact that I much prefer Coke over Pepsi, I'm actually drinking the latter due to their contest where you can win an Xbox 360. The chances of winning are ultra slim, but the gamer inside me won't pass up the chance to win a brand new system for free.
I am almost finished with Mega Man Zero for the GBA. Expect a review sometime very soon; it won't be too hard for me to say what I mean for this one.
Also, I started work today, grading homeworks for one of the C.S. professors. Despite some of the amusing answers I have seen to some questions, I will refrain from displaying them in a public place like this. Everyone has to start from the beginning at one point or another.
Despite the fact that I much prefer Coke over Pepsi, I'm actually drinking the latter due to their contest where you can win an Xbox 360. The chances of winning are ultra slim, but the gamer inside me won't pass up the chance to win a brand new system for free.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Best Day Ever
Today began with myself and friend Brandon going to the Inner Harbor in order to see the Orioles game. The tickets were $50 face value and it was costing me nothing. Most definitely a good start to a Saturday.
On our way to the field, we stopped over at the Baltimore Comic Convention. Normally I wouldn't give a crap about such an event. But this time there were some very special guests; Tycho and Gabe of Penny Arcade. We didn't have the money to get in, but I couldn't walk away from the building without seeing my two heroes.
As luck would have it, an old Loyola Alumni I knew was leaving the event with his friends. Apparently secuirty was lax, and the only proof of payment was a paper armband. With some careful finagling Brandon and I managed to walk in, for free, with two of their armbands. I got to meet Tycho and Gabe, and got a signed poster to boot. I think I can die happy now.
After that, we watched the O's win a game, got dollar drinks at the stadium, and before the night was over I landed a couple of rare PS2 games that were on sale.
Best Day Ever? If not, it was damn close.
P.S. - despite what some people may say about them, Tycho and Gabe are both class acts and very personable guys. Despite all their success they're still very humble guys who really appreciate their fans.
On our way to the field, we stopped over at the Baltimore Comic Convention. Normally I wouldn't give a crap about such an event. But this time there were some very special guests; Tycho and Gabe of Penny Arcade. We didn't have the money to get in, but I couldn't walk away from the building without seeing my two heroes.
As luck would have it, an old Loyola Alumni I knew was leaving the event with his friends. Apparently secuirty was lax, and the only proof of payment was a paper armband. With some careful finagling Brandon and I managed to walk in, for free, with two of their armbands. I got to meet Tycho and Gabe, and got a signed poster to boot. I think I can die happy now.
After that, we watched the O's win a game, got dollar drinks at the stadium, and before the night was over I landed a couple of rare PS2 games that were on sale.
Best Day Ever? If not, it was damn close.
P.S. - despite what some people may say about them, Tycho and Gabe are both class acts and very personable guys. Despite all their success they're still very humble guys who really appreciate their fans.
Friday, September 16, 2005
The Revolution
There it is. The controller for the Nintendo Revolution. The device that will change gaming forever, or fall into supreme obscurity.
I'm sure you have all seen the comments and opinions no it made by all sorts of gamers. The responses are almost completely split between immense awe and its polar opposite of intense hatred. I personally have a lot of questions, as well as some doubts as to how much the mass market will adopt it.
Yet no console annoucnement has got me thinking quite so much as this one. The wannabe developer in me has never been so excited. My imagination is going 100mph.
I believe Nintendo. Now show me more.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
The week is flying by. I guess that is a good thing.
Anyway, so much to talk about, so little of it I remember.
-Xbox 360 is out Nov 22nd. Not a big deal, but at least we have a concrete date.
-Finally got my car patched up, and then yesterday night heard the brakes squeeking just a littile bit. I'm hoping this isn't the beginning of a car bad-luck streak.
-Screens of Metal Gear 4 have been swimming through the web. Let the hype begin.
And honestly, that is all that I can remember to say. If I remember anything else I'll update this space.
Anyway, so much to talk about, so little of it I remember.
-Xbox 360 is out Nov 22nd. Not a big deal, but at least we have a concrete date.
-Finally got my car patched up, and then yesterday night heard the brakes squeeking just a littile bit. I'm hoping this isn't the beginning of a car bad-luck streak.
-Screens of Metal Gear 4 have been swimming through the web. Let the hype begin.
And honestly, that is all that I can remember to say. If I remember anything else I'll update this space.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
grumbles
I guess its just my luck that soon after getting a new car, the battery dies and my tire may have a leak. I need to resolve these issues today, so I am not grounded for the rest of the week. Too bad everyone I've asked for help has seemed reluctant to do so. Are they lazy? Busy? I can't really say.
I started learning the programming language Python for one of my classes, and so far I like it. It is very simple and elegant, though part of that comes from the fact that it uses indentation rather than brackets or braces for determining the ends of loops etc. Its built in lists structure is also incredibly handy for finding pretty much anything and everything that is stored in them. No messy "for" loops like in C++ that take forever to go through.
Actually, I am finding that while C and C++ are very useful and very powerful, they're also very old, especially when it comes to text processing. That's not quite a knock on them as much as it is a reminder to learn some other languages that may be more handy for certain projects.
Is it just me or is there a huge wave of hop-hop/gangsta games coming out. Let's see: 187 Ride or Die, 50 Cent Bulletproof, TrueCrime New York, Beat Down Fists of Vengeance, and at least one more I can't put my finger on. I know the pop culture scene is all about ghetto, but this is just a little excessive. Right?
On a final note, I still find the fascination college kids seem to have with beer pong and Miller Lite to be incredible. One is a pointless game that seems to sober more than inebriate, and the other is something that is beer in name only.
I started learning the programming language Python for one of my classes, and so far I like it. It is very simple and elegant, though part of that comes from the fact that it uses indentation rather than brackets or braces for determining the ends of loops etc. Its built in lists structure is also incredibly handy for finding pretty much anything and everything that is stored in them. No messy "for" loops like in C++ that take forever to go through.
Actually, I am finding that while C and C++ are very useful and very powerful, they're also very old, especially when it comes to text processing. That's not quite a knock on them as much as it is a reminder to learn some other languages that may be more handy for certain projects.
Is it just me or is there a huge wave of hop-hop/gangsta games coming out. Let's see: 187 Ride or Die, 50 Cent Bulletproof, TrueCrime New York, Beat Down Fists of Vengeance, and at least one more I can't put my finger on. I know the pop culture scene is all about ghetto, but this is just a little excessive. Right?
On a final note, I still find the fascination college kids seem to have with beer pong and Miller Lite to be incredible. One is a pointless game that seems to sober more than inebriate, and the other is something that is beer in name only.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
The Grind
Good artical here about the rising prices of Next Gen systems and software. I like that the initial responses are made by big name publishers and are classic PR fluff about how the enhanced quality of the games will justify the increases in price, . Then there are responses from actual developers that worry about the reaction consumers will have to $60 games.
I too am curious about the next generation. We all know the gaems will look better, and some may be bigger. But will they play better? Need for Speed Most Wanted is going to be an Xbox 360 launch game, but how much better will it play next to the say, Underground 2 or Hot Pursuit? The current generation offered a significant graphical upgrade, but a lot of Playstation 2 games play an awful lot like Playstation 1 games. I don't really if I'm willing to shell out ten dollars more for a game that plays the same and only lasts me ten hours, simply because it looks a little shinier.
All that bragging I did about my excellent text book shopping is now null and void; the one book I had to buy at the bookstore ended up costing me almost half as much as the total for my other four classes. I hang my head in shame.
Classes themselves are doing fine. I'm actually doing my readings on time, and find myself (so far) with enough energy to comprehend them.
Students on campus are still the same; big granny glasses, torn jeans and dirty looks whenever I walk around with my Mets cap on. At this point I don't know if I would have it any other way.
I upgrade my computer's RAM to a gig today, and it still seems to run choppy. I must contniue to investigate this phenom, though its probably the decrepit VPN software/antivirus we use to access the web.
I too am curious about the next generation. We all know the gaems will look better, and some may be bigger. But will they play better? Need for Speed Most Wanted is going to be an Xbox 360 launch game, but how much better will it play next to the say, Underground 2 or Hot Pursuit? The current generation offered a significant graphical upgrade, but a lot of Playstation 2 games play an awful lot like Playstation 1 games. I don't really if I'm willing to shell out ten dollars more for a game that plays the same and only lasts me ten hours, simply because it looks a little shinier.
All that bragging I did about my excellent text book shopping is now null and void; the one book I had to buy at the bookstore ended up costing me almost half as much as the total for my other four classes. I hang my head in shame.
Classes themselves are doing fine. I'm actually doing my readings on time, and find myself (so far) with enough energy to comprehend them.
Students on campus are still the same; big granny glasses, torn jeans and dirty looks whenever I walk around with my Mets cap on. At this point I don't know if I would have it any other way.
I upgrade my computer's RAM to a gig today, and it still seems to run choppy. I must contniue to investigate this phenom, though its probably the decrepit VPN software/antivirus we use to access the web.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Back on campus
I never thought that driving back to college on Labor Day would be so simple. There was absolutely no traffic to deal with even in the city. Heck, there were hardly any cars to deal with! I can only imagine what the roads were like about two hours later.
But I really don't care about that. I'm back, 1st class is about to start in ten minutes, and I have only one major issue to tackle: My cell phone is on its very last legs. The screen has been flickering in and out for the last week, and last night it went dead for good. now it is having troubles powering down and the reception is horrid. I'm thinking of making an early trip to the mall tomorrow before my four block of classes at noon.
1up has an interesting article about the Playstation, which turns 10 very soon. It has some interesting facts about the history of the machine, but for the most part it seems to be another oppurtunity for the gaming media to give Sony a free ride (which they've been doing for the last ten years) and kiss their butts. While it is true that the CD based systems of the time were an absolute wreck, and the only other option was the eventual cartrdige based Nintendo 64, if the Playstation didn't exist I don't believe gaming would have crashed and burned. Instead, I think Sega would have had an even bigger market for the Dreamcast, and Nintendo would have eventually adopt the CD format in order to keep up with Sega.
There's no doubt that the Playstation did a lot of good for the industry. But I also believe it did some harm by changing the focus of a lot of genres towards glitz and graphics rather than solid gameplay, and by popularizing blood, gore, sex and other "mature" themes in the eyes of the new money maker, the mainstream consumer.
I saw that MTV has a new show devoted entirely to showing rich girls celebrate their sweet 16's. Are TV viewers really that desperate/stupid?
But I really don't care about that. I'm back, 1st class is about to start in ten minutes, and I have only one major issue to tackle: My cell phone is on its very last legs. The screen has been flickering in and out for the last week, and last night it went dead for good. now it is having troubles powering down and the reception is horrid. I'm thinking of making an early trip to the mall tomorrow before my four block of classes at noon.
1up has an interesting article about the Playstation, which turns 10 very soon. It has some interesting facts about the history of the machine, but for the most part it seems to be another oppurtunity for the gaming media to give Sony a free ride (which they've been doing for the last ten years) and kiss their butts. While it is true that the CD based systems of the time were an absolute wreck, and the only other option was the eventual cartrdige based Nintendo 64, if the Playstation didn't exist I don't believe gaming would have crashed and burned. Instead, I think Sega would have had an even bigger market for the Dreamcast, and Nintendo would have eventually adopt the CD format in order to keep up with Sega.
There's no doubt that the Playstation did a lot of good for the industry. But I also believe it did some harm by changing the focus of a lot of genres towards glitz and graphics rather than solid gameplay, and by popularizing blood, gore, sex and other "mature" themes in the eyes of the new money maker, the mainstream consumer.
I saw that MTV has a new show devoted entirely to showing rich girls celebrate their sweet 16's. Are TV viewers really that desperate/stupid?
Friday, September 02, 2005
Road Lag
Note: I've been asked to double post this blog I have on livejournal as well as Blogger. If you're a big lj user, you can read the Hyper Blog Edition Turbo here as well. Keep in mind that Blogger will still be the primary home for this (I'm a google fan dontchaknow), so if you aren't seeing any update on the lj version for a while, you might want to check over here just in case I forgot to update both.
I have (of all all things) a wedding to attend on Sunday, the same day as student check in at Loyola. So I spent the last two days driving to Maryland in order to check in and drop my things off early. Unfortunately the process was a bit frustrating; my key didn't work at first, and either my parents or Sallie Mae made an error with my Plus Loans, meaning that I couldn't check in at first (and until its all resolved, I'm on financial hold. I guess I'm a rebel). Thankfully the Student Life were extra helpful, even checking me in during their lunch. It was much appreciated, so I'd like to say a big thank you to all of them (if they ever read this).
At least I got to see my significant other. That made it all worthwhile.
So, until Sunday, I have a lot of time to waste on my trusty computer, the only thing I couldn't trust leaving on campus alone (though my Dreamcast is over there, and I'm stewing like a concerned parent over that). I think I'll finish up a review or two if I can, and maybe ponder the meaning of life if I go to the beach.
P.S. - Loyola people: If something cool happens this weekend, don't tell me. Ignorance is bliss.
P.P.S - a nugget of joy at the end of the rainbow. That Resident Evil review I was talking about a few days ago is done and posted. I'd like to say it is my best yet, but I'm probably not the best judge of that.
I have (of all all things) a wedding to attend on Sunday, the same day as student check in at Loyola. So I spent the last two days driving to Maryland in order to check in and drop my things off early. Unfortunately the process was a bit frustrating; my key didn't work at first, and either my parents or Sallie Mae made an error with my Plus Loans, meaning that I couldn't check in at first (and until its all resolved, I'm on financial hold. I guess I'm a rebel). Thankfully the Student Life were extra helpful, even checking me in during their lunch. It was much appreciated, so I'd like to say a big thank you to all of them (if they ever read this).
At least I got to see my significant other. That made it all worthwhile.
So, until Sunday, I have a lot of time to waste on my trusty computer, the only thing I couldn't trust leaving on campus alone (though my Dreamcast is over there, and I'm stewing like a concerned parent over that). I think I'll finish up a review or two if I can, and maybe ponder the meaning of life if I go to the beach.
P.S. - Loyola people: If something cool happens this weekend, don't tell me. Ignorance is bliss.
P.P.S - a nugget of joy at the end of the rainbow. That Resident Evil review I was talking about a few days ago is done and posted. I'd like to say it is my best yet, but I'm probably not the best judge of that.
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